Discussing the lay of the land in Sussex County requires this preamble: Abraham Lincoln lost Sussex twice.
Sussex County, in many ways, is the opposite of what many people think of when they think of New Jersey: densely populated and Democratic. Sussex County is rural, sprawling, and very Republican. Republicans have relied on strong margins here to make up ground elsewhere, while Democrats in most towns are a nonfactor. This has made Republican primaries the real contests, given that the county has never had a county line.
In 2023, the State Senate seat and both State Assembly seats in the strongly Republican 24th legislative district became open, and what ensued was one of the closest and nastiest primary contests. Sussex County, which accounts for 63% of the district’s primary votes, proved decisive for now-Assemblymembers Dawn Fantasia (R-Franklin) and Mike Inganamort (R-Chester) in their narrow victories.
The last Democratic presidential candidate to break through here was Lyndon Johnson in 1964. The last Democrat to carry the county at the Senate level was Bill Bradley in 1984. The last Democrat to carry the county at the gubernatorial level was Brendan Byrne in 1973.
Republicans are uncontested in Branchville, Frankford, Franklin, Fredon, Green, Hamburg, one borough council seat in Hampton, Montague, Ogdensburg, Sandyston, Stillwater, Sussex Borough, Wantage, and one borough council seat in Stanhope.
One note is that Fredon and Andover Township have primary vacancies, and the Democratic municipal committee has until August 27 to fill them, or there will be no Democrats running in those municipalities for local office this year.
Vernon does not have any municipal elections this year.
Byram, Newton, and Sparta have nonpartisan elections this November.
U.S. Senate
Two-term Sen. Cory Booker is seeking a third term in Washington. Booker has never won Sussex County in any of his Senate contests, but that has not hindered his statewide margins.
Booker lost Sussex County by 34 points to former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan in the 2013 special election to replace late Sen. Frank Lautenberg, by 27 points to former Ronald Reagan speechwriter Jeff Bell in 2014, and by 19 points to pharmaceutical executive Rik Mehta in 2024.
Booker faces former Tabernacle Deputy Mayor Justin Murphy this November. Curtis Bashaw, the 2024 GOP nominee for U.S. Senate, carried Sussex County by 23 points in 2024 over now-Sen. Andy Kim.
5th Congressional District
The 5th Congressional district includes the Sussex County municipalities of Andover Township, Branchville, Frankford, Franklin, Hamburg, Hampton, Hardyston, Lafayette Township, Montague, Newton, Sandyston, Sussex, Vernon, and Wantage.
Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-Tenafly), otherwise known as the human fundraising machine, is seeking re-election. He has raised a massive $13 million for his re-election campaign. His challenger is corporate consultant Sean Kirrane, who has raised a mere $8,000.
Gottheimer was first elected in 2016, unseating Rep. Scott Garrett (R-Wantage).
Gottheimer has never won the Sussex County portion of the 5th district in any of his campaigns, but it has not hindered him. During the 2020 redistricting round in New Jersey, the 5th district was made modestly more Democratic by removing parts of Sussex County. In 2010, the 5th district voted for Joe Biden by 13 points.
Gottheimer lost the Sussex County portion of the 5th district by 24 points in 2022 on his way to a 10-point districtwide victory over Frank Pallotta. Gottheimer again failed to carry the Sussex County portion of the 5th by 20 points on his way to an 11-point districtwide victory against former Tuxedo Park, N.Y., mayor Mary Jo Guinchard.
This matchup presents a unique challenge for Kirrane: He will need to overcome an incumbent with nearly 1,600 times as much money in the bank as he does.
7th Congressional District
The 7th Congressional district includes the Sussex County municipalities of Andover Borough, Byram, Fredon, Green, Hopatcong, Ogdensburg, Sparta, Stanhope, Stillwater, and Walpack.
Two-term Rep. Tom Kean (R-Westfield) is seeking re-election to a third term. He faces Democrat Rebecca Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot.
Kean was first elected to Congress in 2022, unseating two-term Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-Ringoes) in a rematch of the 2020 race, with Malinowski narrowly beating Kean by less than a point in the 2010s iteration of the 7th district, even as Joe Biden beat Donald Trump in the district by 10 points on the same ballot.
Kean’s near-victory in 2020 likely affected the 2020 round of congressional redistricting: Sussex County was added to the 7th district in exchange for the 5th district losing some of Sussex County, and the 11th district lost all of Sussex County to the 7th district. The result was that the 5th and 11th became more Democratic, and the 7th became more Republican. Democratic mapmakers were worried about a hypothetical red wave in 2022 and sought to shore up two of the three North Jersey suburban congressional seats.
The current 7th district voted for Joe Biden by 4 points in 2020 and Donald Trump by 1 point in 2024. Gov. Mikie Sherrill carried the district by 2 points in 2025.
The Sussex portion of the district competes with Warren County for the Most Republican designation. Donald Trump carried the Sussex County portion by 20 points in 2024. Kean overperformed Trump in this portion of the district by carrying it by 23 points in 2024 on the same ballot as Trump. Jack Ciattarelli carried the portion by 15 points in 2025.
County Clerk
Republican Clerk Jeff Parrott is retiring, and Republican County Commissioner Christopher Carney is running to succeed him and keep the clerkship in Republican hands.
Carney is a member of the International Brotherhood of Operating Engineers Local 825 and is a former Frankford Township mayor and committeeman.
Democrat Clare Golden, an advanced practice nurse and Rutgers University professor, is challenging Carney.
