The Democratic mayor emerged from a four-candidate primary and now faces a four-term Republican incumbent in New Jersey’s sprawling 2nd Congressional District
CAPE MAY, NJ — Cape May Mayor Zack Mullock is taking his local record into one of New Jersey’s most closely watched congressional contests, challenging Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew in the Nov. 3 general election for the state’s 2nd Congressional District.
The matchup places the Democratic mayor of one of the Jersey Shore’s best-known resort towns against a four-term incumbent closely aligned with President Donald Trump. Van Drew enters the fall campaign with Trump’s endorsement, established name recognition and a district that has shifted decisively toward Republicans in recent elections.
Mullock won a four-way Democratic primary
Mullock captured the Democratic nomination in June, defeating civil rights attorney and former detective Tim Alexander, former federal development official Bayly Winder and Atlantic County activist Terri Reese.
The certified congressional primary results show Mullock receiving 17,698 votes across the district. Alexander finished second with 12,168, followed by Winder with 9,846 and Reese with 4,733.
Mullock posted his strongest showing in Cape May County, where he collected 4,715 votes. His three opponents received a combined 1,997 votes there, giving the mayor a sizable hometown advantage.
Van Drew ran unopposed in the Republican primary and received 35,602 votes. The difference between the two nominees’ primary totals does not provide a direct general-election comparison because Democrats held a competitive four-way contest while Republicans had only one congressional candidate on their ballot.
A district stretching across South Jersey
New Jersey’s 2nd Congressional District covers all of Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and Salem counties, along with portions of Gloucester and Ocean counties. It stretches from the Delaware Bay across the southern end of the state and north through parts of the Jersey Shore.
That geography creates a complicated political battlefield encompassing Atlantic City, agricultural communities, small towns and coastal tourism centers.
Mullock’s campaign must assemble a coalition across communities with sharply different local priorities. His path includes generating Democratic turnout in Atlantic and Cumberland counties, building a substantial margin around Cape May and limiting Republican advantages elsewhere.
The contest will also test whether Democrats can regain ground in rural and coastal New Jersey, where Republicans have made significant gains.
Mullock puts Cape May record at center of campaign
Mullock has presented himself as a pragmatic Democrat who can work across party lines in a Republican-leaning region.
His campaign has focused on affordability, health care, Social Security and federal investment in South Jersey. He has also pointed to Cape May’s work involving historic preservation, tourism and the city’s long-delayed seawall project as examples of his approach to government.
Born and raised in South Jersey, Mullock attended local schools before earning a bachelor’s degree from Mount St. Mary’s University and an MBA in finance from Saint Joseph’s University. His professional background includes golf management and the restoration and management of historic Cape May properties.
Mullock has served as Cape May’s mayor since 2021. Voters reelected him in 2024 to a term running through the end of 2028.
The Democrat argues that Van Drew has become too closely connected to national Republican politics and has not done enough to reduce household costs. Turning that criticism into a districtwide majority will require Mullock to extend his appeal well beyond Cape May.
Van Drew brings four terms and Trump alliance
Van Drew first won the congressional seat as a Democrat in 2018. He switched to the Republican Party in December 2019 after opposing Trump’s first impeachment, becoming one of the president’s most prominent political allies in New Jersey.
The U.S. House Clerk’s official profile identifies Van Drew as the Republican representative for New Jersey’s 2nd District. He serves on the House Judiciary Committee and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
Before entering Congress, Van Drew served in both chambers of the New Jersey Legislature and operated a dentistry practice in South Jersey. He lives in Dennis Township, a short drive from Mullock’s political base in Cape May.
Van Drew has built his congressional brand around border security, law enforcement, veterans, transportation, energy policy and opposition to offshore wind development. He also frequently highlights federal funding and constituent services delivered throughout the district.
Shore News Network previously reported on Van Drew’s warning that foreign involvement in New Jersey’s E-ZPass system could create security risks.
The 2024 results show Mullock’s challenge
Van Drew won reelection in 2024 with 215,946 votes, or about 58.1% of all ballots cast in the congressional race. Democratic challenger Joe Salerno received 153,117 votes, or approximately 41.2%, while Green Party candidate Thomas Cannavo drew 2,557 votes.
The Republican defeated Salerno by 62,829 votes and nearly 17 percentage points.
That result underscored how dramatically the district’s politics have changed. Democrats captured the open congressional seat in 2018, but Van Drew’s party switch and subsequent victories helped consolidate Republican control.
Mullock must now persuade donors and national Democratic organizations that the district is competitive enough to justify substantial spending. Van Drew begins the general-election campaign with the advantages of incumbency, a consolidated Republican base and an established operation spanning six counties.
A local contest with national consequences
With control of the House potentially turning on a narrow number of seats, the Mullock-Van Drew contest could draw attention beyond New Jersey politics as Election Day approaches.
Mullock is expected to frame the election around affordability, Van Drew’s alliance with Trump and whether South Jersey needs a change in representation.
Van Drew is likely to emphasize his conservative voting record, congressional seniority and work on federal projects affecting the region.
For voters across the 2nd District, the race carries an unusually local dimension despite its national stakes: Cape May’s mayor is challenging a congressman whose home base sits just a few communities away.
