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RandySF

(81,151 posts)
Tue Jan 6, 2026, 04:21 PM Tuesday

NJ-12: Plainfield housing policy researcher, democratic socialist will run for Watson Coleman's seat

ziah Thompson, a 32-year-old housing policy researcher and democratic socialist who served on New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s transition team, has joined the packed Democratic primary for retiring Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing)’s open seat.

A resident of Plainfield, Thompson laid out an ambitious policy agenda in his campaign announcement last week that includes creating a nationwide public housing program, implementing Medicare for All, supporting the Green New Deal, abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), embargoing arms shipments to Israel, and banning congressional stock trading.

The first-time candidate also contrasted his own unabashedly progressive stances with those of other Democrats in New Jersey and elsewhere, whom he criticized – albeit not by name – as ineffective and ill-equipped for the Trump era.

“After Donald Trump’s win, I met with House members asking what their plans were to fight against the administration’s worst policies,” Thompson said in his announcement. “One told me that they could ‘write a letter.’ New Jersey cannot replace Bonnie Watson Coleman, a progressive leader, with someone who will disappear into this broken system.”




https://newjerseyglobe.com/congress/plainfield-housing-policy-researcher-democratic-socialist-will-run-for-watson-colemans-seat/

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NJ-12: Plainfield housing policy researcher, democratic socialist will run for Watson Coleman's seat (Original Post) RandySF Tuesday OP
Crazy amount of Dem candidates there: Celerity Tuesday #1

Celerity

(53,687 posts)
1. Crazy amount of Dem candidates there:
Tue Jan 6, 2026, 05:29 PM
Tuesday

Democratic primary

Declared

Brad Cohen, mayor of East Brunswick

Elijah Dixon, entrepreneur

Ray Heck, mayor of Millstone

Kyle Little, fitness studio owner

Adrian Mapp, mayor of Plainfield

Verlina Reynolds-Jackson, state assemblymember from the 15th district (2018–present)

Shanel Robinson, Somerset County commissioner

Sujit Singh, technology consultant

Iziah Thompson, housing organizer

Jay Vaingankar, former U.S. Department of Energy special advisor

Formed exploratory committee

Squire Servance, attorney

Filed paperwork

Tennille McCoy, state assemblymember from the 14th district (2024–present)

Publicly expressed interest

Carlos Raziel Rodriguez, Rutgers University–Camden student

Potential

Sue Altman, state director for U.S. Senator Andy Kim and nominee for the 7th district in 2024

Linda Carter, state assemblymember from the 22nd district (2018–present)

Claribel Cortes, Middlesex County surrogate

Paula Sollami Covello, Mercer County clerk

Samuel Frisby, Mercer County commissioner

James Gee, former chief of staff to Bonnie Watson Coleman

Shanti Narra, Middlesex County commissioner

Tina Shah, former senior advisor to the U.S. Surgeon General (currently running in the 7th district)

Sarah Steward, Ewing township councilor

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