CD 7 Candidate Jacob’s Record Breaking Primary

As we get closer to being able to wrap up the 2016 Primary season, overlooked stories-which might have slipped through the cracks emerge; and no story is more fascinating than what is currently happening in the 7th Congressional District. Democratic Challenger, Peter Jacob, made history by receiving more votes than any other candidate in a primary, in the history of the 7th Congressional District. The previous record holder was William Widnall in his successful 1960 reelection bid, Jacob beat him by about 12,000 votes.

The 7th Congressional District has been a long fought battle for the Democrats, who haven’t held the seat since 1981, and prior to that, 1914. In 2010, the 7th was redistricted, thereby giving Republicans an even stronger hold on the seat. While Jacob faces an uphill battle, it would seem the Democratic turnout for the general election will also be record breaking, and support for Lance has quickly diminished within his home territory.

To give substance to the magnitude of this record, Jacob, a 30 year old Social Worker from Union, New Jersey with no political background finished with 45,272 votes in the primary. That is nearly 14,000 more votes than his opponent Republican incumbent Leonard Lance. Part of his success is due to the highly contested presidential primary; however, the majority of his appeal derives from more than simply that. Jacob, who endorsed Bernie Sanders early on in the race, was bracketed with Hillary Clinton, enabling him to get support from both Clinton & Sanders supporters. His reach into the progressive wing of the nation has benefited him well, receiving overwhelming support from Democrats, Independents, Green Party voters, and everyone in between.

Lance, who endorsed Trump, received 31,489 votes in the primary election.

Jacob said in a statement released by his campaign: “The people of the 7th have shown time and time again that they need a representative who truly listens to them, and fights for their voice in Congress. We all deserve a public servant who fights, not a complacent figure who simply votes the way they’re told. We need new leadership that wants to get the job done. What this primary has shown us is that we need to rise above party politics and labels and vote for the person who will truly represent the people of the 7th. We are excited to be part of the change we so desperately need in Washington.

The next question presents itself: Why is Jacob so popular?

With CD-7’s current representative being rated the 5th least effective Congressman by multiple sources including members-of-congress.insidegov.com, in addition to the fact that Lance has moved almost fully rightward from his original platforms due to special interests as well as other factors, Lance’s popularity has gone down. Jacob, on the other hand, a young, fresh candidate who is promoting pragmatic, progressive values with a background in service just may be the candidate people are looking for.

You can learn more about Lance at https://lance.house.gov/ and Jacob at www.peterforcongress.com.