Conaway wins Dem primary to succeed lawmaker challenging Bob Menendez for Senate

Longtime New Jersey state assemblyman Herb Conaway won the Democratic primary in New Jersey’s 3rd congressional district on Tuesday, setting him up to face a Republican challenger in November.

Conaway served in the Garden State’s legislature since 1998. A late April survey by Public Policy Polling found Conaway to be the runaway favorite to win the race.

He won a crowded five-way primary race for the seat that’s being vacated by Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., a top contender to unseat embattled Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J. 

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Five Democrats were running to replace Rep. Andy Kim (Erin Scott/Bloomberg)

Kim launched a primary challenge against Menendez in September 2023 after the longtime senator dismissed calls for his resignation over damning criminal charges related to bribery and corruption. 

Kim’s been the favorite to win the Democratic primary since Menendez announced he would be running for his seat as an Independent earlier this week.

New Jersey’s 3rd congressional district is in the southern portion of the state, including part of the Philadelphia suburbs. 

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Kim is running in a race to replace Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

President Biden won the majority-White and urban district in the 2020 White House race. 

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Voters in the district also narrowly elected incumbent Gov. Phil Murphy, a progressive Democrat, in 2021 – albeit by a margin of roughly two points.

However, it could still be considered in play for Republicans come November – the seat was held by the GOP from 2011 until 2019, when Kim took over after unseating incumbent ex-Rep. Tom MacArthur, R-N.J.

Kim himself had not made an endorsement in the race to succeed him.