Assemblymembers Mitchelle Drulis (D-Raritan Township) and Roy Freiman (D-Hillsborough) will represent Democrats in the 16th legislative district in November after defeating a primary challenge from a young progressive activist, the New Jersey Globe projects.
The incumbents defeated Mahmoud Desouky, a 24-year-old South Brunswick resident who worked on Senator Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign and interned for Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing). Desouky, a Rutgers University alumnus who will soon attend law school, was one of the few progressive primary challengers not aligned with Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop’s Assembly slate.
Desouky raised less than $10,000 for his campaign — still, Freiman and Drulis took the challenger seriously, spending tens of thousands of dollars on the primary.
The 16th legislative district encompasses parts of Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, and Somerset counties.
Hillsborough Committeewoman Catherine Payne and Raritan Township Committeeman Scott Sipos ran unopposed for the GOP nominations.