Voters in New Jersey’s 10th Congressional District are set to elect a new representative on Wednesday following the passing of Democratic U.S. Rep. Donald Payne Jr. in April after serving over 11 years in office. Running for the seat are Democrat LaMonica McIver, president of the Newark City Council, Republican Carmen Bucco, a small business owner, and two minor-party candidates. McIver clinched victory in a competitive 11-way primary in July, while Bucco ran uncontested for the Republican nomination.
The winner of the special election will complete the remaining 15 weeks of Payne’s unfinished term. The district heavily favors Democrats, with President Joe Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton both securing over 80% of the vote in recent presidential elections. The special election is being held on a Wednesday due to New Jersey’s election laws governing the timing of filling vacant U.S. House seats.
The election night in New Jersey’s 10th Congressional District will see McIver, Bucco, and third-party candidates Russell Jenkins and Rayfield Morton vie for the position. Any registered voter in the district is eligible to participate in the special election, projected to have low turnout compared to general elections. The district consists of parts of Essex, Hudson, and Union counties, with Essex being the largest contributor to the district’s population.
Turnout and advanced voting statistics show the electoral landscape in the district, with nearly 504,000 registered voters, a majority being Democrats. In the 2022 general election, around 27% of registered voters participated, with a notable portion casting ballots early. Monitoring the vote count in this special election is crucial, as early successes by candidates may indicate the final outcome.
The Associated Press will track the developments on election night, refraining from making projections until a clear winner is determined. The process may include requests for recounts, though New Jersey does not mandate automatic recounts. As of now, with 48 days until the November general election, the focus remains on the special election to decide who will succeed Donald Payne Jr. in representing New Jersey’s 10th Congressional District.
