AP Calls Zack Mullock Winner Over Jeff Van Drew in N.J. 2nd

The Associated Press on Thursday called Democrat Zack Mullock the winner of New Jersey’s 2nd Congressional District, confirming that Cape May’s two-term mayor unseated four-term Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew by more than 7,000 votes, The Philadelphia Inquirer and News 12 New Jersey reported.

With 97% of ballots tabulated, Mullock had 137,166 votes, or 49.2%, to Van Drew’s 130,084, or 46.7%, a margin of about 2.5 percentage points, the Inquirer said, citing the AP call at 4:29 p.m. Eastern on Thursday. Van Drew had conceded on election night Tuesday, hours after polls closed, CBS Philadelphia reported; the AP’s formal projection came two days later.

District flip and prior margins

The district stretches from Gloucester County to the Jersey Shore and covers Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and Salem counties plus parts of Gloucester and Ocean. It has leaned Republican in recent cycles; Van Drew and President Donald Trump both carried it by double digits two years ago, CBS Philadelphia reported.

Van Drew first won the seat as a Democrat in 2018, switched to the Republican Party in 2019, and won reelection by roughly 6 points in 2020 and by double digits in later cycles, the Inquirer reported. National analysts had rated the race as likely Republican late in the campaign.

What Mullock and Van Drew said

Mullock, 41, told CBS Philadelphia he would focus on affordable health care, gasoline and groceries and would work in a bipartisan way for South Jersey. Van Drew described the midterms as a “blue tsunami,” wished Mullock well, and said he planned to stay involved, according to CBS Philadelphia. Gov. Mikie Sherrill attended Mullock’s Cape May victory gathering, that outlet reported.

News 12 New Jersey said Democrats also flipped New Jersey’s 7th District, leaving Rep. Chris Smith as the state’s only Republican in the House after his reelection in the 4th District.

Sources: The Philadelphia Inquirer, News 12 New Jersey, CBS Philadelphia, Associated Press