John Aslanian has dropped his campaign for the Republican nomination for Congress in New Jersey’s 5th district, leaving Sean Kirrane unopposed in his bid to take on five-term Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-Tenafly).
“Sean has the energy, vision, and experience in the healthcare and business sector, addressing cost and improving outcomes. He has exactly what is needed to take the fight directly to Josh Gottheimer and the failed policies of the Democrats,” Aslanian stated. “It’s critical that Republicans unite behind one candidate who can win this race and deliver real results for the people.”
Aslanian had filed with 549 signatures, and Kirrane’s campaign manager, Kasey Dearden, had filed a challenge to the validity of his nominating petitions. Dearden had argued that Aslanian had enough Democrats and out-of-district signers to disqualify him.
Rather than fight this out before an administrative law judge today, Aslanian has withdrawn.
“John ran a strong campaign rooted in the values we all share, and together we are uniting the Republican base to take on Josh Gottheimer,” Kirrane said. “We’re building a coalition focused on accountability and delivering real solutions for hardworking families across the district. With John’s support and a unified movement behind us, we are in a strong position to bring much-needed change to New Jersey’s 5th Congressional District.”
Aslanian briefly ran for Congress in 2012.
