Summit Councilman Greg Vartan has ended his campaign for New Jersey’s 7th congressional district, bringing the Democratic field in the competitive district down to two candidates.
“I am extremely thankful to the incredible team of supporters, volunteers, endorsers, and contributors who have supported me throughout this journey,” Vartan said in a statement. “I want to thank all those who were willing to hear me and share their stories with me.”
Vartan entered the race in November of last year, and was viewed as a serious candidate thanks to his connections in Union County and his high-powered campaign team. But he struggled to gain traction against his two Democratic primary opponents, former New Jersey Working Families Party head Sue Altman and former U.S. State Department official Jason Blazakis, both of whom had entered the race months earlier.
The councilman’s exit is essentially an acknowledgement that he had fallen into third place and saw little path to pulling ahead of Blazakis or Altman. He did not mention either of his former rivals in his statement this evening, but he did pledge to support whoever wins the Democratic nomination to take on Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield).
“Defeating Kean, who has no accomplishments and refuses to hold town halls with his constituents, has to be the top priority of all of my supporters and friends,” Vartan said. “So I urge them to unite behind the Democratic nominee. Our democracy hangs in the balance.”
Vartan is the second Democrat to drop out of the race against Kean; Roselle Park Mayor Joe Signorello III ran for the district for three months in 2023, but ended his campaign due to fundraising difficulties in October, before Vartan even entered.
With Vartan out, the 7th district contest is now a direct head-to-head between Blazakis and Altman, each of whom has been working for months to build up support among local Democrats in the district’s six counties. Altman leads the field in money and endorsements so far, though Blazakis has not yet announced his fundraising haul from the 4th quarter of 2023.
The effects of Vartan dropping out are likely to be felt most in Union County, which makes up around one-third of the 7th district’s Democratic primary vote. Vartan was the only candidate from the county, and he had substantial pre-existing political relationships there; now that he’s no longer in the race, Blazakis and Altman have a more straightforward path to winning party support from Union Democrats.