NJ Spotlight News, an independent news organization, and the Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University have launched a voting guide for the 2024 congressional primary elections on June 4. MyVeronaNJ.com, which is a participant in the Center for Cooperative Media, will not be doing its own candidate interviews this year.
Journalists working with the Center for Cooperative Media asked all seven Senate candidates and more than 50 congressional candidates to fill out a questionnaire about their occupation and personal and political background, why they are running and what they consider to be the most important issue. The resulting guide also asked candidates’ for their positions on four topics: women’s reproductive health, clean energy, elections and the transition of power, and foreign affairs.
In the Senate race, three Democrats are running: Rep. Andy Kim (D-3rd), Patricia Campos Medina and Larry Hamm. Only Kim and Campos Medina responded to the questionnaire. But Hamm did participate, along with Campos Medina and Kim, in video press briefings that the Center ran. You can watch those videos here.
Four Republicans running to be the GOP’s Senate candidate: Curtis Bashaw, Christine Serrano Glassner, Justin Murphy and Albert Harshaw. Only Bashaw responded to the questionnaire. You can find all the Senate profiles here.
Rep. Donald Payne Jr., who had been the Congressman for the 10th district, which includes Verona, died on April 24. A Democrat, he had been running unopposed. Now, 11 people have filed petitions to run in a special Democratic Party primary that will be held on July 16: Derek Armstead, Brittany Claybrooks, John J. Flora, Darryl Godfrey, Alberta Gordon, Eugene Mazo, LaMonica McIver, Shana Melius, Sheila Montague, Debra Salters, and Jerry Walker.
Carmen Bucco is running unopposed in the Republican primary for the 10th district. The Center has sent questionnaires to all, but only Bucco has yet to respond. You can follow filings for the 10th district here.
The full guide, for all districts, is here. It includes a map to help voters find the congressional district in which they live.
