Who's running in New Jersey's 8th congressional district
4 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.
4 candidates · ballot order · Rob Menendez 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.
Immigrant rights and oversight of ICE detention, including barring ICE contracts with private prison operators.
Housing affordability in one of the country's most expensive rental markets.
Health care access and lower prescription costs.
Federal investment in transit and infrastructure for the Gateway region.
Continued United States security assistance to Israel.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
U.S. Representative for the 8th District since January 2023; re-elected in 2024 with 59.2%.
Lawyer; formerly a commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Son of Bob Menendez, the former U.S. senator convicted on federal corruption charges in 2024 and sentenced to eleven years in prison.
Introduced an amendment to bar ICE from entering into or renewing contracts for private detention facilities, including the Elizabeth Detention Center; House Republicans declined to consider it.
Won the June 2, 2026 Democratic primary with about 71% against Mussab Ali.
Arguments in favor
He holds the district's entire elected and organised-labour establishment: Senator Andy Kim, Governor Mikie Sherrill, Newark mayor Ras Baraka, Union City mayor and state senator Brian Stack, Hoboken mayor Emily Jabbour, the Essex, Hudson and Union county organisations, and the state AFL-CIO, Building Trades, Teamsters, 32BJ SEIU, LiUNA, the Carpenters and the NEA.
— Endorsements from the officials, county organisations and unions named
He won the primary by better than two to one against a challenger backed by Track AIPAC, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Progressive Democrats of America and former congressman Jamaal Bowman, and carries Planned Parenthood Action Fund, the Latino Victory Fund, BOLD PAC and Make the Road Action NJ.
— June 2026 primary results; endorsements from the organisations named
Arguments against
Mussab Ali, who took 29% of the primary vote, called him a corporate Democrat out of step with the district and attacked his acceptance of money from large corporations and special-interest groups, including AIPAC, in the districts' only debate.
— Mussab Ali, 2026 Democratic primary debate, reported by Hudson County View
Ali also argued Menendez adopted a position on abolishing ICE only after the primary challenge began — that he had copied his challenger's stance rather than held it — a charge Menendez's supporters rejected.
— Mussab Ali, reported by Hudson County View
What we couldn’t verify
Both criticisms come from the Democratic primary rather than from the general election. No criticism of Menendez by name from Aristotle Eliopoulos, from the Republican county chairs backing him, or from the National Republican Congressional Committee could be found.
His father's conviction shaped the 2024 race and is a matter of court record, but it is a fact about a different person. Mussab Ali said explicitly that his campaign would focus on policy rather than on Menendez's father, and no opponent has made an argument from it in this cycle, so it is recorded in his record rather than presented as a case against him.
Education funding and services for children with special needs, drawn from his classroom work.
Cost-of-living relief for working families.
"Faith. Family. Doing the right thing" — the values framing of his campaign.
Replacing career politicians with people from outside politics.
Small business, reflecting his parents' work.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
Teacher and union representative in Jersey City.
A registered Republican; appears on the ballot as an independent under the slogans "Results Not Rhetoric," "People Before Politics" and "Working Families Matter" in different counties.
Endorsed by the Republican county chairs of Hudson, Essex and Union counties after no Republican qualified for the primary ballot.
Has not held elected office.
Arguments in favor
All three Republican county organisations in the district lined up behind him — an unusual step, since it means a major party endorsing a candidate who is not its nominee — giving the district's conservative voters a single place to go.
— Hudson, Essex and Union county Republican chairs, reported by New Jersey Globe and Ballot Access News
Arguments against
The Republicans who endorsed him describe the campaign as an experiment rather than a contest: Hudson County GOP chair Jose Arango said that given the district's strong Democratic lean, the chairs decided to test how well a conservative independent can perform.
— Jose Arango, Hudson County Republican chair, quoted by New Jersey Globe
He is a registered Republican appearing on the ballot without a party label, so voters reading the ballot alone will not see the affiliation that his backers and New Jersey Globe both describe as the point of his candidacy.
— New Jersey Globe and Ballot Access News reporting
What we couldn’t verify
No fundraising figures for his campaign were found; the only figures in the district's filings belong to Richard Barilla, an independent who withdrew.
His campaign site sets out values and biography but not detailed federal policy positions, and it names no opponent.
A break with both the Democratic and Republican parties.
Jobs with wages, hours and conditions that keep pace with the cost of living.
Immigrant rights, including full legal status for workers in the country.
Union organising and the right to strike.
Opposition to United States military intervention abroad.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
Socialist Workers Party nominee for lieutenant governor of New Jersey in 2025.
Qualified for the November 2026 ballot through the party's New Jersey petition drive.
Has not held elected office.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
No published criticism of Honts by name could be found and no published case for him beyond Socialist Workers Party material. As a minor-party candidate he has drawn very little coverage. Because no case against him exists on the record, none is presented for him either.
No campaign website or fundraising figures were found; his campaign is run through the party rather than a separate committee.
Workforce training for artificial intelligence and robotics jobs.
Education reform and pathways into the future economy.
Economic opportunity for working families in the district.
Community empowerment and local decision-making.
Restoring public trust in government.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
Entrepreneur, educator, author and technology innovator working in artificial intelligence, robotics and workforce training.
Launched his independent campaign in June 2026.
Qualified for the November 2026 ballot in Essex, Hudson and Union counties.
Has not held elected office.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
No published criticism of Hughey by name could be found — not from any opposing campaign, party committee, or Hudson, Essex or Union county news outlet — and no independent published case for him beyond his own campaign announcement. Because no case against him exists on the record, none is presented for him either.
No fundraising figures, endorsements or polling for his campaign were found.
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. Four candidates appear on the November ballot: Democratic incumbent Rob Menendez, independent Aristotle Eliopoulos, Craig Honts of the Socialist Workers Party and Da'Shone Hughey under the banner "We The People." There is no Republican: no Republican submitted valid paperwork by the March 23, 2026 deadline, and the Republican county chairs in Hudson, Essex and Union instead endorsed Eliopoulos, a registered Republican running as an independent. The roster is confirmed against the New Jersey Division of Elections official general election candidate list dated September 4, 2026. The district is majority Hispanic and takes in Elizabeth, Hoboken, Union City and parts of Newark and Jersey City; forecasters rate it safe Democratic.
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.