Boteach wins Republican congressional primary

Rabbi, author and media personality Shmuley Boteach secured his position as the Republican nominee for New Jersey’s Ninth Congressional District on Tuesday. He will face off against Democrat Congressman Bill Pascrell in November.

Due to his celebrity recognition and fund-raising ability, Boteach was regarded as the front-runner in the three-way primary, which pitted him against retired doctor Hector Castillo and science professor Blase Billack.

The Ninth District is a newly formed district whose lines were drawn after the 2010 census and whose constituents lean heavily towards the Democratic party. Boteach, author of the recently published Kosher Jesus, former friend of Michael Jackson and self-described “apostle to non-Jews.” will face an an uphill battle against Pascrell, a veteran New Jersey congressman who secured the Democratic nomination against rival Congressman Steve Rothman in a heavily watched primary battle in which Israel and Jewish issues figured prominently.

Boteach, in a May interview with the Times of Israel, said that he is a “values candidate” and that he has enough crossover appeal to win the congressional seat in a general election.