11 candidates are throwing their hat in the ring for the late Donald Payne Jor seat in the 10th congressional district among them the president of New York City Council and a former staffer for Congressman Payne and many more the special primary will be on July 16th and the general election is set for September 18th senior political correspondent David Cruz has a story on what's shaping up to be a crowded field back in the olden days when a thing called the party line existed filling the seat of a deceased member of Congress was a Soviet Swift Act of machine politics but in the first Primary in the postp Partyline era congressional district 10 has drawn almost a dozen candidates you'd never see that in the party line years voter apathy is something that's happening across the country and every state or or Community has their their role to play in that but in New Jersey the line has been the source of what I believe voter apathy because people don't have options and people are discouraged you know with running because I didn't somebody didn't choose me candidates like Britney claybrooks say it's a brand new day and it's not like these 11 candidates are all just gadflies clay Brooks is a planning director in planfield and a former eastar in city council member L Monica mcgyver the favorite is a Newark city council president Jerry Walker is a Hudson County Commissioner there's Mayors and state officials and a lot of smart people running the pain family I I would believe they they had this position least 40 years I don't think um so yeah so it was it was an opportunity and thenis also you know speaks to you know people that that really want to get involved that couldn't get involved before because of of the LW Politics philia the chief of staff to the Essex County Executive and a longtime party player there back Monica mcgyver as does the Essex County Democratic organization but he says in an election in the middle of summer with no top of the ticket the party organization will have its work cut out for it just to get people to pay attention absolutely and again it's it's a strange Dynamic this race because of redistricting you have three different counties that are involved so you may have the Hudson County Democratic organization endorse somebody else you have gubernatorial politics that play in here Mikey Cheryl RZ baraca Josh gimer Steve fup whoever may or may not be endorsed in Union County that plays into this election the race has already seen its first court case clay Brooks has mounted a legal challenge to MacGyver's nominating petitions which if successful could derail the newer councilwoman's candidacy before it even begins it's a petition challenge that that would have been unheard of when the machine was handling all that paperwork this is this Brave New World where in candidate centered campaigns it is the candidate who is putting this stuff together it is the candidate who is circulating the petition and maybe it's her mom who's circulating it maybe it's her Chief of Staff who's circulating it but it is not the apparatus of the party itself that is making sure everything's buttoned up and so you're going to have these mistakes that are going to happen as we ramp up to this new system in which candidates are at the middle of everything it's not the party organizations that are at the middle of everything anymore and just to be clear the candidate who wins this primary on July 16th will then run in the special general election in September the winner would fill the rest of Payne's term a few months worth in Congress but as for who will be on the ballot for a full term in November's regular general election the party decides that regard regardless of who wins the primary technically I'm David Cruz NJ Spotlight news [Music]