Assemblyman William Sampson (D-Bayonne) and Hudson County Commissioner Jerry Walker (D-Jersey City) have won two seats in the 31st legislative district, the New Jersey Globe projects, after getting through a competitive Democratic primary against allies of Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop.
As of 8:46 p.m. and with mostly early in-person and vote-by-mail votes counted, Sampson and Walker have a combined 75% of the vote, while the Republican ticket, realtor Anthony Acosta and Motor Vehicle Commission manager Neil Schulman, has 25%.
The long-standing deal among Hudson County Democrats in the 31st district is that one Assembly seat goes to Bayonne and the other goes to Jersey City. In 2021, Sampson – then an unknown longshoreman – was selected by Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis to take the Bayonne seat; two years later, as Angela McKnight (D-Jersey City) moved up to the Senate, Jersey City Democratic municipal chair Barbara McCann Stamato took her Assembly seat…