NJ-10 Primary Election: Payne, Oakley, Khalfani Battle For Democrat Nomination

NEW JERSEY — The race for the Democratic Party nomination in New Jersey’s 10th Congressional District is nearing the finish line, with the 2022 primary election less than a week away.

On Tuesday, June 7, voters in parts of Essex, Hudson and Union counties will head to the polls to cast ballots for a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Other voters have already begun turning in their mail-in ballots, or plan to vote early. Read More: NJ-10 Congress Race: What To Know For 2022 Primary Election

The winners of the primary will secure their party's nomination for the general election, which takes place on Tuesday, Nov. 8.

In the Democratic Party race, incumbent Rep. Donald Payne Jr. will face challenges from Imani Oakley and Akil Khalfani (learn more about each candidate below). The winner will match up in November against either David Pinckney or Garth Stewart, who are vying for the Republican Party nod.

The 10th district includes the following municipalities:

• Essex – Caldwell, East Orange, Essex Fells, Irvington, Montclair (part), Newark (part), Orange, Verona, West Orange
• Hudson – Jersey City (part)
• Union – Cranford, Garwood, Hillside, Kenilworth, Linden (part), Roselle, Roselle Park, Union Township.

IMANI OAKLEY

Oakley, a seasoned political organizer from Essex County and a Howard University Law School graduate, kicked off her campaign for Congress last year.

Learn more about her platform and qualifications here.

Oakley said her campaign plans to focus on fighting for economic and racial justice, a Green New Deal, Medicare for All, workers' rights, innovative infrastructure, demilitarization both nationwide and abroad, and “a fair democracy for each and every one of us.”

Other planks of her campaign platform include:

• Environment – “If I am elected as your Congresswoman, I will fight to ensure that Congress passes and institutes all the facets of Green New Deal legislation, including green union jobs and green transportation infrastructure.”
• Housing – “While Black and Brown residents in our district continue to lose their homes, their wealth, their legacies, and their neighborhoods, developers continue to partner with establishment politicians to enrich themselves by pricing us out of our own neighborhoods. If I am elected as your Congresswoman, I will work to guarantee that Congress passes the types of laws and regulations that will restore home ownership, secure affordable housing, and bring justice to families in our district that have been taken advantage of by greedy politicians, banks, and developers.”
• Jobs – “As your Congresswoman, I will Fight for a national $19 minimum wage and tie the minimum wage to yearly inflation following its passage, so that even those that live in expensive states like New Jersey can enjoy a significantly higher quality of life.”

Oakley has also positioned herself as a “pro-democracy activist” who wants to take on “the establishment wing of the Democratic Party.” Read More: NJ-10 Activist Takes On Donald Payne, 'Establishment Democrats'

On April 18, Oakley announced that her campaign raised $127,901 in her third filing, for a total of $395,411 since announcing her run for office six months ago. Aside from a single donation from the Elect Black Women PAC, that number is entirely made up of contributions from individual donors, she said.

Oakley says she has vowed not to accept any corporate PAC money for her campaign, and has signed the #NoFossilFuelMoney pledge to reject all fossil fuel PAC donations, as well as the CODEPINK #DivestFromtheWarMachine pledge to refuse money from weapons developers.

Oakley has seen endorsements from Brand New Congress, Catch Fire, Elect Black Women PAC, the Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund, Americans for Justice in Palestine Action Fund, West Orange Young Democrats, Harvard Dems, Building Bridges For America, Roadmap for Progress, FutureGen PAC, four local Sunrise Movement hubs, Progressive Democrats of New Jersey, Peace Action, Friends of Earth Action, American Pakistani Public Affairs Committee. Black Lives Matter activist Zellie Imani, Mt. Rainier Vice Mayor Scott Cecil, Maplewood Mayor Dean Dafis, Muslim community leader and civil rights advocate Selaedin Maksut, and Palestinian-American community leader Wassim Kanaan.

AKIL KHALFANI

Khalfani, a longtime educator and associate professor of sociology at Essex County College, is also a community activist who has served on the West Orange African Heritage Organization and the West Orange Human Relations Commission. He previously ran for Congress in the 10th District in 2020 as an independent candidate.

