File photo
Last month’s legislative primary in New Jersey saw record fundraising by candidates statewide in a primary, and independent spending organizations kicked in essentially a new June election high on ads to boost candidates in a handful of districts.
Candidates took in more than $37.4 million, the most ever, according to an analysis by the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) of post-election spending reports submitted through June 30.
When adjusting for inflation, however, that would be the third-highest total, behind $40.9 million in 2011 and $38.3 million in 2017. Still, the 2021 primary total is preliminary and likely to increase, as some candidates did not file their post-election reports by the June 28 deadline.