Conaway wins Democratic primary in New Jersey’s 3rd Congressional District

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Dr. Herb Conaway bested Asw. Carol Murphy and three other candidates to win the Democratic primary for the 3rd Congressional District seat. Conaway will now focus on bagging the seat currently occupied by U.S. Rep. Andy Kim, who became the Democratic nominee for Senate Tuesday night.

Conaway said voters recognized the experience that he brought to the table.

“Certainly we out worked our opponents at the door [and] at meetings,” he said. “We were able to build a very strong base of support financially, and we messaged on experience and leadership throughout this race.”

Based on how the district was redrawn after the 2020 census, the seat is expected to stay in Democratic hands in November.

Conaway, who is also director of the Burlington County Health Department, has served in the Assembly for 25 years.

Murphy, currently in her fourth term, is the first woman to represent the district in the Assembly. She was hoping to be the first woman to represent a South Jersey district in Congress. Though she snagged the endorsement of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Conaway won the endorsement of the Democratic Party in Burlington, Mercer and Monmouth counties.

At the time the Associated Press called the race before 9:30 p.m., Conaway’s likely opponent in the general election, Dr. Rajesh Mohan, was leading in the Republican primary.