By Fiona Espinoza-Castro
Staff Writer
The 2024 United States Senate and House of Representatives elections are scheduled for Nov. 5. Out of the 100 seats in the Senate, 34 are open, and one seat is open for special election. Across the U.S., Democrats hold 19 seats while Republicans hold 10 and four seats are held by independents, according to Ballotpedia. Six candidates are seeking New Jersey’s vacant Senate seat, while 24 candidates seek a spot in all 12 House seats.
Senate
This election year will fill the Senate seat held by Democrat Robert Menendez, who assumed office in 2006. Menendez resigned on Aug. 20, after being found guilty on 16 counts related to corruption charges, including extortion, obstruction of justice, bribery and conspiracy, according to NBC News.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy appointed his former chief of staff, George Helmy, as an interim senator on Sept. 9. Murphy described Helmy as “the ideal leader to take on this role.” Helmy has been a staffer for current and former Democratic New Jersey senators.
New Jersey voters will elect their next senator during the general election. Democratic Rep. Andy Kim, from the 3rd Congressional District, and Republican Curtis Bashaw are the main contenders for the seat.
According to NJ Spotlight News, there are four other independent candidates on the ballot: Green Party candidate Christina Khalil, Libertarian Kenneth Kaplan, Social Workers Party’s Joanne Kuniansky, and the Vote Better Party’s Patricia Mooneyham.
Both main candidates, Kim and Bashaw, cater towards various areas such as the economy and healthcare—including more all under the idea of a better New Jersey.
Democrat Andy Kim
Kim decided to run for Menendez’s senate seat to restore trust and integrity in the government and public service realm.
Kim said on his campaign site, “Being trusted as an elected official is an honor – an opportunity to serve our community, not a license to line your pockets for political favors.”
Kim has made ending corruption in the government a pillar shown throughout his work and campaign. He has protected voting rights, ended gerrymandering and led ethical reforms in hopes of reversing the chaos in the political world today.
When Kim was running for his district in 2019, he made the promise to be the most accountable, accessible and transparent member of the government. Kim intends to carry those values to his potential position as a U.S. Senator.
Kim is also focused on lowering everyday costs for New Jersey residents, passing legislation that saves costs and lowering the national debt. Kim’s district reported that in July and August of 2022, he voted on two major bills: the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act.
The first bill encouraged companies to manufacture semiconductor chips in the U.S. instead of foreign countries to secure the supply chain and lower the cost of electronics overall. The second bill aimed to lower the cost of prescription drugs, invest in domestic energy production and reduce the national budget deficit. New Jerseyans can save $1,000 on healthcare.
Kim also believes that healthcare is a human right and should be affordable for all. He has authored legislation to support states creating their state-based insurance marketplaces, like GetCoveredNJ, to help families find more affordable healthcare options.
Kim has advocated for policies that would protect abortion rights. He co-sponsored the Women’s Health Protection Act and the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act, and he has defended IVF treatments, reported the NJ Spotlight News.
Republican Curtis Bashaw
Meanwhile, Bashaw, a stranger to politics and originally an entrepreneur, won the Republican nomination after running to improve the economy. Bashaw believes that several career politicians are corrupt and Americans want outside voices in their government. He intends to bring freedom, security and opportunity to New Jerseyans.
Bashaw is against illegal immigration, stating that it is “costing Garden State taxpayers $7.3 billion a year, or $2100 per household, at a time when New Jerseyans are struggling to put groceries on their table and pay for basic necessities,” according to his campaign site.
Bashaw intends to secure the border and stop the illegal flow of immigrants as well as deport those connected to terrorist organizations and violent crimes. However, Bashaw does stand with legal immigrants who have gone through the process of citizenship.
He believes that the Biden administration’s policies have led to inflation, record debt and an economy leading toward recession. He believes that creating more jobs with stable pay can help American families prosper.
Over the years, healthcare in the Garden State has risen to new highs and is hard to access. Bashaw advocates for bringing down healthcare costs while keeping the quality high. He suggests that insurance companies should compete with each other for consumer choice as it can bring down prices. Bashaw rallies on the idea of letting Americans have wide access to physicians by letting their medical licenses be valid across state lines.
