Kennedy Family Member Joins N.J. Race Against Democratic Defector Jeff Van Drew

The field of Democrats vying to oust Representative Jeff Van Drew got more crowded on Monday as Amy Kennedy, the wife of former Representative Patrick Kennedy, entered the race, bringing the instant name recognition of a political dynasty to an already robust group running for the New Jersey congressional seat.

Ms. Kennedy, who described herself as a former teacher and a mother of five in a minute-long YouTube video announcing her candidacy, did not mention Mr. Van Drew’s defection from the Democratic Party last month or his pledge of “undying support” for President Trump.

But the video did include an image of Mr. Van Drew shaking the president’s hand in the Oval Office as he announced he would join the Republicans, one day after the South Jersey lawmaker voted against impeaching Mr. Trump. (The president repaid the favor on Monday, with his campaign saying he would appear at a rally in Mr. Van Drew’s district on Jan. 28.)

“Too many of our leaders have lost their moral compass,” she said in the video clip. “Trump and Van Drew are symptoms of a bigger sickness infecting our country and our politics.”

Ms. Kennedy’s husband is a former Rhode Island congressman and the son of former Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts.

Mr. Van Drew, a first-term congressman who was elected as a conservative Democrat, represents a district the Republican president won by about 5 points in 2016.

Ms. Kennedy, in the brief video, touched on what are likely to form the broad themes of her campaign: civility, climate change, mental health and addiction, and corporate tax incentives.

“We continue to ignore the biggest public health emergency of our time — the mental health and addiction crisis that affects virtually every family,” she said.

She added, “People in South Jersey can’t find good jobs, but the richest corporations pay almost no taxes.”

Ms. Kennedy, who lives north of Atlantic City in Brigantine, could not be reached for comment.

If Ms. Kennedy were to win the nomination, she would not be the only Kennedy campaigning for Congress. Representative Joe Kennedy III, the grandson of the former attorney general, Robert F. Kennedy, is running for the Senate from Massachusetts.

Four other Democrats have already entered the primary race in the Second Congressional District, which cuts across New Jersey’s southernmost counties and stretches from Cape May to the Pennsylvania border.

Brigid Callahan Harrison, a professor who teaches political science at Montclair State University, announced her candidacy the same week Mr. Van Drew said he would join the Republicans, a shift that prompted most of his staff members to quit.

Professor Harrison was quickly endorsed by many of the Democratic Party leaders in the district who hold sway over whose name will appear on the party’s coveted ballot line in the June primary.

Ashley Bennett, a freeholder representing Atlantic County who appeared on a 2018 cover of Time magazine with other progressive women, also has announced she is running for the Democratic nomination for the congressional seat.

Ms. Bennett has said she intends to focus on issues affecting New Jersey’s working class, and is likely to draw support from the state’s increasingly active grass-roots organizations.

John Francis III, a commissioner in West Cape May, and Robert Turkavage, a former F.B.I. agent who last month switched from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party, have also announced they will run in the Democratic primary.

At least three Republicans, including David Richter, a former businessman who has said he will spend $1 million of his own money on his campaign, also are expected to compete against Mr. Van Drew for the Republican nomination.

Benjamin A. Dworkin, a professor of political science at Rowan University and the director of the school’s Institute for Public Policy & Citizenship, said Ms. Kennedy’s entry into the race had the potential to change the playing field.

He noted that the Democratic candidates’ success at raising campaign funds is likely to be key to the primary race and the general election, especially in southern New Jersey, which is within the pricey Philadelphia media market.

Professor Harrison’s support from established Democratic Party leaders in the area will presumably help her fund-raising efforts, he said, and the Kennedy family’s network of donors is expected to work to Ms. Kennedy’s advantage.

“There is an established Kennedy fund-raising network that she will be able to tap into and will allow her to be well financed in this race, which really matters,” Dr. Dworkin said.

A candidate’s ability to independently generate funds is even more crucial in a year when the national Democratic organization is likely to be focused on protecting the three other congressional seats that the party flipped in 2018 in New Jersey swing districts, he said.

“Democrats don’t need it as much as they did in 2018,” Dr. Dworkin said. “You could lose Van Drew’s seat and still maintain the majority, so it’s not nearly as critical.”

Professor Harrison said she welcomed all opponents.

“The more the merrier,” she said. “This is healthy for our democracy. Primaries are important. It’s a way for parties to flesh out their views.”

The Democrat who does win is expected to face a major challenge in November’s general election in a conservative district that for 24 years before Mr. Van Drew’s election was held by a Republican. Last year, Republicans captured several seats in the State Legislature in an election area that overlaps much of Mr. Van Drew’s district.

Still, Mr. Trump’s support for the Republican candidate is also a wild-card factor that could cut both ways in a state where the president remains deeply unpopular.

“This is going to be a very tough race in November,” Professor Harrison said.