Column A is famously a symbol of New Jersey AND-Democratic Democratic Party primaries. Under the “county line” system, party leaders in each county can choose which candidates appear in the first column of primary ballots, then urge members to “vote column A, all the way down.”
Both parties in all but two counties use this system for primaries. Since New Jersey is a safe blue state, putting a Democrat in column A is essentially crowning them for office. “Column A, all the way” has even become a slogan used by politicians shout at the protesters.
But the provincial border system may soon become a relic of the past. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) is facing corruption charges, leaving his seat up for grabs. Rep. Andy Kim, one of the Democratic candidates who will replace him, is suing county clerks across the state to redesign primary elections. Congressional candidates Carolyn Rush and Sarah Schoengood also joined the lawsuit.
Over the weekend, Kim’s main Democratic rival, Tammy Murphy abandoned of the Senate primary, and county leaders across the state endorsed Kim, placing his name in column A. The Burlington County Clerk then implied in a Court presentation on Monday that the lawsuit should be dismissed, since “lead plaintiff Andy Kim will obtain the election position that this same lawsuit claims is unconstitutional in every county in the state that uses this design.”
Kim, Rush and Schoengood vowed to pursue their case. In a letter In court Tuesday evening, Kim’s lawyers said he would accept Column A’s approval but that “all plaintiffs have asked and continue to ask” that the system be abolished altogether.
“The county clerk primary election continues to violate the constitutional rights of all three candidates who sued, as well as the rights of voters,” the plaintiffs’ attorneys said in a statement. separate declaration TO Politic. “New Jersey cannot tolerate another unconstitutional election.”
A expert report presented to the county by Princeton University neuroscience professor Samuel S.-H. Wang noted that ballot design is a “powerful force for directing voter behavior toward specific choices.” Just look at an example ballot in the report to explain why.
Surprisingly, the New Jersey state government appears to agree. Attorney General Matt Platkin said the county line system was “unconstitutional,” adding that he he wouldn’t defend in court.
The story of this primary race is the story of a clown car of Democratic Party corruption that veers off the road and crashes. The Senate primaries opened after Menendez was indicted in 2023 for accepting bribes, including gold bars and a Mercedes, to benefit clients. Egyptian military intelligence officers it’s a Qatar-linked real estate developer to a local businessman accused of loan fraud.
It was the second time in ten years that Menendez had come accused of corruption. After being acquitted of taking bribes in 2017, the Democratic Party allowed Menendez to keep his term. prestigious commission positions. But this time, the Democrats immediately turned against him, demanding his immediate resignation. Menendez refused.
Tammy Murphy, Gov. Phil Murphy’s wife, has stepped in to run for Menendez’s seat. Democratic county chairs across the state, many of them rely on the governor for financing, he immediately approved it. Murphy’s rivals fired back with what The New York Times called “constant accusations of nepotism”.
The governor accused his wife’s rivals of sexism. “I bet if he were my husband it would be a different story,” she told the radio station WNYC. But as polls have shown, Kim has beaten her 12 points or moreMurphy dropped out of the race.
Menendez, meanwhile, turned against the Democratic leadership that guaranteed him the seat. An hour after Murphy announced his candidacy, Menendez accused her husband of “a blatant disenfranchisement” and said they “believe they are accountable to no one.”
More recently, Menendez threatened to do so run as an independent. “I will not file for the Democratic primary in June,” he said in a Video from March 21st. “I hope my exoneration occurs this summer and allows me to pursue my candidacy as an independent Democrat in the general election.”
In a final twist of fate, the lawsuit against the party establishment could aid Menendez’s attempted return to power.
“If the primary voting format is found to be unconstitutional, it should be possible to reform the general election voting format as well,” noted Richard Winger, director of News on access to elections, in a recent article. Countering the party leaders could become easier for everyone, even the party leaders themselves.