Who's running in New Jersey's 10th congressional district
2 candidates are on the ballot. Below is what each one says they stand for, what they have actually done in office or in public life, and the arguments published for and against them — each quoted from a named source rather than summarised by us.
2 candidates · ballot order · LaMonica McIver currently holds this seat
Medium confidenceMedium confidenceThe candidate's stated positions and basic record are documented, but coverage is thin — often little independent reporting, or criticism from only one side.What would raise it: More independent reporting, a documented voting record, or published criticism from a named opponent would raise this.
What they say they stand for
Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.
Congressional oversight of immigration detention facilities.
Housing affordability and tenant protections in Newark and Essex County.
Public education funding, drawing on her work in Newark schools.
Health care access.
Gun safety legislation.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
U.S. Representative for the 10th District since September 2024; re-elected that November with 74.4%.
Former president of the Newark municipal council.
Indicted on three federal felony counts over a May 9, 2025 confrontation outside Delaney Hall, where she and two other members of Congress had gone for an oversight inspection and Newark mayor Ras Baraka was arrested. She has pleaded not guilty.
In August 2026 the Third Circuit Court of Appeals declined to dismiss two of the three counts on congressional-immunity grounds and returned the third to the district court; no trial has been held.
Won the June 2, 2026 Democratic primary with about 88% against Lawrence Poster.
Arguments in favor
Her coalition spans the district's establishment and its left at once: Governor Mikie Sherrill, Newark mayor Ras Baraka, Senate majority leader Teresa Ruiz, the Essex, Hudson and Union county Democratic committees, and the New Jersey Working Families Party.
— Endorsements from the officials, committees and party organisations named
Organised labour and civil rights groups stayed with her through the indictment — the state AFL-CIO, the New Jersey Teamsters, 32BJ SEIU, AFGE, CWA District 1 and the Rutgers AAUP-AFT, alongside CAIR Action, Emgage Action, Planned Parenthood Action Fund and Progressive Democrats of America — and she won renomination with roughly seven votes in eight.
— Endorsements from the unions and organisations named; June 2026 primary results
Arguments against
The federal prosecution alleges she struck and grabbed federal agents outside Delaney Hall, and body-camera footage shows her pushing agents during the scuffle. A federal appeals court has held that congressional immunity does not shield two of the three counts, so she faces trial while in office and could face a long sentence if convicted.
— United States Department of Justice indictment; Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruling, August 2026
What we couldn’t verify
The charges are allegations. McIver has pleaded not guilty, no trial has taken place, and she says the Trump administration brought the case because she is a vocal critic of its immigration policy. The appeals court ruled only on whether congressional immunity bars prosecution, not on whether she did what is alleged.
Her primary opponent Lawrence Poster ran on economic themes — a "New New Deal" for the working and middle class — rather than on the prosecution, and no criticism of McIver by name from Carmen Bucco, his campaign, or the National Republican Congressional Committee could be found.
The New Jersey State Building and Construction Trades Council declined to endorse in this race.
Ending what he calls wasteful spending and controlling property taxes.
Refocusing schools on fundamentals.
Public safety and support for first responders.
Mental health services.
A business-friendly environment for small employers like his own.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
Owner of Bucco Couture; a tailor by trade.
Former member of the Belleville school board.
Republican nominee for this district in both the September 2024 special election and the November 2024 general election; lost both by wide margins.
Has also run unsuccessfully for borough council, county commissioner and the state legislature.
Won the June 2, 2026 Republican primary unopposed.
Arguments in favor
He is the district's Republican standard-bearer for a third straight contest, unopposed for the nomination, and runs a business he built himself in the district he seeks to represent.
— June 2026 primary result; his record as owner of Bucco Couture
Arguments against
He lost both 2024 contests here by landslide margins in what New Jersey Globe calls one of the most heavily Democratic districts in the country, and no endorsement or fundraising figure for his campaign could be found.
— 2024 special and general election results; New Jersey Globe
What we couldn’t verify
No published criticism of Bucco by name could be found — not from LaMonica McIver or her campaign, not from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, not from a primary opponent, and not in Essex County news coverage — and no published case for him beyond his own campaign material. New Jersey Globe's coverage of his candidacy is descriptive rather than argumentative. Because no case against him exists on the record, none is presented for him either, rather than showing his own campaign's case unanswered.
No county Republican organisation endorsement, other endorsement, or fundraising figure for his campaign was found.
New Jersey Globe describes the district as one of the most heavily Democratic in the country, and he lost it twice in 2024 by landslide margins.
Positions and criticism are quoted from the named sources, not our assessments. This is built to help you start getting informed — confirm the official candidate list with your election authority before you vote.
New Jersey held its primary on June 2, 2026. Two candidates appear on the November ballot: Democratic incumbent LaMonica McIver and Republican Carmen Bucco. The roster is confirmed against the New Jersey Division of Elections official general election candidate list dated September 4, 2026 — Green Party candidate Jon Serrano formed an exploratory committee but does not appear on the certified list. The district is centred on Newark and takes in Irvington and Orange; it is among the most heavily Democratic in the country, and McIver won it with 74.4% in 2024. McIver is under federal indictment over a May 2025 confrontation with agents outside the Delaney Hall immigration detention centre; she has pleaded not guilty and no trial has been held.
This is one contest on a longer ballot
A New Jersey ballot also carries state legislative districts, county offices, judicial seats and often local questions — and which of them you vote on is decided by your street address, not your city or ZIP code.
Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at New Jersey Division of Elections.