The House of Representatives
The upcoming election in the House has several district incumbents running for re-election, while District 3 has no incumbent, as Rep. Andy Kim is running for Senate, and District 9 also has no incumbent after the death of Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr.
Here are the candidates of the 12 districts, according to the Northjersey.com:
1st District (Camden County, two towns in Burlington County, 14 in Gloucester County)
Donald Norcross (Five-term Democratic incumbent): Norcross supports raising wages, growing jobs in high-skilled industries, fair pay, safe working conditions, expanding education opportunities, protecting communities, improving healthcare, reproductive freedom, caring for seniors and promoting environmental sustainability.
Theodore Liddell (Republican): A former U.S. Army Captain and attorney. He believes in securing the Southern Border, combating inflation by bringing manufacturing jobs back from China, implementing tax cuts, and building a more effective U.S. Armed Forces.
2nd District (Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, Salem counties, 11 towns in Gloucester County and 14 towns in Ocean County)
Joe Salerno (Democrat): An entrepreneur who created and built companies from the ground up and provided people with hundreds of jobs in different industries. Salerno believes in reforming the tax system, creating more jobs, and protecting Social Security and Medicare.
Jefferson Van Drew (Republican incumbent): Originally a Democrat, Van Drew switched his party to Republican in 2020 after being told he had to vote in support of the impeachment of then-President Donald Trump, according to CNN. Van Drew supports tax reform that benefits middle-class families, the resurgence of manufacturing jobs, accessible healthcare and introduced the Understanding the True Cost of College Act making financial aid more standardized.
3rd District (38 towns in Burlington County, five towns in Mercer County, and 10 towns in Monmouth)
Herb Conaway (Democrat): Conaway is a member of the U.S. Air Force and a turned clinical professor to an assemblyman for the last 25 years. Conaway aims to lessen the tax burden on middle-class families, protect small businesses, encourage reproductive freedom, lower the prices of prescription drugs, protect democracy and nurture our environment.
Rajesh Mohan (Republican): Mohan is a cardiologist with decades of experience serving communities who wanted to step into the political realm. Mohan advocates for border control, ending “catch and release,” enhancing asylum processing at U.S. consulates in non-hostile countries, combating drug trafficking, reforming Obamacare, strengthening Medicare for seniors, increasing financial security, supporting small businesses, and combating inflation and the cost of living.
4th District (19 towns in Monmouth County and 21 in Ocean County)
Matthew Jenkins (Democrat): Before running for Congress, Jenkins was a biomedical researcher and an owner of a contracting business building residential homes across the tri-state areas. He promotes the prevention of illegal immigration, offers support for legal immigrants to process their cases, stands with small businesses, and worldwide access to birth control and healthcare.
Chris Smith (Republican incumbent): A lifelong member of Congress since he was elected in 1988, Smith hopes to achieve his 23rd two-year term in the House of Representatives. Smith enacted an international Megan’s Law and the Autism Cares Act of 2019. Through his work in Congress, Smith combated human trafficking, fought for anti-terrorism security and heightened veterans assistance.
5th District (47 towns in Bergen County, four towns in Passaic County, and 14 towns in Sussex)
Josh Gottheimer (Democratic incumbent): After assuming office in 2017, Gottheimer is now serving his fourth term in Congress. He supports expanding women’s access to healthcare, to protect IVF rights and access to transportation infrastructure.
Mary Jo Guinchard (Republican): Guinchard is a former singer and actress dedicated to restoring the American dream. She believes in closing the border due to the communicable diseases spreading throughout North Jersey, enacting a balanced budget supporting families and seniors, having more hands-on prosecutors and supporting law enforcement.
6th District (12 towns in Middlesex County and 26 in Monmouth County)
Frank Pallone (Democratic incumbent): Pallone was formally elected for District 3 in 1988 but was redistricted to District 6. His focus is on combating the climate crisis, banning offshore gas drilling, lowering prescription costs and making healthcare more accessible.
