The Democratic field in New Jersey’s 7th congressional district has dropped from six candidates to four, with Megan O’Rourke and Beth Adubato ending their campaigns shortly before this afternoon’s filing deadline.
O’Rourke, a former top climate scientist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, had been running a serious and well-funded campaign for the district. Just two days ago, she won the support of Democrats in her home county of Warren, making her one of just three candidates who had any official county party endorsements.
By the time the 4 p.m. deadline rolled around today, however, no one from O’Rourke’s campaign had shown up to submit signatures to make it onto the ballot. Later in the evening, O’Rourke’s campaign released a statement confirming that she has indeed ended her campaign, though she did not cite a specific reason for doing so.
“At this time, I have decided to take a step back, and look for other ways to make a difference,” she said. “Our country will get back on the right track and, for now, I will work a bit differently toward that end. In the meantime, I want to express my sincere gratitude to my family for their support and everyone who offered their volunteer time, or encouragement. Each and every one of you have made this experience extremely worthwhile.”
(It remains to be seen what Warren Democrats will do in her absence; candidates have a few days to change their ballot slogans if needed.)
Adubato, meanwhile, had lagged further behind in fundraising and at county conventions, and was seen as a longshot to win the Democratic nomination. She cited an entirely different reason for the end of her campaign, however: a “troubling package … filled with anti-woman hate” that was delivered to her campaign P.O. box last week.
Adubato said that she believed the package may have had more to do with her work as a criminal justice professor than as a congressional candidate, and that law enforcement is investigating the matter. In the meantime, though, she decided continuing her campaign would be unwise.
“I would not ordinarily let something like this stop me from speaking out, but I do not want to put anyone else in harm’s way,” she said. “I am concerned about my student volunteers, who represent groups that were targeted in the mailing… I realize there may be no way to return to the campaign, but for everyone’s safety – including members of my family – caution is paramount.”
The candidates still in the race against Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) are Rebecca Bennett, Tina Shah, Brian Varela, and Michael Roth. Based on fundraising and endorsements, Bennett looks to be the frontrunner, though the race is likely to remain contested and competitive through the June 2 primary.
