Longtime Rep. Bill Pascrill (D-N.J.) on Tuesday defeated an anti-Israel New Jersey mayor in the Garden State’s 9th District Democratic primary, a contest that centered on the conflict over Israel’s war with Hamas.
Pascril, 87, was elected as the Democratic candidate for the House of Representatives, defeating Prospect Park Mayor Mohamed Khairulla by a 54-point margin, receiving 77 percent of the vote with more than three-quarters of the ballots still cast.
The congressman, who has served 14 terms since first being elected to Congress in 1996, is a staunch supporter of Israel, declaring in December last year that Israelis “have every right to defend and protect themselves” in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on the Jewish state of Israel.
“Sincerely, NJ-09, thank you for trusting me again.” Pascrell I wrote to X After his victory.
“I will never stop fighting for my neighbors. I love New Jersey! American democracy itself is on the ballot this fall.” He said in another post:.
Pascrill, an Army veteran and former mayor of Paterson, was forced to defend his vote to approve $26.4 billion in U.S. military aid to Israel and his insistence that a ceasefire be contingent on the “release of hostages” amid Khairullah’s campaign focused on opposing Israel’s war on Hamas.
Khairulla’s campaign was supported by Prospect Park’s sizable Palestinian-American population.
A native of Syria, he moved to New Jersey in 1980 and, in addition to his job as mayor, works as vice principal at Passaic County Technical and Vocational School.
Ahead of the primary, Khairullah posted a photo on Instagram of himself with Reps. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN), both embattled critics of Israel and members of the New York “Squad.”
Last spring, Kyla FBI Terror Watch List After being denied entry by the Secret Service to an Eid al-Fitr celebration at the White House.
He previously claimed he was detained at JFK airport after returning from a trip to Turkey, questioned about terrorism and then racially profiled.
Pascrill, co-chair of the Congressional Law Enforcement Caucus, received strong support from Democrats, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York.
In September, Pascrill called on Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) to resign after he was indicted on federal corruption charges.
Pascrill will become the oldest member of the House of Representatives if he defeats 34-year-old Billy Prempe, the Republican candidate in the 9th District, in November.
If re-elected, he will be nearly 89 at the end of his next term.
