Overview
- Justin Murphy captured the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in New Jersey's primary on Tuesday, June 2, and will challenge incumbent Sen. Cory Booker in the November general election.
- Booker ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination and enters the fall as a heavy favorite with a large war chest compared with Murphy, whose campaign reported a negative cash-on-hand balance in mid-May.
- The June 2 primary also decided several House nominees who will appear on the November ballot, including Democrats Zack Mullock in NJ-2, Rebecca Bennett in NJ-7 and Adam Hamawy in NJ-12, and Republican Michael McGuire in NJ-3.
- New Jersey has not elected a Republican to the U.S. Senate since 1972, and nonpartisan ratings rate Booker's seat as safely Democratic, factors that make a GOP statewide upset unlikely without major shifts in turnout or fundraising.
- State voting rules and turnout patterns matter for November because New Jersey's closed primary system, large unaffiliated voter pool, and the narrow balance in the U.S. House mean these nominations could influence which seats are competitive and where national parties invest resources.