Hughes, Benson will face-off in pre-convention debate

Brian Hughes and Dan Benson will meet for their first debate in the race for the Democratic nomination for Mercer County Executive on Sunday, February 26, at 9 PM.

The debate is sponsored by the New Jersey Globe and will be moderated by New Jersey Globe political reporter Joey Fox.

The face-off between the two candidates will take place one week before the Mercer County Democratic convention that will award the organization endorsement for the June primary.  Party by-laws allow any candidate who receives at least 40% of the convention vote to run in the organization column.  However, only the top vote-getter may use the Mercer County Democratic Committee ballot slogan.

Hughes is seeking re-election to a sixth term as county executive.  The son of former Gov. Richard J. Hughes, he ran for Congress and served as a Mercer County freeholder before his election as county executive in 2003.

Benson served as a Hamilton councilman and Mercer County freeholder before his election to the New Jersey State Assembly in 2011.  He is the chairman of the Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee and the deputy majority conference leader.

The debate will be livestreamed on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and the New Jersey Globe website.

The New Jersey Globe has led the state in sponsoring political debates for state and federal office, including the only U.S. Senate debate in 2020 and the only Lieutenant Governor debate in 2021.   The Mercer Democratic debate will be the 16th for the New Jersey Globe since 2020.