The2004 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey were held on November 2, 2004, to determine who would represent the people ofNew Jersey in theUnited States House of Representatives. This election coincided with national elections forU.S. President, and theU.S. House andU.S. Senate. There was no concurrent election for Senator or Governor in the state. New Jersey has thirteen seats in the House, apportioned according to the2000 United States census. Representatives are elected for two-year terms.
Incumbent DemocratFrank Pallone defeated Republican challenger Sylvester Fernandez. Between 2003 and 2013, this district covered parts ofMonmouth,Middlesex,Somerset, andUnion counties.
Brozak, a former Republican who switched party lines to run, launched his campaign with a front-page story inTheWall Street Journal. He focused his message on the management ofOperation Iraqi Freedom, warning that the shortage of U.S. troops presented an insurmountable obstacle to its mission and calling for a modified strategy to subdue insurgency and create a stable government in Iraq.[6] Writing forSalon,Michelle Goldberg referred to his campaign as "a referendum on Bush's military folly".[7] Brozak also called for deregulation ofstem cell research andfair trade with foreign countries.[7]
Brozak was a primetime speaker at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, where he criticized the Bush administration for its lack of planning in advance of the invasion of Iraq.[8]
No Republican challenged incumbent DemocratDonald M. Payne for this seat. Only minor parties also contested the election. This district covers a heavily urbanized area, which includes the city ofNewark.
Incumbent DemocratRush Holt defeated Republican Bill Spadea. This district covers 5 suburban counties in the central part of the state. After losing the election to Holt, Spadea became a radio talk show host, made a run for the General Assembly in 2012, and ran for Governor of New Jerseyin 2025.
Incumbent DemocratBob Menendez defeated Republican Richard Piatkowski. This is a heavily urbanized district.
In the primary election, Menendez easily survived a challenge from Steve Fulop, who had received national attention for resigning from Goldman Sachs to join the Marine Corps following theSeptember 11 attacks. Fulop would later go on to serve as mayor of Jersey City and ran for Governor of New Jerseyin 2025, losing the primary toMikie Sherrill.
Fulop was hand-picked to challenge Menendez by Jersey City mayor Glenn Cunningham, who had an ongoing bitter feud with Menendez. Cunningham died from a heart attack on May 25.[5]
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