The New Jersey Globe projects Rep. Chris Smith will likely win the race in New Jersey’s fourth congressional district, securing a 21st term in the House that will make him the longest-serving congressman in the state’s history.
Smith is expected defeat former U.S. State Department official Stephanie Schmid.
Schmid was the latest in a long line of Democrats who have attempted to push Smith out of office. They each faced hurdles. The fourth district is the only one in New Jersey where more Republicans than Democrats have registered in the last decade.
It was already solidly red to begin with.
The length of Smith’s tenure and the safety of his district as allowed the longtime congressman to build his own brand. He won endorsements from some groups that might typically back Democrats, including the AFL-CIO, Giffords and the Brady PAC.
Meanwhile, Schmid’s campaign never really found its feet. Though she cruised to a primary win with relative ease, winning backing from key county Democratic organizations in the district, she was forced to refund some possibly illegal campaign contributions and faced questions about her time as a Smith intern, which she sought to turn into a campaign attack.
