Gottheimer wins big at Warren Dem convention

Gubernatorial candidate Josh Gottheimer scored a solid victory at today’s Warren County Democratic convention, giving him a win in a county that went for Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary.

Gottheimer won the convention, 19-7, against Newark Mayor Ras Baraka (57.6% to 21.2%), with Rep. Mikie Sherrill finishing third with five votes (15.2%), followed by former Senate President Steve Sweeney with two votes (6%).  New Jersey Education Association President Sean Spiller, the former mayor of Montclair, was not nominated in Warren; Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop did not participate.

During his first three terms in Congress, Gottheimer represented parts of Warren County; the county was removed from New Jersey’s 5th district after the 2020 Census and is now entirely in the 7th.

Warren is one of the most Republican counties in the state – Democrats haven’t won a countywide election since 1999 – and Democratic primaries have a more progressive bent.  It was one of two New Jersey counties to support Sanders, who carried Warren with 51% against Clinton.  Against a progressive primary opponent in 2020, Gottheimer won Warren with 65%.

Fulop has the endorsement of former Warren County Democratic Chairman Tom Palmieri.

Gottheimer, a five-term congressman, said Warren County “has been hit hard by the Trump Administration’s attacks on seniors, students, veterans, farmers, and agricultural workers.”

“Jersey deserves a Governor who will fight the Trump Administration when they mess with Jersey, and who will tackle our affordability crisis head-on,” said Gottheimer.  “That’s why I’m running as the ‘Lower Taxes, Lower Costs’ Governor, with a long track record of taking on the impossible and getting things done.”

This is Gottheimer’s second convention win – he took Bergen County earlier this week by a 50-point margin against Sherrill and the others.

Sherrill has won conventions in Hunterdon, Mercer, Monmouth, Sussex, Middlesex, and Morris; Sweeney has captured endorsements in Burlington, Atlantic, Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem.