A second Democrat has jumped into the race to challenge Rep. Chris Smith, despite the congressman’s more than four decades in Washington and the heavy Republican tilt of New Jersey’s 4th Congressional District.
Keith Doll, a registered nurse at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and a father of three from Middletown, announced his candidacy Tuesday. He blasted Smith for siding with President Donald Trump and accused him of abandoning constituents.
“Rather than speak out against corruption and the misinformation that threatens our economy and democracy, Representative Smith has insulated himself far from the people he’s supposed to serve,” Doll said in a statement. “It’s time we finally hold him accountable for over 40 years of votes.”
Doll pointed specifically to Smith’s support for Trump-backed initiatives, including Project 2025 and the recently enacted “Big Beautiful Bill,” which Democrats have criticized as a power grab. He vowed to run a populist, anti-corruption campaign that rejects corporate PAC money and focuses on the struggles of working families.
“Our elected leaders sell out our freedoms by representing their careers instead of our rights,” Doll said.
Doll joins Rutgers professor Julie Flynn, who launched her campaign last week. More Democrats could still enter the race, but the 4th District — spanning much of Ocean and Monmouth Counties along the Jersey Shore — has become one of the state’s most Republican-leaning seats. Smith cruised to reelection in 2024 with 67% of the vote.
First elected in 1980, Smith is now the longest-serving member of New Jersey’s congressional delegation. Local Democrats have repeatedly targeted him but have seen little success, particularly after redistricting made the 4th district more conservative in 2022.