Prempeh wins Bergen GOP convention for Congress in a landslide

U.S. Air Force veteran is challenging Bill Pascrell in NJ-9

DAVID WILDSTEIN

Billy Prempeh crushed a perennial candidate March 19 to capture the Bergen County Republican organization line, giving him a clear path for a rematch with Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-Paterson) in New Jersey’s 9th district.

Prempeh won the Bergen GOP convention by a more than 2-1 margin, 174-72, over Hector Castillo, a Paterson physician. He already has the line in Passaic County and is expected to have the line in Hudson.

A U.S. Air Force veteran, Prempeh won 32% against Pascrell in 2020 and 44% in 2022; Castillo won 28% against Pascrell in 2016. Pascrell is seeking his fifteenth term in Congress; at age 87, he will become the oldest member of the U.S. House of Representatives if he wins re-election.  He faces a primary challenge from Prospect Park Mayor Mohamad Khairullah.

Castillo is a frequent candidate for public office: he won 4% in a 2002 race for mayor of Paterson, 1.3% as an independent candidate for governor in 2005; 28% in a 2012 congressional primary against Rabbi Shmuley Boteach; 39% in a 2013 State Senate primary; and 5% in a 2020 primary in the 5th district.

New Jersey Globe

Posted by admin on Mar 26 2024. Filed under top stories. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry