Rachel Peace earns NJ-4 Dem nod against Chris Smith
Local Dem parties get their preferred pick in NJ’s most Republican seat
Rachel Peace has won the Democratic nomination for New Jersey’s 4th congressional district, the New Jersey Globe projects, sending her to the general election against long-serving Rep. Chris Smith (R-Manchester) in the state’s reddest House seat.
As of 12:09 a.m. and with nearly all of the vote reported, Peace leads union electrician John Blake 73% to 27%.
Peace, a single mom and small businesswoman, became prominent in Jersey Shore activist circles thanks to her advocacy against 2025’s Big Beautiful Bill, which she said gutted Medicaid coverage for people like her and her son. Upon launching her 4th district campaign, Peace quickly found supporters among local Democrats, winning party conventions in both Monmouth and Ocean Counties.
Four other Democrats also expressed interest in the seat, but three of them – Keith Doll, Peter Linardakis, and Julie Flynn – either dropped out before filing day or didn’t gather enou…