Show Us the Money

J-L Cauvin, a Democratic challenger in New Jersey's 11th U.S. House District, competed in the 2026 primary but did not advance. Campaign finance records for the 2026 cycle reveal the broader landscape of New Jersey federal election fundraising, in which Democratic candidates significantly outpaced their Republican counterparts.

Across New Jersey, Democratic candidates raised $56,029,567 in the 2026 congressional campaign donations, while Republican candidates brought in $8,522,263. An unaffiliated candidate raised $30,000, and an independent candidate raised $5,600.

Candidate Rankings

The top fundraiser in New Jersey's 2026 Senate and House races was Cory A. Booker, the Democratic incumbent U.S. Senator, who raised $17,623,906. He was followed by Thomas H. Kean Jr., a Republican incumbent from the 7th district, with $4,542,249. Josh Gottheimer, the Democratic incumbent from the 5th district, came in third with $3,468,842.

Democratic candidates dominated the fundraising landscape, accounting for roughly 86.7 percent of the total $64,587,430 raised across all federal candidates in New Jersey. Republican candidates made up about 13.2 percent. The disparity reflects both the state's Democratic lean and the competitive intensity of several House races.

Incumbents vs. Challengers

Incumbents in New Jersey significantly outraised challengers and open-seat candidates in the 2026 cycle. Democratic incumbents including Nelida Pou, Frank Pallone Jr., Lamonica McIver, Robert J. Menendez, Analilia Mejia, Donald W. Norcross, and Herb Conaway each raised between $815,436 and $2,327,473.

Challengers and open-seat candidates competed for attention and resources. In New Jersey's 7th district, multiple Democratic challengers vied for the seat: Rebecca Bennett raised $2,944,138, Tina Shah raised $2,148,461, Brian Varela raised $1,961,310, and Michael Roth raised $1,231,820. In the 11th district, Tom Malinowski raised $1,522,887, Brendan W. Gill raised $1,134,195, and Tahesha Way raised $845,397. Adam Hamawy, running in an open-seat race in the 12th district, raised $1,028,937.

Overall, the 2026 cycle showed incumbents maintaining substantial financial advantages, though well-funded challenger campaigns in competitive districts narrowed some gaps.

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Source: Federal Election Commission (FEC), data current as of July 2, 2026.

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