After the Wednesday death of Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-Paterson), Republican congressional nominee Billy Prempeh now awaits his next opponent.
Democrats have about a week to choose their nominee for New Jersey’s 9th district and Prempeh, the longshot GOP nominee who lost races for the same district in 2020 and 2022, is preparing for his next opponent. He said his yet-to-be-determined opponent will be a product of the “swamp” and that he’s prepared to debate whichever Democrat earns the nomination.
“In the next week, the Democrats will select their replacement for Congressman Pascrell.” Prempeh said in a release. “But make no mistake, it doesn’t matter who they select. What is destroying the lives of the citizens of the 9th District and the entire United States are the horrible policies they force on all of us. So, while we wait for the Phantom Democrat to emerge from the Swamp, we will continue to focus on the issues.”
Prempeh’s statement also emphasized his America First bona fides, which may be a risky bet in a district that supported Joe Biden in 2020 by 19 percentage points.
“This is not the America we fought for in 1776, and it’s not the America that we are all promised as American citizens,” he said. “My policies are unapologetically AMERICA FIRST. They are designed to free us from the burdens that our Government has placed on us. I am ready, willing and able to debate whoever the Phantom Democrat the Swamp decides to run.”
Prempeh’s tone was much different on the subject of Pascrell’s death, however; he released a statement on Wednesday thanking the congressman for his decades of service in New Jersey’s 9th.
“Bill Pascrell Jr. was more than just a political opponent; he was a dedicated public servant who gave his life to the city of Paterson and the people of New Jersey’s 9th District,” Prempeh wrote. “While we often found ourselves on opposite sides of the political aisle, I have always respected Bill’s unwavering commitment to his constituents and his tireless work for the community we both call home.”
Democrats have until Aug. 29 to select a replacement for Pascrell. The district is largely composed of Passaic and Bergen counties, with a small swath of Hudson County rounding out the map. Democratic county committeemembers from those counties will meet in a convention by next Thursday to choose the new nominee, who will then be placed on the November ballot.