NJ primary election underway with Gov. Mikie Sherrill's former House seat on the ballot
Candidates are vying for Gov. Mikie Sherrill's former House seat as the New Jersey primary election is underway Tuesday.
A host of positions are at stake, including seats in the Senate and the House of Representatives.
One of the races being closely watched is the 11th Congressional District. The House seat was vacated by the governor and is now held by Democrat Analilia Mejia. Mejia voted Tuesday morning in Glen Ridge.
Mejia won the special election in April to serve out the remainder of Sherrill's term, which ends in January.
Now, she is one of four Democrats seeking the party's nomination in the district. The other Democratic candidates include former Morristown Mayor Donald Cresitello, Justin Strickland and Joseph Lewis.
Republican Joe Hathaway is running unopposed for his party's nomination. He also ran in the special election against Mejia.
The district stretches across parts of Essex, Morris and Passaic counties, including communities like Glen Ridge, Montclair, Morristown, Parsippany and portions of Wayne.
Senate seat on the ballot
Another major race is for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democratic incumbent Cory Booker.
Booker, who has held the seat since 2013, is running unopposed in the Democratic primary. He is likely to advance to the general election in November.
There are four Republicans on the ballot:
- Former Tabernacle deputy mayor Justin Murphy
- Robert Lebovics, an otolaryngologist and ENT surgeon
- New Jersey State Police trooper Richard Tabor
- Former News 12 reporter Alex Zdan
NJ voting hours and locations
Polls opened at 6 a.m. and will close at 8 p.m.
You can find a list of voting locations in your county on this page on NJ.gov.
Can I vote if I'm an independent or "unaffiliated?"
New Jersey is a closed primary state, meaning only registered voters of the Democratic Party or the Republican Party can vote.
If you're not registered to a party, you can show up at your polling place on Election Day and declare a choice.
New Jersey no longer has an "independent" designation. So, if you're not a Democrat, Republican or registered third-party voter, you are an unaffiliated voter.
