Your handy breakdown of the state, county, and local races for Tuesday’s July 7 primary elections.
By Matt Skoufalos | July 6, 2020
Camden County ballot drop box outside the Audubon Municipal Building, June 2020. Credit: Matt Skoufalos.
Back in April, Governor Phil Murphy deferred the New Jersey primary elections to July 7— more than a month from their typical June date—due to challenges presented by the ongoing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Under these distinct circumstances, most voters will select the candidates to represent them in the November general election by mail-in ballots.
Mail-in ballots must be postmarked July 7 at the latest, and must be received by the Camden County Board of Elections by 8 p.m. July 14.
The county has also established local ballot drop boxes for voters to submit their ballots in person.
Votes may also be cast in person at polling places on July 7, but they will be treated as provisional ballots, which are normally reserved for those whose identities cannot be confirmed at the polls on Election Day.
Those voters who did not receive a mail-in ballot for the primary elections may request one in person from the Camden County Clerk. It must be returned to the clerk by 8 p.m. July 7. (You can download the application in English and in Spanish.)
New Jersey has closed primaries, which means voters must declare their affiliations for a party in order to participate. Registered, unaffiliated voters may participate, provided they have never previously declared a party affiliation, or are first-time primary election voters.
New Jersey has also established a guidance document that offers specifics about more questions unique to this election. For more information specific to Camden County, see the county 2020 Primary Elections page.
Photo by Parker Johnson on Unsplash – https://goo.gl/yFknSf.
What’s at Stake
In this election, New Jersey voters will select the candidates who will represent them in major national races this fall, including the U.S. presidential, senatorial, and congressional races.
Camden County voters will also select candidates for three seats on the Board of Chosen Freeholders, two regular terms and one unexpired term, plus the County Surrogate.
Only a handful of communities in our coverage area—Audubon Park, Haddon Heights, Merchantville, and Oaklyn—will nominate candidates for positions on their local governing bodies, and only the race in Haddon Heights will feature a contest among balloted opponents.
U.S. Presidential Race
2020 US Presidential Candidates. From left: Donald Trump (R), Joe Biden (D), and Bernie Sanders (D). Credit: NJ Pen.
New Jersey voters will only nominally cast their ballots for the candidates who would sit in the highest office in the land, with presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden having already accepted the concession of his only balloted opponent, Bernie Sanders, who resigned his campaign in April.
Republican incumbent Donald Trump faces no balloted opposition within his own party in New Jersey.
U.S. Senate Race
Democratic U.S. Senate Candidates Cory Booker (left) and Lawrence Hamm. Credit: NJ Pen.
In the Democratic primaries, New Jersey incumbent U.S. Senator Cory Booker faces a lone challenger for his re-election bid from Newark community organizer Lawrence Hamm.
Hamm is running under the slogan “Not Me. Us.”
The Republican field is considerably more crowded, with five candidates on the primary ballot:
2020 Republican U.S. Senate Primary Candidates in ballot order. Credit: NJ Pen.
- Social worker Natalie Lynn Rivera of Sicklerville appears in Column One under the slogan “We the People.”
- Hirsh Singh of Linwood, who is Director of Operations at engineering firm Hi-Tec Systems Inc., appears in Column Two under the slogan “Keep America Great New Jersey.”
- Eugene Anagnos, aka “Buddy Rider,” a retired schoolteacher from East Hanover, appears in Column Three under the slogan “Prevent CA East.”
- In Column Four, biotech entrepreneur Rik Mehta of Chester has the inside track, running downballot of Trump with the Camden County Regular Republican Party.
- Biotech consultant Tricia Flanagan of Princeton appears in Column Five under the slogan “America First Republicans.”
U.S. Congressional Race
Donald Norcross (D), Claire Gustafson (R). Credit: NJ Pen.
In the respective primaries for New Jersey’s First U.S. Congressional District, incumbent Democratic Representative Donald Norcross of Camden City and Republican challenger Claire Gustafson of Collingswood are running unopposed.
Camden County Freeholder Race
Camden County Freeholder Candidates (clockwise, from top left): Democrats Almar Dyer, Louis Cappelli, and Jonathan Young will face Republicans Johanna Scheets, Jennifer Moore, and Nicole Nance. Credit: NJ Pen.
Three seats are up for grabs on the Camden County Freeholder Board, and none of the races are contested in the primary elections.
Democrat Almar Dyer of Pennsauken and Republican Nicole Nance, also of Pennsauken, face no balloted opposition for the unexpired term vacated by former Freeholder Susan Shin Angulo.
Shin Angulo resigned her position to run for mayor of Cherry Hill, a race she won in 2019, and was succeeded by Barbara Holcomb of Winslow.
Holcomb declined to defend her unexpired term in the 2020 race.
Incumbent Democratic Freeholders Lou Cappelli of Collingswood and Jonathan Young of Berlin will face Republicans Jennifer Moore of Haddon Heights and Johanna Scheets of Oaklyn in the general election.
None of the candidates faces challengers from among those within their own parties.
From left: Camden County Surrogate Candidates Michelle Gentek-Mayer (D) and Kimberly Stuart (R). Credit: NJ Pen.
Camden County Surrogate Race
Incumbent Democratic Camden County Surrogate Michelle Gentek-Mayer of Gloucester Township and Republican challenger Kimberly Stuart of Haddon Heights face no balloted opposition in the primary races and will square off against one another in the November general elections.
Local Races
Haddon Heights Council Candidates. Credit: NJ Pen.
In Haddon Heights, incumbent Democratic Council President Stephanie Madden and challenger Regina Phillips will face Republican challengers Joe Pangaro and Kevin Ehret in the local council election this fall; none is opposed in the primary.
Uncontested local races
- Absent challengers on the Republican ticket, Democratic incumbents Judith DiPasquale and Karen Lewis will likely be returned to the Audubon Park council after the general election.
- With no Republican opponents, incumbent Democratic Merchantville Council President Sean Fitzgerald and councilman Andrew McLoone have a clear path back to office in November.
- Likewise, incumbent Democratic Oaklyn council members Dorothy Valianti and Charles Lehman face no balloted Republican opposition in the general election in the fall.
- In Pennsauken, incumbent Democratic Mayor Tim Killion and challenger Vince Martinez will face no balloted Republican opponents in the general election.
Voter Information
Scroll down for links to your local sample ballot. Polling places are only open for provisional ballots from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. statewide on Tuesday, June 7. After you vote, come back and check with NJ Pen for the results as they come in.
- Not sure which is your polling place? Here’s how to find your polling place by address.
- Not sure if you’re registered to vote? This tool can help you determine if you’re ready to head to the booth.
- Polling place problem? Questions? Call the Board of Elections at 856-401-8683.
