A second Democrat has entered the race for the party’s nomination to challenge Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-2) for his seat in the House of Representatives in the 2026 elections.
Former U.S. Agency for International Development official Bayly Winder, freed of his previous responsibilities when President Donald Trump killed almost all USAID programs in February, is looking to unseat Van Drew.
Winder joins Atlantic City native Terri Reese in the race. Reese, who declared in April, says she is a grassroots candidate of the people and not the parties. She described herself to Ballotpedia as a former retail leader turned advocate,
Winder is back in his native New Jersey and is mounting a challenge to Van Drew in the conservative district many see as safely Republican. Van Drew, a Democrat until his famous party switch in 2019, has won his last two reelection bids by runaway margins.
Winder said he raised $170,000 in donations in his first week. He is not a native of the 2nd District; he grew up largely in Princeton, but says he spent “considerable time in this district growing up.”
He sees Van Drew as vulnerable over his support of health-care cuts, among other issues. In a release he said, “Jeff Van Drew is clearly terrified of answering to the people of the district” and referenced what he said was the unusual timing of Van Drew’s holding of a USAID hearing of his House Judiciary subcommittee.
Democrats feel Van Drew could be vulnerable, and many still resent his party switch and his unflagging support of Trump’s cuts in federal funding.
Contact the reporter, Vince Conti, at vconti@cmcherald.com.
