NJ Primary Election 2024: What To Know In Mendham, Chester

MENDHAM, NJ — Voters in Mendham, Chester, and around the Garden State will head to the polls on Tuesday for the primaries, in a crucial presidential election year that also will have a Senate seat and several Congressional contests on the ballot.

Several towns will also have municipal races this year, including Mendham Township — and their mayor is also on the Republican ballot for U.S. Senate.

Around Morris County, voters will make decisions for local and county seats, as well as for U.S. Senate and presidential nominations. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday.

This year’s primary election ballots will also have a new look for Democratic Party voters, due to a lawsuit against a controversial political ballot design known as “the party/county line.”

The primary results determine who will be on the ballot for the 2024 general election, which is on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

What's on the ballot?

All Morris County voters will see candidates for president, U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives (District 7 or District 11), county surrogate, and county commissioners on their ballots.

Randolph Township has primaries for both parties, in a race for two open council seats this November.

Republicans in Mendham Borough also have a primary race for their upcoming council election to consider, but there are no competitive primaries on the local side for the rest of our main Morris County Patch sites: Chester Borough, Chester Township, Mendham Township, and Washington Township. There are no municipal offices up for election this year in Morristown and Parsippany-Troy Hills.

U.S. President

Former President Donald J. Trump is the only registered Republican candidate on the ballot, per the New Jersey Secretary of State.

On the Democratic ballot are sitting President Joe R. Biden, as well as anti-abortion activist Terrisa Lin Bokovinac and an "uncommitted" option (organized by a group calling for a ceasefire in Gaza).

U.S. Senate

As stated before, Democratic senator Robert Menendez's seat is up for grabs in the U.S. Senate. Menendez and his wife Nadine Arslanian remain embroiled in an alleged bribery scheme, and he announced in March that he will not seek the Democratic nomination (though he mentioned running as an independent in November).

Mendham Borough mayor Christine Serrano Glassner is one of four Republicans who are looking to be the U.S. Senate candidate on the ballot in November. The other candidates are South Jersey entrepreneur Curtis Bashaw, former Tabernacle deputy mayor Justin Murphy, and U.S. navy veteran Albert Harshaw of Jackson.

Three Democrats have put their names in to replace Sen. Menendez: Lawrence Hamm of Newark, Dr. Patricia Campos-Medina of North Jersey, and current U.S. Representative Andy Kim (NJ-3).

U.S. House of Representatives

In the 7th Congressional District, sitting U.S. Rep. Tom Kean faces a challenger in the Republican primary, U.S. Navy veteran Roger Bacon of Phillipsburg. There is only one Democratic candidate on the ballot, Sue Altman of Lambertville.

This district includes Chester Borough, Chester Township, Washington Township, Mendham Borough, and part of Mendham Township.

In the 11th Congressional District, which also includes some voters in Mendham Township, incumbent Democrat Mikie Sherill will face challenger Mark De Lotto of Totowa.

On the Republican primary ballot, voters have a choice between three candidates: Joseph Belnome and Raafat Barsoom of Belleville, and John F. Sauers of Rockaway.

Morris County offices

The primary races for county offices are uncontested, as three Republican commissioners and the Judge of the Morris County Surrogate Court will campaign to retain their seats against challengers.

Local races

Republican voters in Mendham Borough will narrow four council candidates down to two, as incumbents Steven J. Andrew and Brennan Reilly face challengers for their seats.

Opponents Matthew Bruin and Alexandra Henry Traut are part of the Morris County Republican Party ticket, filing data shows.

The Democratic primary will be uncontested in the borough, with two candidates filing in the primary for the two council seats up for grabs in November.

Chester Township Mayor Tim Drag is up for re-election this year, but will not be challenged in the primary.

Learn more about voting in New Jersey or find your local polling place here.

Click here to view a list of sample ballots for all Morris County towns.