Cape May Mayor Mullock Wins Democratic Nomination for Congress

Our community will have a familiar face on the ballot this November as Zack Mullock, the mayor of the city of Cape May, has won the Democratic nomination for Congress in New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District. Mullock will challenge Rep. Jeff Van Drew in what Democrats hope could be a competitive race for the seat representing our region.

With the vast majority of votes counted as of Tuesday night, Mullock captured 40% of the vote in a four-way primary. Civil rights attorney and former detective Tim Alexander finished second with 28%, followed by former USAID official Bayly Winder at 22%, and local activist Terri Reese with 11%.

The victory represents a significant achievement for Mullock, who entered the race later than his three opponents and had never run for office outside his hometown before. His campaign centered on a straightforward message: he offered Democrats their best chance at unseating Van Drew, a former Democrat who switched to the Republican Party in 2019 and has become a loyal ally of President Donald Trump.

National Democrats had signaled before the primary that they viewed Mullock as the most viable candidate worthy of their support, suggesting that his nomination could bring increased attention and resources to the race. This stands in contrast to the 2022 and 2024 elections, when the district was largely ignored by both parties.

The challenge ahead remains steep. The 2nd district, which covers a broad swath of South Jersey, votes reliably Republican. The district supported Jack Ciattarelli for governor by seven points last year even as he lost statewide. Van Drew, who ran unopposed in his own primary, has proven to be a formidable incumbent.

However, Democratic optimism has grown over the past year. A Democratic-aligned group released polling last year suggesting Van Drew could be vulnerable under the right circumstances, though no public data has emerged since then to confirm those findings.

Mullock's primary victory came despite being outspent by Winder and lacking the organizational support that Alexander enjoyed. Alexander had earned endorsements from four of the district's six party organizations, building on goodwill from his 2022 campaign as the Democratic nominee and his narrow primary loss in 2024. However, Alexander struggled with fundraising throughout his campaigns.

The geographic breakdown of results showed Mullock's strength in his home base of Cape May County, where he held a huge advantage. Alexander led in Salem and Ocean counties, two of his endorsed counties, while losing to Mullock in Atlantic and Cumberland. Winder held a small lead in Gloucester County, where local Democrats declined to endorse any candidate.

Winder ran as the most explicitly progressive and anti-establishment candidate, with a particular focus on combating data center development. His aggressive campaign style drew criticism, with both Alexander and Reese stating they wouldn't support Winder in November had he won the nomination.

As we move toward November, the question now becomes whether Mullock's nomination will translate into the kind of state and national Democratic support that could make this race competitive. For a district that has felt overlooked in recent election cycles, the potential for a closely watched congressional race could bring renewed attention to the issues and concerns of South Jersey voters.