6 N.J. senators face primary challenges June 4

Six long-serving members of the New Jersey Senate are facing challengers in the June 4 primary election.

Perhaps the most interesting contest is in the 13th District where Leigh-Ann Bellew is backed by the tea party in her attempt to wrest the Senate seat from Republican Joe Kyrillos, said Monmouth University political analyst Patrick Murray.

“The tea party in Republican primaries in Monmouth County is very strong, very formidable,” he said. “They know how to get the vote out, and Monmouth County’s Republican Party organization has been very bad at getting the vote out when they’ve been challenged in the primaries.”

The other incumbent senators with primary opponents are Republican Bob Singer, and Democrats Nia Gill, Ray Lesniak, Nick Scutari, and Nick Sacco.

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Murray says the incumbents are all likely to win because they’re better known than their challengers and have a fundraising advantage.

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