Gregg Mele has dropped his bid for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senator and instead wants to challenge Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-Long Branch) in New Jersey’s 6th district.
He switched his campaign from Senate to House in a Tuesday filing with the Federal Election Commission. In a short telephone call, Mele declined to comment.
“I’ll be sending out a statement soon,” he said.
His departure brings the field of U.S. Senate candidates down to nine: Curtis Bashaw, Steve Boston, Michael Estrada, Albert Harshaw, Brian Jackson, Justin Michael Murphy, Fred Schneiderman, Christine Serrano Glassner, and Alex Zdan.
In a safe Democratic district, Pallone has one other challenge who filed with the Federal Election Commission: Scott Fegler, a 35-year-old political newcomer from Highlands who is director of business development for a wholesale cheese, charcuterie, deli meat, grocery, and seafood products importer.
Mele, a perennial candidate making his sixth run for public office, entered the Senate race in March 2023 but made no impact. He received no votes at the Hunterdon GOP convention and won just 7% in Union County. He hasn’t reported any campaign contributions or expenditures.
He was an independent candidate for Congress in 2018 in New Jersey’s 7th district, running under the “Freedom” banner. He finished last in a field of four candidates, training Democrat Tom Malinowski by 164,689 votes and received 0.7%.
The following year, he became the Libertarian candidate for mayor of Bridgewater. He received 250 votes (2%) against Republican Matt Moench (57%) and Democrat Jeffrey Brookner (41%).
Mele won the Libertarian nomination for governor in 2021 and finished fourth in a field of five candidates with 0.3%; he trailed Gov. Phil Murphy by 1,331,703 votes.
In 2022, Mele sought the Republican nomination for Congress in the 6th district but was tossed off the ballot after he failed to meet the 200-signature threshold on his nominating petitions. Click HERE to read Mele’s New Jersey Globe Op-Ed explaining why.
Mele practices law in Clark, where he currently resides.