N.J. election 2021: N.J. governor race still too close to call.

[Klaralven]

The bitter race for New Jersey governor didn’t end on Election Day.

In a shocker, the contest, once seen as a shoo-in for Gov. Phil Murphy, remained too close to call Wednesday. Results this morning show the Democratic governor and Republican challenger, Jack Ciattarelli, less than 1 percentage point apart, teetering on a razor thin margin in a race that surprised many and burst into the national spotlight.

Both campaigns cleared out of their Election Night parties early Wednesday without declaring victory or conceding, and it’s possible a winner may not be decided today.

As of 7:03 a.m. Wednesday, with 98% of the precincts in, Ciattarelli was leading Murphy by about 1,200 votes, according to totals from the Associated Press. That amounted to 49.7% for Ciattarelli and 49.6% for Murphy.

But thousands of votes — especially from Democratic-leaning areas — have yet to be counted. And it remains unclear how many vote-by-mail or provisional ballots still must be tallied.

https://www.nj.com/politics/2021/11/nj-election-2021-nj-governor-race-still-too-close-to-call-murphy-ciattarelli-waiting-for-all-votes-to-be-counted.html

[drexelkathy]

1. Don't govern by executive order

For almost 2 years

That’s the take away here.


Murphy has been incredible unpopular in suburban NJ over the past almost 2 years.

Guess voters actually showed up as such at the voting booths.


Endless shut downs, mandates, etc in small towns…and people are sick of it.


I think he might squeak out a small win, but NJ voters are not happy with him.

[Akakoji]

8. Our turnout was incredibly poor

People are pissed off about everything. Democrats don’t know how to foment an insurrection or a movement that gives people something to actually respond to and also to support. We don’t know how to brag or fight.

[TheBlackAdder]

13. NJ Dem strength is a 24 mile wide band from Camden to Newark. Those still have to report in.

.

Draw a line from the two cities and go 12 miles to the East & 12 Miles to the West.


Most of the Republican-leaning counties are already in, or close to it.

The high-density areas that lean for the Democrats are still are only 88-95% in.



This happened for the past 24 years. That's why Christie got Two-Terms. It has more to do with the VA & NJ elections being off-year and that traditionally does not bode well for Democrats.

There's a lot of Righties in Monmouth & Ocean Counties.

.

[drexelkathy]

14. There is a lot more to NJ

Then a 24-mile wide swath.

I think this election is proof of that.

If Democrats want to keep winning in NJ, we need to start paying attention to other places outside that band.

My town just lost a school board seat to someone that ran on CRT. A 20-year-old kid almost unseated my mayor (less than 100 votes). My county went from Blue in 2020 to dark red in 2021. (Gloucester) Two county commissioner seats went GOP.


Town councils around me have gone GOP.

School boards around me have gone GOP.


I saw it coming. The DNC basically ignored Gloucester County and the GOP was out knocking on doors daily.


Democrats have to stop taking NJ for granted and start paying attention.

[TheBlackAdder]

15. Energy/Canvas can be spent outside of that, but the effort to result ratio doesn't differ that much.

.

The highest return for investment is concentrating within that band.

In fact, many canvassers had to be pulled because they were in rural areas and felt threatened by Trumpers.

.

[JustAnotherGen]

21. Exactly

We had a hard time in Hunterdon County - most Murphy Haters have Confederate flags and symbolism out here. Who wants to waste their time or risk their lives knocking on doors of people who worship losers?

[Azathoth]

16. lol, literally the NJ Turnpike corridor vote

Sadly, there's a lot of GOPers in the southern and western counties.

[JustAnotherGen]

22. What's wrong with that?

We are the high earners in the state. I live in Hunterdon but travel I-95 every day.

I'm not seeing ambition in South Jersey - I'm seeing Confederate flags.

Never *vacation* at the Shore. They take your blue money and spit in your face.

[Roisin Ni Fiachra]

2. Phil Murphy is a good man. Really hope he wins another term,

he totally deserves it.

[Omnipresent]

3. I'm hopeful for Murphy.

But it would be more encouraging if Murphy were the one, slightly ahead than slightly behind.

[njhoneybadger]

4. He blew it when he said "if taxes are your number one issue NJ is probable not for you."

[Amishman]

12. ooooof, I missed that one.

That's not just shooting yourself in the foot, that's taking off your own leg at the knee.

[JustAnotherGen]

23. At Rowan University?

I agree with that. I do think business should offset my income taxes.

https://www.shorenewsnetwork.com/2021/10/17/if-taxes-are-your-issue-njs-not-for-you-murphy-says-comment-taken-out-of-context/

The statement I made in – I don’t even know that it was at Rowan in 2019, it was completely taken out of context. I don’t want to get too political,” he said. “Completely taken out of context. It was said about businesses, not about families, and it was said in the following context: you come to New Jersey if you’re a company, I think overwhelmingly for talent and location, and we invest in each of those at a level that no other state in America invests. We do everything we can to make the state more affordable, but neither of those come free.”

Murphy said when it comes to families, taxes are an issue and the statement had nothing to do with New Jersey residents.

