Tom Kean, Jr., the former senate minority leader and son of former Governor Tom Kean, Sr., appeared on course to defeat his fellow Republican candidates in the CD-7 Primary on Tuesday night.

The problem for the others was always going to be MAGA cannibalization.

That’s the way it was going down early, with Kean remaining astride a solid lead with more than 50% of the vote counted and 35% counted and the other competitors bunched up in the teens.

And it’s the way it went down late:

On the other side of the aisle, incumbent U.S. Rep. Tom Malinowski manhandled democratic Primary challenger Roger Bacon, setting up a rematch between Malinowski and Kean in this year’s general election In 2020, Malinowski defeated Kean by 5,000 votes, but since that time, redistricting gives Republicans a plus two advantage on paper.

James Singer, regional secretary for the DCCC, offered the following:

“This 2020 rematch between Tom Kean Jr. and Rep. Tom Malinowski offers a clear choice for New Jersey voters. In Congress, Rep. Malinowski has stood up to foreign dictators and special interest groups to do what is right for New Jersey. He’s led the effort in Congress to lower costs for families and fight inflation, deliver essential investments for New Jersey’s crumbling infrastructure, secure critical assistance to small businesses during the pandemic, and he continues to fight to lower taxes for New Jerseyans. His opponent, Tom Kean Jr. has spent his career in Trenton trading off his father’s name, doing the bidding of special interest groups, and is now locking arms with MAGA Republicans to try and get himself to Washington. New Jerseyans deserve a congressman who will fight for them, not special interests.”