The Shifting Landscape of New Jersey Congressional Primaries
In a recent column for the Trentonian, Irwin Stoolmacher, president of the Stoolmacher Consulting Group, argues that the current mechanism for selecting Democratic candidates in New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District requires urgent re-evaluation. Writing in the wake of Dr. Adam Hamawy’s victory, Stoolmacher contends that the proliferation of candidates and the influence of out-of-state funding are creating a system where nominees can secure a spot on the general election ballot with only a modest plurality of the vote.
Dr. Hamawy, who will be replacing Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, won the primary with just slightly more than 20,000 votes (28% of the votes cast). Stoolmacher points out that this result was facilitated by a crowded field of 13 candidates, which diluted the support for better-known local figures like Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds Jackson. A pro-Palestinian super PAC contributed $1.5 million to the campaign, while an anonymous Texas-based group called the Florence Avenue Initiative ran a six-figure smear campaign against candidate Sue Altman.
For Stoolmacher, this outcome reflects a trend in post-party-line New Jersey politics. He highlights that this is not an isolated incident; Analilia Mejia recently secured the nomination in the 11th Congressional District with just 29.1% of the vote. Stoolmacher suggests that structural changes, such as implementing ranked-choice voting or mandatory run-offs between the top two candidates, are necessary to ensure that nominees hold a broader mandate from the electorate.
The State of the New Jersey Republican Party
While the Democratic primary process faces internal scrutiny, Stoolmacher argues that the New Jersey Republican Party remains hampered by ideological divisions and a lack of effective leadership. He warns that the party’s potential for a resurgence is currently stifled by the prospect of aligning with former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, whom he describes as a long-time Trump sycophant.
Stoolmacher reminds readers of Christie’s record, noting that he left office in January 2018 with an approval rating of 15% to 19%. He cites the public backlash surrounding Bridgegate, the failed 2016 presidential campaign, and the July 2017 state government shutdown—an event famously punctuated by images of the governor on a beach closed to the public—as significant liabilities. According to Stoolmacher, the party’s current weakness provides a window of opportunity for Democrats, even those who win with slim pluralities, to maintain control of Congressional seats that might otherwise be competitive.
Stoolmacher Urges Ethical Probe into Assemblywoman Tennille McCoy
Beyond electoral mechanics, Stoolmacher raises concerns regarding allegations reported by The New Jersey Globe concerning 14th District Assemblywoman Tennille McCoy. The report, which they contend is based on 22 interviews and a 47-minute body camera video, accuses McCoy of fostering a toxic workplace and violating ethics rules, with one former staffer claiming that her legislative office, her non-profit, and her personal life shared a single wallet.
Stoolmacher suggests that the Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards should take a deep dive into the way McCoy has been operating and determine if the allegations are credible. He suggests that the committee needs to investigate whether staff were improperly tasked with non-profit work and if third-party quasi-charitable entities were used to obscure the source of McCoy’s personal expenses. He notes that the committee has very rarely taken formal action against sitting legislators, a pattern he finds concerning given the gravity of the current allegations.
