Van Drew Secures Republican Nomination, Salerno Leads in Close Democratic Primary
Incumbent Republican Congressman Jeff Van Drew has effortlessly clinched the Republican nomination for his fourth term in Congress representing South Jersey. On the other hand, political newcomer Joseph Salerno has emerged as the front-runner in a tight race for the Democratic nomination to challenge Van Drew in the upcoming November general election.
With 95 percent of the votes counted, Salerno had secured 12,637 votes compared to 12,236 votes for his closest rival, Tim Alexander. Carolyn Rush, another Democratic candidate, garnered 7,262 votes according to unofficial results released late Tuesday night.
Salerno, hailing from North Cape May in Lower Township, managed to leverage his base in Cape May County to establish a lead. He captured 51 percent of the votes in Cape May County, while Alexander and Rush lagged behind with approximately 23 percent each.
Despite Alexander’s strong name recognition from his previous run as the Democratic nominee in the 2022 Second Congressional District race, Salerno managed to hold his ground in Atlantic County, where Alexander had only a 3 percent lead over him.
Van Drew, who was originally elected as a Democrat in 2018 before switching to the Republican Party in 2019, has closely aligned himself with former President Donald Trump. His campaign manager expressed confidence following the primary results, highlighting the division within the Democratic Party in South Jersey.
The Second Congressional District, encompassing various counties and towns in the southern part of the state, has been trending conservatively in favor of Republicans. Van Drew’s significant margin of victory in the primary has positioned him as a strong contender for the upcoming general election.
In other primary election results, President Joe Biden secured the Democratic nomination, while former President Donald Trump clinched the Republican nomination for the general election. The U.S. Senate race in New Jersey will see Democrat Andy Kim facing off against Republican Curtis Bashaw, challenging incumbent Sen. Bob Menendez, who is running as an independent amid corruption allegations.
Curtis Bashaw, a Cape May hotelier, emerged victorious in the Republican Senate primary, while Andy Kim, a three-term congressman from Burlington County, secured the Democratic nomination.
Moreover, Cape May County Board of Commissioners Director Leonard Desiderio claimed the Republican nomination uncontested, positioning him for re-election in November. With the Democrats failing to nominate a candidate, Desiderio is set to continue his role as a prominent figure in the county commission.