CAPE MAY, N.J. — Republican Congressman Jeff Van Drew has lost his reelection bid in New Jersey’s 2nd Congressional District, falling to Democratic challenger Zack Mullock in a major South Jersey political upset.
Van Drew, a former Democrat who switched parties in 2019 and became one of President Donald Trump’s most prominent New Jersey allies, had represented the district in Congress since 2019.
Mullock, a Cape May businessman, mounted a competitive challenge in a district that had moved decisively toward Republicans during the Trump era.
The result marks a significant political reversal in South Jersey, where Van Drew had built a formidable electoral coalition spanning traditionally Republican shore communities and historically Democratic areas of Atlantic and Cumberland counties.
Van Drew’s defeat also gives Democrats a congressional pickup as both parties battle for control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
The district will return to Democratic representation in January 2027 for the first time since Van Drew changed his party affiliation.
