Rep. Bill Pascrell on Tuesday defeated Obama-backed Rep. Steve Rothman in a heated New Jersey primary.
While Steve Rothman was thought to have an early edge because more voters in the newly redrawn district knew him as their incumbent congressman, Pascrell pulled out ace upon ace in the final weeks of the campaign, including the support of former President Bill Clinton.
Rothman attacked Pascrell’s “progressive” credentials, but voters reportedly grew uneasy as the aggressive attacks ramped up. Pascrell went on the offensive Tuesday morning, calling Rothman's attempt to impound absentee ballots "worse than Jim Crow."
The comments are a reference to Rothman's effort to have about 2,000 absentee ballots impounded after his lawyer complained about irregularities in the absentee-voting process.
Rothman conceded defeat Tuesday night, adding he will not run for office again.
“I’m going to Washington tomorrow to complete my work as congressman for the Ninth District and don’t know what my future will hold,” he said according to PolitickerNJ. “I’m going to take a vacation I think. I think I’m going to stop and smell the roses. I don’t think I’ll be running for public office ever again."