Healthcare startup director David Ocampo Grajales, one of two remaining Democratic challengers to Port Authority Commissioner Rob Menendez in the 8th congressional district, reported raising $25,464 in the first quarter of 2022, with $16,471 in cash-on-hand.
Ocampo Grajales’ total lags far behind that of Menendez, the son of U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, who raised $839,257 – a staggering amount for a non-incumbent congressional candidate in a safe district.
Amistad Commission member Ane Roseborough-Ebehard is also running for the Democratic nomination, but she entered the race after the first quarter ended and thus won’t yet have any fundraising to report. Two other candidates, entrepreneur Brian Varela and Seton Hall election law professor Eugene Mazo, didn’t make it to the ballot after having their petition signatures challenged.
Menendez has been the frontrunner for the 8th district ever since the New Jersey Globe reported that Rep. Albio Sires (D-West New York) would retire; he was guaranteed the county Democratic lines even before he, or anyone else, had formally launched campaigns.
One Republican, Marcos Arroyo, is also running, but he stands little chance of victory in the heavily urban and Latino district.
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