Thomas Jones, Jr., a North Plainfield school board member, and a Jersey City police detective, will seek the Republican nomination for Congress in New Jersey’s 12th district, setting up a possible Republican primary with businessman Darius Mayfield.
The winner will take on Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing) in November.
Jones filed a letter of intent on Friday to complete with Mayfield for the organization line in Somerset County.
Mayfield is seeking a rematch against Watson Coleman, who defeated him in 2022 by 53,952 votes, 63%-36%. Still, Mayfield won plaudits from Republicans for his uphill campaign in a Democratic district and has never stopped campaigning. He is the clear frontrunner for the GOP nomination.
Two years ago, Mayfield won a contested convention against Nick Catucci in Somerset by a vote of 61-0.
Jones won a school board seat by 38 votes in 2022, and ran 263 votes ahead of ousted incumbent Tom Allen.
Watson Coleman, a former Assembly Majority Leader and Democratic State Chair, was elected to Congress in 2014 after seven-term Rep. Rush Holt (D-Hopewell) retired.