Vaingankar raises another $110k for NJ-12 campaign

12th congressional district candidate Jay Vaingankar raised “almost $110,000” in the first quarter of 2026, his campaign announced today, putting him a fair bit behind the race’s top fundraisers.

Vaingankar, a Democrat and a former official in the U.S. Department of Energy under Joe Biden, has raised $260,000 overall since launching his campaign in December of last year.

“We’re not taking a dime from corporate PACs or special interests, and that means we’re accountable to the people we’re running to serve,” Vaingankar said in a statement. “This early support shows that our message is resonating and that we’re in a strong position to compete against elected officials twice my age, candidates who have previously run or who have long-established political networks.”

Two of Vaingankar’s main competitors in the Central Jersey district, Adam Hamawy and Sue Altman, both announced enormous fundraising hauls yesterday: Hamawy raised nearly $550,000, while Altman raised more than $400,000.

Thirteen Democrats in total are competing for the chance to succeed Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing), and anyone who wants to stay in serious contention for the seat will likely have to raise gobs of money. Four state and local elected officials – East Brunswick Mayor Brad Cohen, Somerset County Commissioner Shanel Robinson (D-Franklin), Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D-Trenton), and Plainfield Mayor Adrian Mapp – are also relying on local party support to boost their campaigns.