Dan Benson has won the endorsement of the Princeton Community Democratic Organization, defeating five-term incumbent Brian Hughes, a Princeton resident, in an intramural battle leading up to the Mercer County Democratic Convention on March 5.
Benson, an assemblyman from Hamilton, won with 77% of the vote, 92 to 28, at the mini-convention, which does not bind delegates who will vote to award the organization line.
He had been the favorite to win tonight’s vote after scoring endorsements from Princeton Mayor Mark Freda, Councilmembers David Cohen, Leticia Fraga, Eve Niedergang, Michelle Pirone-Lambros, Mia Sacks, and Leighton Newlin. Benson also had support from former PCDO President Tommy Parker, PCDO Vice President Jane Manners, and Democratic Municipal Chair Owen O’Donnell.
The Hughes campaign suggested this morning that the vote was not representative of the community, since 90 of the 290 PCDO members were not residents of Princeton.
The PCDO endorsement doesn’t always translate into a Democratic primary win in Princeton. In 2017, the group backed Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Sayreville) for governor. Local voters went for Phil Murphy, the former U.S. Ambassador to Germany, by 54 votes, 1,202 to 1,148. 35.8% to 34.2%.
Hughes and Benson face off in the New Jersey Globe Mercer County Executive Democratic Primary Debate on Sunday, February 26 at 9 PM. The debate will be moderated by New Jersey Globe reporter Joey Fox.
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