by Nikita Biryukov, New Jersey Monitor
Two physicians will compete in November to fill Rep. Andy Kim’s 3rd District House seat as Kim runs for the U.S. Senate.
Assemblyman Herb Conaway (D-Burlington), a physician, prevailed in the Democratic primary over his chief rival, Assemblywoman Carol Murphy (D-Burlington), with whom he’s shared a legislative district since 2018, the Associated Press projects.
“I got into this race because, as a former captain in the Air Force, I took an oath to protect our constitution and rule of law. The same constitution that MAGA extremists want to shred to pieces. In Congress, I will stand up to fight for democracy, the rule of law, and our right to vote,” said Conaway.
Conaway also defeated Democrats Joe Cohn, Sarah Schoengood, and Brian Schkeeper.
On the Republican side, physician Rajesh Mohan is projected to outrun immigration consultant Shirley Maia-Cusick and two other challengers, Gregory Sobocinski and Michael Francis Faccone.
Mohan will face Conaway in this Burlington County-centered district that Republicans have not reclaimed since Kim ousted Rep. Tom MacArthur there in a 2018 Democratic wave that was largely seen as a rebuke of then-President Donald Trump.
The 3rd District was made friendlier ground for Democrats when its lines were redrawn in early 2022 — shedding Republican-heavy Ocean County towns in exchange for portions of Monmouth and Mercer counties — but the district remains competitive despite the shift.
Both nominees entered their primaries with support from each of their parties’ county organizations.
The power of such endorsements was denuded somewhat this year — for Democrats especially — after a federal judge barred the use of county lines in Democratic primaries, ordering they instead use ballots that group candidates by office sought, rather than slogan.
Burlington County Clerk Joann Schwartz did not print grid ballots containing a county line for either primary. Mohan had lines in Mercer and Monmouth counties.