GOP’s Van Drew well ahead of Democratic primary winner Zack Mullock
The power of incumbency is evident in fundraising reports in the Second Congressional District.
On the Federal Election Commission site, reports for Jan. 1, 2025 through May 13 show fundraising for the Republican incumbent and the four Democrats who faced off June 2 in the primary.
Democrat Zack Mullock, who won the primary June 2, raised $305,148. All of that was raised in 2026.
That was less than half of what opponent Bayly Winder raised.
And what Winder raised was less than half that raised by incumbent Republican Jeff Van Drew.
Winder showed receipts of $731,387 and expenditures of $585,191 through the middle of May. Winder announced his intention to run early and has been on the campaign trail for more than a year. His FEC report dates back to April 1, 2025.
Mullock was a latecomer to the race. He did not publicly announce he was considering a run until February of this year. His first donation, from his father, Robert Mullock at the Chalfonte Hotel in Cape May, came Feb. 6. He donated $7,000, as did his wife, and another early donation was from Christine Clemans of Sotheby’s International Realty. She also donated $7,000.
Other big donations came from Dillon Mullock, operators manager at the Chalfonte, $7,000; Eleanor Mullock, director of special events at the Chalfonte, $5,000; Keith Laudeman, owner of the Lobster House, $5,000; Rosemary Malloy (retired), $4,000; attorney Raymond Batten, $3,500; Kenneth J. Calemmo Jr., of Ventor, CEO, Cooper Levenson Attorneys at Law, $3,500; attorney Cynthia Mullock, $7,000; Beatrice Passagno, teacher, $3,500; Samuel Downes of Cape May (not employed), $3,500; and Sharon Kind of Pennsylvania (not employed), $3,500.
ActBlue of Somerville, Mass., gave donations totaling $64,290. ActBlue is a Democratic Party PAC and fundraising platform.
All told, there were $162,683 individual donations that were itemized and another $32,465 that were not. Mullock’s total includes a loan of $110,000 from the candidate.
Mullock’s expenditures through May 13 were $177,096.
Fellow Democrats Tim Alexander and Terri Reese, the other candidates in the primary, raised $80,691 and $14,102, respectively. Alexander spent $73,923 and Reese spent $10,835.
Alexander’s and Reese’s donation reports date back to July 1, 2025.
Van Drew, who is 73 years old and is seeking his fifth term in office, reported total receipts of $1.7 million, disbursements of $1.071 million and $1.393 million in cash still in hand.
Van Drew’s receipts are from Jan. 1, 2025 through May 13 of this year.
The incumbent, who originally ran for office as a Democrat after a decades-long political career as a Democrat in municipal, county and state governments, made a high-profile party switch midway through his first term in office when he met with President Donald Trump and promised him his undying loyalty.
He received $1.385 million in itemized individual contributions and another $204,900 in unitemized individual contributions.
Van Drew also reported $277,970 through 119 political action committee and other committee donations. They came from a wide variety of sources. Among them, including multiple donations over different periods for primary and general election, are:
– Wakefern Food Corp. PAC, $5,000
– National Ready Mixed Concrete PAC, $5,000
– Engineers Political Education Committee, $10,000
– Buckeye Liberty PAC, $5,000
– BAPS Public Affairs Inc. PAC, $5,000
– MVL PAC, $10,000
– Anti-Woke Fund, $10,000
– American Institute of CPAs PAC, $5,000
– Amalgamated Transit Union – COPE, $10,000
– No Nonsense PAC, $2,500
– National Beer Wholesalers PAC, $2,500
– Patriots In Action, $10,000
– American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) PAC, $5,000
– Teamsters PAC, $3,500, $1,500
– National Air Traffic Controllers PAC, $2,000
– Animal Wellness Action PAC, $3,000
– American Dental Association PAC, $5,000
– House Conservatives Fund, $2,000
– American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry PAC, $2,500
– Boots on the Ground – Federal, $10,000.
Among the big donors in that time period is WinRed, a national Republican fundraising platform. It gave $475,798 through multiple donations.
Among individual larger donors, just since the beginning of 2026, are Robert McCallister of Linwood, $3,500; Dharmendra Patel of Egg Harbor Township, $4,000; Donna Forman of Cherry Hill, $5,000; Richard Forman of Cherry Hill, $7,000; attorney Vincent L. Lamanna of Avalon, $5,500; Michael Kolchins of Mays Landing (retired), $5,500; Cheryl Kolchins of Mays Landing, $7,000; engineer Marc DeBlasio, $6,500; Marilyn Stiglitz of Springfield, $4,500; Laurence Silvi, CEO, Silvi Materials, $7,000; John Koufos, consultant, Washington, D.C., $6,800; Thomas Arthur, Lancaster, Pa., $4,432; Stephen Greenlee of Texas (retired), $4,500; Vincent A. Consalo of Hammonton, The Fresh Wave, $7,000;
Anne Koos of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., $7,250; Carolyn Zumpino, president, Triad Associations, Philadelphia, $4,500; Todd Timbrook, Linwood, managing principal EPC, $3,500; Constantino Milano of Randolph, CEO, Hartz Mountain, $5,250; Bruce Easmunt, Millville, asphalt contractor, $4,082; Michael S. Davy, Sewell, MJD Trucking, $5,950; Dale Florio, Hoboken, Princeton Public Affairs Group, $6,800, Stavros Christoudias, Teaneck, Heritage Surgical Group, $6,800; and David Beyel, Ocean City, Boulevard Liquors, $7,000.
Later reports are expected to show more donations and spending from all of the candidates.
– By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff