2022 NJ 4th District Primary Election Guide: Who's On The Ballot

NEW JERSEY — The run-up to the November election New Jersey's 4th Congressional District is underway, and that begins with the primary elections for the Republican and Democratic nominees for the November ballot.

The primary election is set for June 7, and voters in parts of Ocean and Monmouth counties will be choosing the nominees for the 4th District (see the towns below).

New Jersey has a closed primary system, which means you must be a member of a particular party to vote in that party's primary. Voters who are registered but unaffiliated with any party can vote in the primary by declaring a party affiliation at the polls.

If you are not registered to vote, the deadline to register to be eligible to vote in the primary is May 17.

Voters have three ways they can cast a ballot in New Jersey's primaries: vote-by-mail, in-person early voting and in-person voting on Primary Election day.

Vote-by-mail ballots are available through the county clerk's offices. Voters can request a vote-by-mail ballot no later than 3 p.m. on June 6. Vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked by 8 p.m. on June 7.

Early in-person voting will be held from June 3-5 at specified polling locations. Those locations are to be designated by May 15.

Voters also can go to the polls on June 7 to cast their ballots. The polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The Democratic primary in the 4th District is uncontested. Matthew Jenkins of Colts Neck is seeking that nomination. He is married and has two children. He has worked in biomedical research and owned a custom furniture shop, was a general contractor building homes for several years. For more than 10 years he has been in health and wellness, training athletes for high competition.

The Republican primary features three candidates.

Chris Smith, the incumbent, is seeking re-election to the seat he has held for more than 40 years. Smith has been a staunchly conservative Republican during his years in office. He has repeatedly supported a ban on abortion and has supported most Republican bills over the years. But he ran afoul of former president Donald Trump, who called for Republicans to run against Smith (and several other Republicans) after Smith's vote in favor of President Joe Biden's $1 trillion infrastructure bill in December, NJ.com reported.

Trump railed against Smith and others, calling them RINOs — Republicans in name only — in part because some refused to support Trump's claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. Smith was among the House members who voted to certify the election results in every state. Smith had lived in Mercer County but moved to Manchester after New Jersey's redistricting.

Challenging Smith are Mike Crispi and Steve Gray.

Crispi is a conservative podcaster from Middletown who is running under the slogan America First Republicans. He has Roger Stone, Trump's former adviser who was convicted of obstructing a federal investigation into the 2016 election, advising his campaign. Trump later commuted Stone's prison sentence. Crispi has repeatedly blasted Smith as a RINO and says he is not conservative enough for the district.

Gray is a former police officer and FBI agent who lives in Howell with his wife and two children. He is campaigning on the America First policies set forth by the Trump Administration.

Two candidates who initially submitted nominating petitions are no longer running. Robert Shapiro withdrew from the race after his nominating petitions were challenged because of invalid signatures. Mike Blasi, who also was running with the hope of unseating Smith, suspended his campaign on May 3.

Tricia Flanagan, whose nominating petitions also were disqualified, told Patch that while she was removed from the official ballot, she has not given up her campaign but is instead running a write-in campaign.

"My supporters told me they wanted to write me in," she said.

The 4th Congressional District (see the new map here) includes the following towns: In Ocean County, parts of Lacey and Berkeley townships, all of Manchester, Lakehurst, Plumsted, Jackson, Lakewood, Brick, Toms River, South Toms River, Lavallette, Seaside Heights, Seaside Park, Ocean Gate, Pine Beach, Beachwood, Mantoloking, Bay Head, Point Pleasant Beach, Point Pleasant Boro, and in Monmouth County, Brielle, Manasquan, Sea Girt, Spring Lake Heights, Spring Lake, Lake Como, Belmar, Wall, Howell, Farmingdale, Colts Neck, Middletown, Shrewsbury, Shrewsbury Township, Eatontown, Interlaken, Ocean Township, and part of Freehold Township.

Note: This article has been updated to clarify Tricia Flanagan's candidacy status.