Murphy, Ciattarelli in close fight for NJ governor's race

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TRENTON, N.J. – New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy appeared to beryllium successful a adjacent combat Tuesday with Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli arsenic helium waged a reelection run centered connected the progressive policies he's enacted successful his archetypal term.

The Associated Press has not declared a victor successful the contention arsenic votes were inactive being tallied. But returns showed Ciattarelli with a flimsy pb implicit the first-term incumbent connected a nighttime that imparted some atrocious omens for Democrats.

Murphy has been starring successful the polls, has a 1 million-voter registration vantage and had much currency successful his run coffers than Ciattarelli successful the last days of the race. But the Republican has acold surpassed his predecessor 4 years agone successful fundraising and has seen the spread successful nationalist polls determination successful his favour — if lone by a fewer points.

At Murphy's predetermination nighttime enactment successful Asbury Park's normal hall, the assemblage went from cheering aboriginal results reported connected TV to milling astir the cavernous venue and checking their phones. At Ciattarelli's campy successful Bridgewater, the assemblage was breaking retired into periodic cheers, and Ciattarelli's moving mate, erstwhile authorities legislator Diane Allen, told the assemblage to “stick around.”

At 12:30 a.m., Ciattarelli said helium couldn't yet state a triumph due to the fact that votes remained to beryllium counted, but said helium afloat expected to marque a triumph declaration erstwhile that happens.

“We’ve sent a connection to the full nation. This is what I emotion astir this state: Every azygous clip it's gone excessively acold disconnected track, the radical of this authorities person pushed, pulled and prodded it close backmost to wherever it needs to be," helium told the crowd.

While a Ciattarelli triumph would nonstop a jolt of astonishment done authorities and nationalist politics, a triumph by Murphy would besides interruption immoderate humanities trends.

No Democrat has won reelection arsenic politician successful New Jersey since Brendan Byrne successful 1977, and the enactment other the president's has won the New Jersey governorship going backmost to 1985.

An enthusiastic Murphy besides appeared onstage, hopeful for a win.

“When each ballot is counted, and each ballot volition beryllium counted, we anticipation to person a celebration,” helium said.

Murphy has campaigned arsenic a coagulated progressive, with a grounds to amusement for it. He signed bills into instrumentality that expanded voting access, provided for taxpayer-funded pre-K and assemblage college, hiked the minimum wage to $15 an hr implicit clip on with opening up the authorities to renewable vigor similar upwind power.

Also connected his ticker and with his support, New Jersey legalized recreational marijuana, accrued K-12 acquisition backing and began afloat financing the state's stock of the nationalist pension. He paid for immoderate of the caller authorities spending with higher taxes connected incomes implicit $1 million.

Ciattarelli's run seized connected comments Murphy made that New Jersey astir apt isn’t for voters whose apical contented is taxes, casting the politician arsenic retired of interaction with a interest galore prioritize.

He besides sought enactment from those who disagreed with Murphy's handling of COVID-19. At a caller run rally successful Hazlet erstwhile idiosyncratic successful the assemblage asked astir mandates, Ciattarelli said there'd beryllium nary nether his medication — an allusion to disguise and vaccination mandates.

He besides implicitly criticized captious contention mentation successful schools, saying that “we are not going to thatch our children to consciousness guilty.” Critical contention mentation is simply a method of reasoning of America’s past done the lens of racism that has go a governmental lightning rod of the Republican Party.

Polls showed Murphy got coagulated enactment for his handling of the COVID-19 outbreak, which deed New Jersey hard successful aboriginal 2020 and resulted successful the deaths of much than 25,000 people. About a 3rd of those deaths occurred successful nursing and veterans homes. But the authorities besides excelled astatine getting radical vaccinated and was speedy to go 1 of the states with the highest percentages of eligible radical to beryllium afloat vaccinated.

Ciattarelli's taxation connection resonated with immoderate voters astatine the Washington Township Senior Center. Joseph Buono, who wore his reddish Make America Great Again chapeau to vote, said helium voted for Ciattarelli for politician mostly due to the fact that of his committedness to code spot taxes and due to the fact that helium doesn’t privation incumbent Murphy to stay successful complaint of the state’s pandemic response.

“The fearfulness is he’s going to mandate everything if helium does win,” said Buono, a 31-year-old accountant. His wife, Nadia Buono, 37, who works successful finance, said she doesn’t privation their 2 young children to beryllium required to beryllium vaccinated erstwhile they crook five.

Washington Township is the biggest municipality successful Gloucester County, location to middle-class suburbs of Philadelphia. The county, mostly much blimpish than the state, has been a bellwether, voting for the victor successful the past 5 gubernatorial elections.

Outside the bustling elder center, location to voting for respective precincts, Murphy voters said they o.k. of the governor’s handling of the pandemic.

“I deliberation helium did an fantabulous occupation with COVID,” said Julie Steinman, 60, a second-grade teacher successful a adjacent community. Steinman said she’s an unaffiliated elector but usually supports Democrats moving for governor, mostly due to the fact that they’re friendlier to teachers and their unions.

In Franklin Township successful Ciattarelli’s location region of Somerset, immoderate Murphy voters were focused much connected the nationalist governmental country than his stewardship of the state.

“This is an predetermination wherever determination is nary mode successful hellhole wherever I would ballot for a Republican. I’m truthful frustrated with the part successful this country,” said Elizabeth Ranney, 89, of the Kingston conception of Franklin Township. “It conscionable breaks my heart.”

Somerset County is simply a battleground, which Democrats won successful 2017 aft Republicans had held it for decades.

A suit that was filed Tuesday evening by the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey, based connected societal media posts and section quality reports, alleged that dozens of voters were turned distant from polls successful immoderate places, due to the fact that physics tablets utilized to cheque successful voters struggled to link to the internet.

The suit, which had sought to widen voting until 9:30 p.m., was denied by the court, the civilian rights enactment said. A connection seeking remark was near with the caput of state’s office, which oversees elections successful the state.

Also connected the ballot Tuesday are each 40 seats successful the authorities Senate and each 80 seats successful the Assembly. Democrats power some chambers.

Voters are besides being asked 2 questions this year. One asks whether to let betting connected New Jersey assemblage teams oregon teams from different states whose games are played successful New Jersey.

A abstracted question asks whether organizations that are permitted to clasp raffles should beryllium capable to support the wealth to enactment themselves.

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AP writers Geoff Mulvihill successful Cherry Hill and Wayne Parry successful Bridgewater contributed to this report.

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