Scott Fegler (Republican): Fegler has worked for nearly two decades in the food industry voicing concerns about quality. He hopes to help secure the border, advocate for small businesses, make cost-effective nuclear energy, support Israel, provide safer food standards and introduce term limits in Congress.
7th District (Hunterdon County, Warren County, 12 towns in Morris County, 12 in Somerset, 10 in Sussex and 12 in Union County)
Sue Altman (Democrat): A longtime advocate for New Jersey’s public schools and fighting corruption, Altman hopes to win the district seat. Altman hopes to challenge political leaders by protecting public education, saving taxpayer money and strengthening democracy by fighting corruption.
Thomas Kean Jr. (Republican incumbent): Kean is serving his first term under Congress and has been dedicated to public service his whole life. He intends to lower costs for families, improve access to healthcare and provide a robust environment for students to receive proper education.
8th District (Part of Newark, Elizabeth and 11 towns in Hudson County)
Rob Menendez (Democratic incumbent): Menendez was first elected in 2022 and worked to represent the diverse 8th district while keeping the values of tolerance, hard work, and respect. He prioritizes empowering working families, addressing climate change and reproductive freedom, and championing organized labor.
Anthony Valdes (Republican): Valdes comes from a harsh background and knows the first-hand issues that people similar to him face. He intends to cap student loan interests, expand child tax credit, secure the southern border, support our allies and strengthen the legal system.
9th District (24 towns in Bergen County, two towns in Hudson County and nine towns in Passaic County)
Nellie Pou (Democrat): Pou was elected to the State Senate in 2012, where she currently serves as the N.J. majority caucus chair. She is running for Congress after being selected as an interim senator after the death of Congressman Bill Pascrell. She is committed to improving education, reforming the criminal justice system and making healthcare affordable.
Billy Prempeh (Republican): Prempeh is a U.S. Air Force Veteran and child of immigrants running for office for the first time. He intends to support homeless veterans, protect online privacy, lower taxes, fight against trade deals and prevent the U.S. from engaging in foreign wars without the consent of Americans.
10th District (Part of Jersey City, nine towns in Essex County and eight towns in Union County)
LaMonica McIver (Democratic incumbent): After the death of Congressman Donald Payne Jr. McIver won the special election held last month. Through her work, McIver served students by giving back to the community and maintaining engagement. She has professed her support of fighting against environmental racism, gun control and universal healthcare.
Carmen Bucco (Republican): Bucco is a small business owner who comes from an underrepresented background, having grown up in the foster care system and lived on the streets.
He advocates for a greater commitment to public service, the elimination of corruption in politics, improving public safety, and high-quality education, supporting small businesses and giving veterans resources.
11th District (15 towns in Essex County, 27 towns in Morris County and four in Passaic County)
Mikie Sherrill (Democratic incumbent): Sherrill was first elected to Congress in 2018, formerly a federal prosecutor hoping to get re-elected. She intends to create well-paying jobs, reduce taxes, rebuild transportation infrastructure, universal access to reproductive care and make healthcare more affordable for seniors.
Joseph Belnome (Republican): Belnome serves as a district leader for the Belleville Republican Party where he advocates for his beliefs and ideals. In Congress, he plans to secure the borders, prioritize domestic energy production, boost the economy and reduce corruption.
12th District (seven towns in Mercer County, 14 towns in Middlesex County, 10 in Somerset, and Plainfield in Union County) – the College’s district
Bonnie Watson Coleman (Democratic incumbent): Coleman is currently serving her fifth term in Congress where she serves as a public service leader. She intends to cosponsor the American Dream and Promise Act, support the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, equality for LGBTQ+ Americans, offer economic opportunities for black women and girls, and support reproductive healthcare.
Darius Mayfield (Republican): Mayfield is a businessman and philanthropist who advocates for education, the economy and national security. He aims to dismantle barriers within educational institutions, promote trade education, support the middle class and small businesses, lower inflation, deport undocumented immigrants, promote legal immigration and empower border patrol.