Democrats have not won a countywide election in Sussex County since 1999.
County Commissioner
Republican Commissioner Jack Degroot is seeking a second term. Degroot unseated Republican Commissioner Herb Yardley in the 2023 Republican primary, back when he was a 23-year-old graduate student and farmer.
Democrat retired businessman Phillip Destefano is challenging DeGroot. Destefano previously ran for commissioner last year and lost to Republican commissioners Jill Space and David Silverthorne.
The last Democrat to win a countywide race in Sussex County was Howard Burell in 1999, when he was elected county commissioner. Burrell remains an active and visible figure in the county.
Andover Borough
Republican Borough Councilmembers Frederick DiRenzo and Erin Webb are seeking re-election. Democrats are running only one candidate for both borough council seats this year: Kathleen Salgado, a marketing manager at LEW Environmental.
Republicans currently control all seats on the Andover Borough Council.
Andover Borough is a Republican stronghold. Donald Trump carried the borough by 17 points in 2024. Jack Ciattarelli carried the borough by 10 points in 2025 over Gov. Mikie Sherrill.
Andover Township
Republican Mayor Thomas Walsh and Republican Committeewoman Suzanne Howell are running for re-election. The pair faces no Democratic opposition as of August 24. But they face three independent candidates: Cynthia Chase, a real estate broker, and Nicholas Balady, a banking risk management professional, who are each running together under the “Our Town First” ballot slogan.
A third independent, veteran Kenneth Collins, is running under the “No Data Centers!” slogan. Local Andover politics became very charged earlier this year when a proposed AI data center project drew massive public backlash before being scrapped.
Balady and Chase are also running with Democrat Nicole Guerrieri, who is seeking a one-year unexpired term on the council. Republican Roderick Mosner is challenging her.
Republicans currently control all seats on the Andover Township Committee.
Andover Township is a Republican stronghold. Donald Trump carried the township by 23 points in 2024. Jack Ciattarelli beat Gov. Mikie Sherrill by 18 points in 2025.
Hampton
Republican Committeeman Phil Yetter, one of the longest-serving elected officials in New Jersey history, is seeking re-election along with Republican Committeeman David Hansen.
A farmer, Yetter was first elected in 1978. He served as mayor for over 30 years. If he wins re-election in November, he’ll begin his 49th year in local government.
The pair only faces Democrat environmentalist Kenneth Druse.
Republicans currently hold all seats on the Hampton Township Committee.
Hampton is a solidly Republican town; Donald Trump carried it by over 30 points in 2024. Jack Ciattarelli carried the township by 24 points in 2025.
Hardyston
Republican councilmen Brian Kaminski and Anthony Ceglia are seeking re-election to the Hardyston Council. Ceglia was appointed to the council earlier this month to fill a vacancy created by the death of Councilman Frank Cicerale.
Democrats Michele Van Allen, a former Hardyston Board of Education member, and political newcomer Thomas Manzi are challenging the pair.
Republicans currently control all seats on the Hardyston Township Committee.
Hardyston has a strong Republican lean. Donald Trump carried Hardyston by 22 points in 2024. Jack Ciattarelli prevailed by 15 points here over Gov. Mikie Sherrill last year.
Hopatcong
Republican Councilwoman Jennifer Johnson is seeking re-election with former Council President John Young. Young beat Republican Councilwoman Rachel Rodriguez earlier this year.
They face Democrats Miguel Manalo, a civic activist who has gained attention for his participation in the protests surrounding the potential ICE facility in nearby Roxbury, and Barbara Fernandez, a reading specialist at the North Warren Regional School District, in November.
Republicans currently hold all seats on the Hopatcong Borough Council.
Hopatcong is solidly Republican; Donald Trump carried it by over 22 points in November. Jack Ciattarelli carried Hopatcong by 11 points last year over Gov. Mikie Sherrill.
Lafayette
Republican Township Committee members Joshua Aikens and Lisa Carlson are seeking re-election. Aikens ran for state Assembly in 2023 in the 24th Legislative District, losing to now-Assemblymembers Mike Inganamort (R-Chester) and Dawn Fantasia (R-Franklin) in the Republican primary.
The pair faces Democrats Amy Lehne, a civic advocate, and political newcomer Bill Ruhnke.
Republicans currently control all seats on the Township Committee.
Lafayette is deeply Republican. Donald Trump carried Lafayette by 36 points in 2024. Jack Ciattarelli beat Gov. Mikie Sherrill by 33 points in 2025.
Stanhope
Republican Councilman Thomas Romano is seeking re-election. Democratic Councilman Anthony Riccardi is also seeking re-election. Republican Najib Iftikhar, an assistant professor of business at Morris County Community College, is seeking to unseat Riccardi.
Republicans currently have a 4-2 majority on Stanhope Borough Council, with a Republican mayor.
Stanhope voted for Donald Trump by six points in 2024. In 2025, the borough backed Jack Ciattarelli by a single vote, 773-772, over Gov. Mikie Sherrill.
Walpack
Walpack, New Jersey’s least-populated municipality, with just seven residents, has a very interesting year.
Republican Mayor Victor Maglio is up for re-election this year, but no candidate filed for the seat and no write-in votes were cast in the primary. Maglio will need to run a write-in campaign to win re-election, although the two remaining township committee members could appoint him if the seat becomes vacant after the election.
Maglio has served on the township committee since 2007 and became mayor in 2011. His daughter, Kelly Happe, is also on the three-member committee.