” When you’ve got the number one education system in America, a top handful healthful state in America, the best state in America to raise a family, a location that’s second to none with the density that we have, the talent we have, that’s what we sell,” he added. “When we sell to a business when we sell to a family, it’s the best state in America to raise a kid. We’re the best state in America to come and do business.”

[drexelkathy]

7. Yup

Suburbs and South Jersey hate him.

[drexelkathy]

11. Exactly

I’ve been critical of Murphy’s campaign…or really lack thereof.

Ads about cursing?

People didn’t care.


They remembered weeks of waiting for unemployment…and phones that went unanswered.

They see the closed businesses in their small towns.

They stand in drop off and pick up lines at their suburban schools that have dealt with the same mandates are more urban schools…and remember them being closed.

The pot community hasn’t seen any movement to get dispensaries opened

And taxes ARE an issue. A big one.


Murphy has not been a good governor with executing basically anything in the past 2 years, except EO’s and suburban voters aren’t having it.

[JustAnotherGen]

17. He's been stellar

And he didn't make that comment about 98% of us.

His challenger is no where near moderate, and was in the state legislature. He's a rabid Trumper.

I'm in Hunterdon County. Trust me - surrounded by red. Trump flags, caravans, the whole nine yards. Everything you wrote - is about Covid.

Everything else - Sweeney is gone. Go back to the 2017 Campaign and Sweeney's shenanigans. Time to move forward. Sweeney is the last of the old guard of south Jersey party bosses.

[Azathoth]

18. "He's been stellar"

I'd love to hear examples, because I've not heard of him achieving
much of anything, with his handling of covid being the very large straw that broke the camel's back. Nearly everyone I've spoken to in Jersey, including liberals, are down on how the state has been run. And yes, taxes are one of many complaints.

Everything you wrote - is about Covid.

That was the singular, supreme issue for state government over the past 18 months. I personally know people who waited 6 hours a day on hold for multiple days before they could speak to someone in various state offices. You can't dismiss all that because it's "just covid". Cuomo was a nobody until his pandemic leadership made him the anti-Trump.

I don't know anything about Ciattarelli and I suspect most of NJ doesn't either. He might be a rabid Trumper as you say, but he was also attacked relentlessly as a "never-Trumper" during the GOP primary.

[JustAnotherGen]

19. Oh boy

$15 an hour.

Earned sick time

Expanded family leave and medical leave

Updated and strengthened gun laws

New Jersey has expanded off-shore wind energy technology. Result? NJ will have the first wind energy component manufacturing facility in America. Look for exported from NJ in the future!

Economic incentives for high-tech businesses

Tax credits for Historic Preservation

Last two personally impact me - anything else you want to mention from the In The Bag For The GOP M$M?

[drexelkathy]

24. Many of those are really just talking points

Earned Sick Leave: It is ONE hour for every 30 hours worked. That 8 1/3 sick days a year for an employee working an average of 2000 hours. That's not even a day a month. And any parent that has a kid realizes it is a crap number.

Expanded family and medical leave: A maximum of 12 or so weeks with a max of $900 a week (capped at 85% of income)...and based on base earnings in quarters previously. Family leave is the equivalent of basic unemployment. It is a talking point, not really significant enough to brag about. Especially with the cost of living in NJ.

Great talking points, I suppose...but in practice...policies that largely existed across the state in one way, shape, form, already.

As for the wind farm...again, great talking point but in practicality? Gigantic money to be spent with 75% ownership by a foreign company. The actual productivity of a windmill is only like 20-40% in optimal conditions, they require intense maintenance every six months and only have a lifespan of 20 years after which they can't even be recycled.

Great in theory, good talking point....years from even starting and still lacking federal approval. Is offshore wind "green" energy win? Potentially. But there is still very little study done in regards to the environmental impact on the ocean and wildlife as there are very few wind farms of this proposed size already in existence and operational. The second phase of one in the UK was halted years ago because of the impact on birds.

Gun laws? Eh. NJ has always had strict gun laws. Not exactly anything new or exciting there.

[drexelkathy]

26. And man

I'm still waiting for the dispensaries.

Wasn't that issue voted on like a year ago or more?

Why aren't they popping up everywhere? What's the hold-up.

[JustAnotherGen]

27. Not talking points

We get you -

You don't like the Democratic Party, hate Phil Murphy (since you live in South Jersey) and are happy a truck driver beat in 'your words' scumbag Sweeney.

Anything else?

Infrastructure is coming - including that light rail down in your area.

[drexelkathy]

29. LOL.

[drexelkathy]

30. And as for the light rail

The current plan is from the 80's and 90's. But hey, that's about how long it takes anything to actually get accomplished in this state.


Build it. The only thing that it does is increase my property value.

[JustAnotherGen]

20. You know enough about Shit-a-relli

To be able to write he was "relentlessly attacked" . . .

Who cares? He lost.

[Tomconroy]

10. Hoping he squeaks by. A win by whatever number

Is still a win.

[MineralMan]

25. This thread is out of date. As of this morning, Murphy has a decent lead.

[JustAnotherGen]

28. 50.2 %

It's done - except Jacks voters are angry that their predictions didn't pan out. One right here on this thread.