Biden, Trump And Town Council: Cherry Hill Primary Election Voter Guide

CHERRY HILL, NJ — It's that time of year again, Cherry Hill. Whether you're showing up for President Joe Biden, former President Donald Trump or none of the above, Tuesday's primary elections could have major local and national implications.

Democratic and Republican voters in Cherry Hill will head to the polls between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. June 4 to cast ballots in the 2024 primary. The winners will earn their political party's nomination, giving them a major advantage during Nov. 5's General Election.

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In Cherry Hill, Election Day will feature several races from local office to the presidency.

Here's what Cherry Hill voters should know.

GETTING OUT TO VOTE

Many residents may have already voted by mail or during in-person, early voting. Whether you still need to cast your ballot or want to see if your vote was counted, here's some basic info:

• When to vote in-person, on Election Day: get to your polling place between 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 4.
• Find your polling place.
• Check if you are registered to vote.
• Vote-by-mail deadline: your vote-by-mail ballot must be postmarked on or before 8 p.m. on Election Day and be received by your county's Board of Elections on or before the sixth day after polls close. You can also drop your mail-in ballot at one of Camden County's ballot drop boxes or bring it to the county's Board of Elections Office by that time.
• Track your ballot.
• View your sample ballot.

LOCAL RACES

Township Council

Two Cherry Hill Township Council members are running to retain their seats, but not for re-election. Last November, then-Council President Dave Fleisher was elected mayor. When Fleisher took office in January, he made then-Council Member Brian Bauerle his chief of staff.

That left two council seats temporarily vacant. Later that month, the council appointed Daniel V. DiRenzo, Jr. and Jill R. Hulnick to Bauerle's and Fleisher's seats, respectively. State law requires the township to hold a special election to see who finishes each term.

Bauerle's term ran through 2027, while Fleisher's ran through 2025. As a result, Cherry Hill has a special election for a three-year unexpired term and a one-year unexpired term. With one Democrat and one Republican running for each position, both council primaries are uncontested.

DiRenzo is running for the three-year term as a Democrat, while Judi L. Giacoboni-Russo represents the Republican side. The primaries for the one-year unexpired term feature Hulnick, the Democratic incumbent, and Republican hopeful Anna R. Adler.

County Commissioners

Both major parties have contested primaries for the Camden County Board of Commissioners, which has three seats up for grabs.

Three Democratic incumbents are running for re-election: Jeffrey L. Nash, Al Dyer and Melinda Kane. They face a primary challenge from the "South Jersey Progressive Democrats" tickets of Kyle Irwin, Susan Druckenbrod and Elton Custis.

Two separate trios are also running as Republicans. The "Camden County Regular Republican Party" ticket features Danielle Barry, Norman C. Rebel, Jr. and Donald J. Smith. Lisa Chambers, Denise Gonzalez and Jennifer Moore are running under the "Real Republicans" banner.

WHO'S GOING TO WASHINGTON?

President

Trump and President Biden are the presumptive nominees for the Republican and Democratic parties, respectively. But New Jersey voters can still play an important role in the presidential primary.

The presidential primary features three choices on the Democratic side: President Biden, anti-abortion activist Terrisa Bukovinac, and "Uncommitted" — a pro-Palestine protest that has qualified for a ballot line under the slogan "Justice for Palestine, Permanent Ceasefire Now."

Trump is running unopposed in the Republican race.

U.S. House of Representatives

In New Jersey's 1st Congressional District, Rep. Donald Norcross is running for re-election as a Democrat. He faces no primary challengers.

Republicans in the district have three candidates on the ballot: construction superintendent Damon M. Galdo, wholesale sales representative Claire H. Gustafson and attorney Theodore "Teddy" Liddell.

U.S. Senate

Rep. Andy Kim faces Democratic primary challenges from longtime activists Lawrence Hamm and Patricia Campos-Medina for the Democratic nomination. The Republican candidates are hotel entrepreneur Curtis Bashaw, Navy veteran and business owner Albert Harshaw, Mendham Borough Mayor Christine Serrano Glassner, and Justin Murphy — a Navy vet who served as Tabernacle's former deputy mayor.

The candidates are running to replace indicted Sen. Bob Menendez, a Democrat who filed to run for re-election as an independent, according to NBC News.

NEW BALLOT LAYOUT

New Jersey residents will notice something different when they cast their votes this year: a new ballot layout.

This year's primary election will see a significant change due to a lawsuit against a controversial political ballot design known as "the party/county line." Under the old layout, most counties in New Jersey organized their ballots around a slate of party-endorsed candidates, instead of designing them around the office being sought. According to advocates, voters often had a hard time determining which candidates were running for each office – giving a huge advantage to those who land on the county line.

• Related article: Federal Judge Blocks NJ's 'County Line' Primary Ballots