With former Summit Councilman Greg Vartan out of the race for New Jersey’s 7th congressional district, the floodgates of Summit endorsements have opened.
Former Small Business Administration official Michael Roth picked up endorsements this evening from five notable Summit Democrats: former Mayor Nora Radest, incoming Council President Claire Toth, former Council President David Naidu (who was also his party’s unsuccessful nominee for mayor in 2023), and former Summit Democratic municipal chairs Andrea Stein and Terri Tauber.
Two of the new endorsers, Radest and Toth, had previously endorsed Vartan, the current Summit Democratic municipal chairman, for the seat.
“I am supporting Michael because his message and concerns about affordability in this country are very real and accurate,” Radest said in a statement. “Our Congress is not concerned about working class Americans, nor is our president. I believe that Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. should not be re-elected. He was Summit’s state senator during COVID, when I was mayor, and I can assure you that he did nothing to help us.”
Earlier today, one of Roth’s Democratic rivals in the 7th district, former Navy helicopter pilot Rebecca Bennett, got two Summit endorsements of her own from former Councilmembers Marjorie Fox and Phyllis Sank; Bennett also has the backing of former Summit Mayor Jordan Glatt.
Summit is one of the Democratic hubs of the 7th district, a sprawling suburban district that no fewer than nine Democrats are angling to flip next year.
