(Last update 8:44 p.m.)
PRINCETON, NJ — Adam Hamawy, a South Brunswick surgeon and Army veteran, will be the next member of Congress from New Jersey's 12th District, according to AP.
The Associated Press called the race for Hamawy, a Democrat, at 8:26 p.m. Tuesday. Polls had closed at 8 p.m. With about 56 percent of the expected vote counted, Hamawy had 73.3 percent of the vote, netting 104,251 and Republican Gregg Mele had 35,984, around 25.3 percent.
Hamawy will replace U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J., who is retiring after six terms. He also beat independent Winston Jordan and Green Party candidate Andres Jinete.
Early results (AP, as of 8:26 p.m.):
Hamawy, 56, was raised in New Jersey. He's a plastic and reconstructive surgeon with an office in Princeton. He served in the Army as a combat surgeon and has volunteered as a doctor in war and disaster zones, including two trips to Gaza in recent years. He was a first responder on 9/11 and has served with medical teams in combat and disaster zones including Iraq and Haiti, helping save hundreds of lives
This was his first run for elected office. He came out on top in a crowded Democratic primary on June 2, with backing from U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC.
On the campaign trail, Hamawy said his top priorities were expanding health care, abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and creating more economic opportunity for working families. He has also said the United States should not send weapons to countries that violate international human rights law, and he has opposed the war with Iran.
The other candidates were Mele, a Plainfield attorney and businessman who teaches graduate courses at Stevens Institute of Technology. He ran for governor as a Libertarian in 2021. Jordan, 68, is an Army veteran and retired IT executive from Hopewell Township who ran on a "Get Money Out" platform. Jinete, 29, is a Kean University student from Bound Brook who has worked at libraries in the district for about 10 years.
The 12th District covers parts of Mercer, Middlesex, Somerset and Union counties, including Princeton, South Brunswick, East Brunswick, Trenton, West Windsor, Plainsboro, Franklin Township and Plainfield. Registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans more than 2-to-1, according to state election data.
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