Trump Ally Jeff Van Drew Ousted as Zack Mullock Flips New Jersey's 2nd District

Jeff Van Drew, one of President Donald Trump's most loyal allies in the House, has lost his seat. The Republican congressman was defeated on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, by Democrat Zack Mullock, the two-term mayor of Cape May, flipping New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District in the Democratic midterm wave that swept both chambers of Congress. Van Drew conceded on election night, telling Mullock in a telephone call: "He is and will be our new congressman for the next two years." The Associated Press had not formally called the race by early Wednesday, but its live count showed Mullock ahead by about 8,000 votes with almost 90 percent of precincts reporting, matching earlier returns that put the Democrat at roughly 51 to 52 percent against Van Drew's 47 to 48 percent.

Key Points

• Republican Representative Jeff Van Drew lost New Jersey's 2nd District on November 3, 2026, to Democrat Zack Mullock, mayor of Cape May.
• Van Drew conceded on election night, telling Mullock he "is and will be our new congressman for the next two years."
• The Associated Press had not yet called the race early Wednesday, but Mullock led 128,162 votes to 120,190 with 89.19 percent of precincts reporting.
• Van Drew switched parties in 2019 to back Donald Trump and won the seat by nearly 17 points in 2024; he was seeking a fifth term.
• With Rebecca Bennett's win over Tom Kean Jr. in New Jersey's 7th District, the flip leaves Chris Smith as the state's only Republican House member, with Democrats holding 11 of 12 seats.

What Happened

Voters in New Jersey's 2nd District went to the polls on Tuesday as part of a midterm election that turned into a rout for Republicans nationally. Democrats captured majorities in both the Senate and the House, winning in places that had seemed safe for the governing party only a year earlier. In the 2nd District, the first returns on Tuesday evening suggested a close race, but Mullock's advantage held through successive batches of ballots. By early Wednesday, the Associated Press live page recorded 128,162 votes for Mullock against 120,190 for Van Drew, with 89.19 percent of precincts reporting.

Mullock's background helps explain why the race broke the way it did. He is a two-term mayor of Cape May, a small resort city at the southern tip of New Jersey, and he campaigned as a local leader rather than a national figure. That pitch landed in a district where the cost of living, property taxes, health care and the future of the shore economy matter more to many voters than partisan battles in Washington. Van Drew, meanwhile, was closely identified with Trump, and that closeness became a liability in a year when voters were angry about prices, gas costs and the long-running war with Iran.

Background: Jeff Van Drew and the New Jersey 2nd District

Jeff Van Drew's political journey is one of the most striking party switches of recent American politics. He was elected to the House as a Democrat and, in December 2019, crossed the floor to the Republican Party, announcing his support for Trump at a White House ceremony. The move made him a hero to Trump supporters and a target for Democrats, but it also gave him a new identity: the Democrat who would defend the president without reservation. He won re-election as a Republican in 2020, 2022 and 2024, each time by a comfortable margin, and by 2024 his winning margin had grown to nearly 17 points. For many analysts, the 2nd District looked like a safe Republican seat.

Jeff Van Drew Loses New Jersey's 2nd District

The result fits a pattern seen across the country on Tuesday. Voters punished the party in power over the cost of living, with gas prices driven higher by the war with Iran, and over a sense that Washington was not listening. In district after district, Democratic challengers outperformed expectations. The 2nd District is a case in point: a seat won by nearly 17 points two years ago changed hands by about four points, a swing of roughly 20 points. Swings of that size do not happen because of a single advertisement; they happen when the national mood shifts and when a challenger gives voters a credible alternative.

Reactions and Quotes

Van Drew's concession was gracious, at least in the words reported from the call. "He is and will be our new congressman for the next two years," he told Mullock. That sentence matters because it acknowledges the result without qualification and sets a tone for the transition.

Why It Matters

The flip matters for three reasons. First, it changes the arithmetic of the House, where every seat counts in a chamber with a possibly narrow majority. Second, it changes New Jersey's delegation, leaving only one Republican in a 12-member group and giving Democrats a near-clean sweep of the state's House seats, which will affect how New Jersey's interests are represented, from shore protection and flood funding to casino regulation and agricultural support.

What Happens Next

The immediate next step is certification. New Jersey election officials will count any remaining valid ballots, including mail-in ballots that arrived by the deadline, and will certify the result in the coming days. The final margin may move slightly, but the outcome is not in doubt after Van Drew's concession.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won New Jersey's 2nd District in 2026? Democrat Zack Mullock, mayor of Cape May, defeated Republican incumbent Jeff Van Drew on November 3, 2026.

What was the vote margin? Early Wednesday, the Associated Press showed Mullock with 128,162 votes to Van Drew's 120,190, with 89.19 percent of precincts reporting, a lead of about 8,000 votes.

Why is Jeff Van Drew well known? He switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party in 2019, pledging "undying support" to Donald Trump, and won the seat by nearly 17 points in 2024.

Has the race been formally called? The Associated Press had not formally called it by early Wednesday, but Van Drew conceded on election night, telling Mullock he "is and will be our new congressman."

What happens next? Officials will certify the result, and Mullock will take office in January 2027, leaving Chris Smith as New Jersey's only Republican House member.

Read more on US News Pulse: Letitia James wins third term as New York attorney general and 2026 midterm ballot measures results, for the wider picture of a Democratic midterm night across the United States.