Sons of Well-Known Politicians Enjoy Primary Success in New Jersey

It was a good night for the sons of politicians on Tuesday as three candidates with well-known fathers won their New Jersey primary races.

There was bipartisan success, with two Democrats and a Republican from political families winning their parties' nominations for the midterm elections.

The GOP is hoping to retake the House of Representatives and the Senate in November's midterms. If it gains control of just one chamber of Congress, Republicans will in effect be able to stymie President Joe Biden's agenda for two years.

In New Jersey's 8th congressional district, Robert Menendez Jr. easily defeated his opponents in the Democratic primary. A political novice, Menendez is the son of Senator Bob Menendez.

Menendez Jr. had 84 percent of the primary vote with an estimated 89 percent of ballots counted. His nearest opponent, David Ocampo Grajales, recorded just 11 percent.

The 8th district has been represented by a Democrat since 1997 and the candidates were running to succeed Rep. Albio Sires, who is retiring. Menendez Jr. will face Marcos Arroyo, who won the GOP primary uncontested, in November.

Democratic Rep. Donald Payne Jr. also won his primary race with ease, recording 83.6 percent of the vote in New Jersey's 10th district after an estimated 75 percent of ballots had been counted.

Payne Jr. holds the seat previously occupied by his father Donald Payne, who represented the 10th district from 1989 until his death in 2012.

The congressman's nearest opponent, Imani Oakley, won just 10.3 percent of the vote. The 10th district is heavily Democrat and Payne Jr. will likely be re-elected in November.

Payne Jr.'s Republican challenger, David Pinckney, won the GOP primary on Tuesday with 82.6 percent of the vote.

In the state's 7th district, Tom Kean Jr. won a decisive victory in the Republican primary and will face Democratic Rep. Tom Malinowski for the second time in November.

Kean Jr. is the son of Thomas Kean, who was governor of New Jersey from 1982 to 1990 and later served as chairman of the 9/11 Commission.

On Tuesday, Kean Jr. had 45.9 percent with an estimated 85 percent of votes counted. His closest opponent, Philip Rizzo, stood at just 23.7 percent.

However, Kean Jr. faces a difficult rematch in November against Malinowski, who won the Democratic primary overwhelmingly on Tuesday. The congressman garnered 94.4 percent of the vote with an estimated 80 percent counted.

Malinowski defeated Kean by just 1.2 percentage points in 2020.

The success of politicians' sons in New Jersey contrasts with the recent defeat of George P. Bush in the race for the Republican nomination for Texas attorney general.

Bush, the son of former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and nephew of former President George W. Bush, lost the primary to incumbent Attorney General Ken Paxton by a margin of more than two-to-one last month.

Newsweek has asked Robert Menendez Jr., Donald Payne Jr. and Tom Kean Jr. for comment.