Taking on an opponent who boasted all of the lines and a significant monetary advantage, Ian Smith came up short in his congressional bid on Tuesday night. The victor (Bob Healey) led by 14-points with roughly 75% of precincts reporting in NJ-03.
Smith suffered from lackluster fundraising notwithstanding his minor celebrity status stemming from his co-ownership of Atilis Gym, the Bellmawr small business that repeatedly bucked Phil Murphy’s lockdown orders during the Covid pandemic. The final nail in the campaign’s political coffin was likely a recent DWI charge which fetched renewed scrutiny of a fatal DWI from Smith’s youth.
Healey, who runs his family’s yacht-building business based in the district, will now take on Democrat incumbent Andy Kim in November’s general election.
