Note: This story was updated at 10:16 p.m. to remove Ethel Conry and Karen Klein from O’Rourke’s list of endorsements. O’Rourke’s campaign later said their inclusion in the initial endorsement list was an error.
As county Democratic organizations in the 7th congressional district prepare to make their endorsements, Megan O’Rourke announced a new set of supporters today consisting of current and former local elected officials from all corners of the district.
Among O’Rourke’s backers is Mendham Borough Councilman Chris Neff, who last year became the first Democrat elected to his town’s governing body in five decades.
“In my race, I saw the benefit of reaching new voters and those who typically don’t vote for Democratic candidates,” Neff said in a statement. “Megan is the candidate who can grow our voter base, fight for our values, and give a voice to everyone in the 7th congressional district in Washington.”
Also on O’Rourke’s new list of endorsers: school board members in Blairstown, where she lives, and the North Warren Regional district; former local elected officials in Frenchtown, Washington Borough, Montgomery, and Hunterdon’s Franklin Township; and Phil DeStefano, last year’s Democratic nominee for Sussex county commissioner.
O’Rourke, a climate scientist and former USDA official, is one of six Democrats running for the competitive 7th district, where Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) is seeking a third term in office.
At the Hunterdon Democratic convention earlier this month, O’Rourke came in fourth place, though the 21% of the vote she received in the first round was higher than some expected. As the only candidate to hail from the district’s northwestern corner, she may be positioned to do better at the upcoming Sussex and Warren conventions; Sussex Democrats will award their endorsement on March 14.
Full list of endorsements
• Mendham Borough Councilman Chris Neff
• Former Washington Borough Councilwoman Josephine Noone
• Former Montgomery Township Committeeman Brad Fay
• Former Franklin Township Committeeman Dan Connor (also the 2023/2024 Democratic nominee for Hunterdon county commissioner)
• 2025 Democratic nominee for Sussex county commissioner Phil Destefano
• Former Frenchtown Councilwoman Holly Low
• Blairstown school board members Jeremy Cook
• North Warren Regional school board member Kristy Cook
• Former Roselle Councilwoman Janna Williams and former Roselle school board member Naima Ricks (both members of O’Rourke’s campaign staff)
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