Republican John McCann won the most bitter of the congressional primaries, narrowly defeating former Bogota mayor Steve Lonegan in the 5th district for the chance to take on freshman Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer in the general election.
A former Cresskill councilman, McCann beat Lonegan by 845 votes, 15,240 to 14,395.
McCann carried Bergen County, where he had the endorsement of the county Republican organization, by 2,424 votes over Lonegan, a 57%-43% win.
Passaic County also backed McCann, but Lonegan wrestled him to a draw there. McCann carried Passaic by just 37 votes, 1,170 to 1,133.
Lonegan won the western portion of the district in Sussex and Warren counties.
In Sussex, Lonegan won 62% and a margin of 1,454. Warren gave Lonegan a narrower 89 vote margin, 51%-49%. Sussex and Warren have no organization lines.
McCann faces the challenge of uniting the Republicans behind him as he prepares to take on Gottheimer, a human fundraising machine.
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