Learn more about his platform and qualifications here.

Khalfani’s self-described “progressive agenda” includes:

Pandemic Recovery – “The advent of COVID-19 has highlighted many important inequities in American society and our need to develop more robust preparations for potential future and international emergencies. Severe and widespread financial crises have emerged for many segments of our society. Particularly, people of color, low wage earners, and those with preexisting medical conditions … In Congress, Khalfani will work to ensure that equitable access to medical care is a national priority. Khalfani will push for the establishment of a bipartisan congressional committee of healthcare providers, patients, and researchers to understand the historical causes for differences in the health and health care of those who were most severely impacted by COVID-19.”

Environmental Equity – “Time is of the essence. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, we have 12 years left in our opportunity to prevent the potentially catastrophic effects of Global warming. Republicans have even introduced HR398 stating that the Green New Deal is antithetical to American values. With this kind of opposition, I believe we must separate the climate change initiatives from the social justice components within the Green New Deal to have a bill that may be more likely to pass in Congress. We will introduce the Climate Change & Environmental Equity Plan[et] Bill (CCEEP Bill). This bill will work to keep America and Americans safe from environmental pollutants, keep our skies clear and our water pure, and keep the environment free of contaminants such as greenhouse gasses for the benefit of future generations around the world.”

Immigrant Rights – “There is currently an immigration crisis in the United States … The immigrant detainee system results from a set of immigration enforcement policies aimed at deterring undocumented immigration by incarceration, punishment, and criminalization. These immigration deterrence policies are supported by many in Congress, and are intended to send a clear message to unauthorized migrants. This system of deterrence is both legally and morally corrupt. Congress must develop a humane means of enforcing our immigration policies.”

DONALD PAYNE JR.

Payne, a lifelong Newark resident, was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2012. He successfully fended off four challengers during the 2020 general election, and battled off a pair of Democratic Party candidates in that year's primary election.

Learn more about Payne’s achievements while in office and his stance on several hot-button issues here.

In campaign statements for the 2022 primary, Payne has identified himself as a “champion for working families and Democratic values,” who is “fighting to provide more opportunities for people in urban communities.”

A former union member, Payne has an “immense respect for the dignity of work and the value of organized labor,” his campaign adds.

According to Payne’s campaign team:

“A five-term Congressman, he was first elected in 2012 to succeed his late father, the legendary Rep. Donald Payne Sr., who was the first Black Congressman in state history. Congressman Payne is chairman of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials in the powerful House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, which has jurisdiction over major infrastructure initiatives, including the Gateway Project, that are critical to New Jersey’s economy. Congressman Payne co-wrote the House version of President Joe Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure act and has supported critical progressive legislation like the Build Back Better plan, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, the Equality Act, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and much more.”

According to Payne’s Congressional website, other achievements and stances include:

• “[Payne] is a strong supporter of the Affordable Care Act”
• “[Payne] has been a strong advocate for investing in and protecting the health of our children and introduced the TEST for Lead Act to protect children from lead-contaminated drinking water in schools.”
• “[Payne] is a leader on gun violence prevention and introduced the Safer Neighborhoods Gun Buyback Act of 2019, which aims to incentivize people to trade in their firearms for prepaid cards.”

In mid-April, Payne announced he has raised nearly $390,000 since the start of the year – the largest fundraising quarter of his career.

The congressman has seen endorsements from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Gov. Phil Murphy and Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver, U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker, U.S. Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman and Mikie Sherrill, and mayors in East Orange, Hillside, Irvington, Jersey City, Linden, Montclair, Newark and Orange.

He also recently announced the support of groups such as the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, the New Jersey Education Association, the Communications Workers of America NJ, Laborers’ International North America Eastern Region, the New Jersey Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association and AFSCME NJ.

“Democrats in Essex, Hudson and Union counties want a representative who will fight for them in Washington, and that’s exactly what I’ve done since I was first elected,” Payne said. “I will always work hard to provide the leadership that the communities I represent deserve, and I’m excited to move towards the primary election.”

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