Republican Jeff Van Drew concedes NJ congressional seat in surprise victory for Democrats

Four-term Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew has conceded to small-town Jersey Shore mayor Zack Mullock in a race that, just weeks ago, was a long shot for Democrats trying to win back the House.

The Associated Press had not called the race as of 11:20 p.m., but preliminary results show Mullock leading by nearly 5 points, with 70% of the votes counted.

Mullock, a 41-year-old business owner, former pro golfer, and Cape May mayor, won New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District two years after Van Drew, who switched parties in 2019, carried the district by a healthy 17 points in 2024.

Van Drew said he called Mullock to concede.

“I wish him the very best. I wish him success. His success is our success,” he said during a speech to supporters in Sea Isle City that was streamed on NJ PBS.

“I’m not going to blame Donald Trump,” he said, adding that he wasn’t sure what he was going to do next. “I made decisions in my life and I’m proud of them.”

The surprise victory was the latest victory for Democrats who were on the verge of making historic gains in the House of Representatives. Fairleigh Dickinson University politics Prof. Dan Cassino said Van Drew’s defeat goes beyond a “wave election” for the Democratic Party.

“ That is apocalyptic, end of the party, cats and dogs lying down together, mass hysteria sort of stuff happening,” he said, channeling Bill Murray in the first Ghostbusters movie.

Van Drew’s loss will likely leave Republicans with just one of 12 congressional seats in the state. In the 7th Congressional District, Republican Rep. Tom Kean, Jr. was also defeated by first-time Democratic candidate Rebecca Bennett. In the neighboring 4th Congressional District, Republican Rep. Chris Smith has won re-election for a 24th consecutive term.

New Jersey Democrats have been musing about toppling Van Drew since last year. In the 2025 governor’s race, Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill turned several counties in the 2nd District from red to blue.

In the June Democratic primary, Mullock defeated three other challengers for the nomination. Like many Democrats this year, Mullock ran on affordability, often touting how he hasn’t raised taxes in Cape May in his six years as mayor. He also focused on electability, arguing his ability to win three straight local elections in typically conservative Cape May proved he could beat Van Drew.

A key topic of debate in the race was a controversial $17 billion dollar data center in Vineland, New Jersey, in a central part of the district. Mullock joined other Democrats in criticizing the large facility, which is owned by DataONE and backed by Microsoft. He argued for a federal moratorium on data centers while more research is done into their effects on the environment and the electrical grid.

Van Drew tried to distance himself from the data center. In March, his campaign manager posted on Van Drew’s Facebook page that the project had “no federal component” and Van Drew wasn’t involved in its approval. In April, Gothamist reported that the Republican received $19,000 in campaign donations from the owners and other executives connected to the Vineland facility.

In September, Sherrill fined DataONE a record $1 million for illegally operating dozens of generators to help power the 2.6 million square-foot facility. Her administration said it was the largest fine ever handed down to a data center for illegally powering a facility.

Only in the last few weeks did the national Democratic Party throw sizable financial support behind Mullock’s campaign. Mullock has raised less than $1 million since January, according to his FEC filings. Van Drew raised a reported $2.5 million this year, according to his filings.

In the week before Election Day, a super PAC tied to Democratic opposition research firm American Bridge 21st Century spent a reported $1.5 million on an ad attacking Van Drew.

Van Drew was first elected to Congress as a conservative Democrat in 2018. Before entering Congress, he worked as a dentist in South Jersey for 30 years and held several local and state offices.

Van Drew gained national attention after his first win in 2018 in the middle of Trump’s first term. He became a media fascination as an apparent rare Democrat who could win in a conservative, very pro-Trump district. But a year later, Van Drew switched his allegiance to the Republican Party, just before he voted against impeaching Trump. The President endorsed Van Drew’s re-election as a Republican a year later.