Van Drew Loses House Seat to Zach Mullock

Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew conceded New Jersey's 2026 House race to Democrat Zach Mullock before the Associated Press called it.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a New Jersey state silhouette split into deep red and cream halves, centered on a plain background. — Democrat Zach Mullock defeated Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew in New Jersey's 2026 House race, with Van Drew conceding before the Associated Press called the contest. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew lost his New Jersey House seat to Democrat Zach Mullock in the 2026 midterm elections. Van Drew conceded to Mullock before the Associated Press called the race, which Mullock led 52.1% to 46.9% at 10:24 p.m.

Why it matters

Van Drew's seat was expected to be safe for Republicans, so the result signals a shift in New Jersey's House landscape. Van Drew attributed the loss to the national political environment rather than his district.

At 10:24 p.m. on election night, Mullock led Van Drew 52.1% to 46.9%, a 5.2-point gap. Van Drew was first elected to the House in 2018 as a Democrat before switching to the Republican Party.

The players

Jeff Van Drew

Republican U.S. representative from New Jersey who was first elected as a Democrat in 2018 and later switched parties.

Zach Mullock

Democrat who defeated incumbent Republican Jeff Van Drew in New Jersey's 2026 House race.

The details

Van Drew conceded by calling Mullock before the Associated Press called the race, then spoke with reporters about his loss. He compared the election night Democratic gains to the Watergate scandal, and described the GOP as having peaked at the wrong time.

2018: Van Drew first elected to the House as a Democrat.
November 3, 2026: Election night; Van Drew defeated by Mullock.

Political Context

Van Drew framed the defeat as a product of the national political environment rather than local district concerns. He compared the scale of Democratic election night gains to the Watergate scandal, a historical parallel he used to describe the wave.

The result changes which party holds New Jersey's House seat, affecting the congressional representation of voters in the district. Voters in the state should expect the new representative to take over the seat in the next session of Congress.

The takeaway

Van Drew's defeat shows how national political currents can override a district's expected partisan lean. Readers following New Jersey politics should watch how the state's delegation shifts in the coming session.