The race for New Jersey's 4th District seat in the House of Representatives is heating up and on Tuesday voters will choose the Republican and Democratic nominees for the November ballot in the Primary election.
Republican Chris Smith, who is finishing his 42nd year in the House, is running unopposed in the GOP Primary as he seeks his 22nd term.
The Democratic primary has two candidates seeking the nomination: John Blake and Rachel Peace.
How to vote
The Primary Election is Tuesday, June 2. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Early voting is underway through Sunday at 10 sites in Ocean County and at 10 sites in Monmouth County. Early voting is 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Voters who wish to cast vote-by-mail ballots can obtain them until 3 p.m. on Monday at their respective county clerk's offices.b
Vote-by-mail ballots must be deposited into one of the secure vote-by-mail ballot boxes (Monmouth County ballot drop boxes are here; Ocean County ballot drop boxes are here) no later than 8 p.m. on Tuesday.
In New Jersey, voters can only cast ballots in the primary election for the party in which they are registered. Unaffiliated voters can vote in either the Democratic or Republican primary by declaring their intent when they go to vote.
The candidates
John Blake is a U.S. Navy veteran who attended Brick Memorial High School and a union electrician who has lived in Brick all of his life except while he was stationed overseas. Read more about him here.
Rachel Peace also is a Brick Memorial High School and Hofstra University graduate and owns a marketing consulting firm. Read more about her here.
Peace and Blake are both campaigning on addressing the affordability issues facing average Americans, including housing costs, gas prices, grocery and utility expenses and the skyrocketing cost of health care.
Blake also is passionate about veterans' issues, while Peace highlights environmental issues.
Both candidates say the district needs new representation after Smith's lengthy time in office, and both pledge to be more visible and accessible to their constituents. Smith has long been criticized for refusing to hold town hall meetings like many other members of the Congress have done since 2020.
NJ 4th District Towns
The Ocean County towns in the 4th District are: Bay Head, Beachwood, Berkeley Township (part; also 2nd District; includes Holiday City-Berkeley, Holiday City South, Holiday Heights, and Silver Ridge), Brick Township, Island Heights, Jackson Township, Lacey Township (part; also 2nd; includes Forked River), Lakehurst, Lakewood Township, Lavallette, Manchester Township, Mantoloking, Ocean Gate, Pine Beach, Point Pleasant Beach, Point Pleasant, Plumsted Township, Seaside Heights, Seaside Park, South Toms River, Toms River.
The Monmouth County towns in the 4th District are: Avon-By-The-Sea, Belmar, Brielle, Colts Neck Township, Eatontown, Farmingdale, Freehold Township (part; also 3rd District), Howell Township, Lake Como, Manasquan, Middletown Township (part; also 6th; includes Lincroft, Navesink, and part of Belford, Fairview, North Middletown, and Port Monmouth), Ocean Township, Sea Girt, Shrewsbury, Shrewsbury Township, Spring Lake, Spring Lake Heights, Tinton Falls, Wall Township.
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Toms River, NJ Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.