Returns showed that Democratic New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy narrowly defeated Republican former state lawmaker Jack Ciattarelli in an election that turned out to be an unexpected nail-biter for the incumbent.
Murphy, 64, became New Jersey's first Democratic governor in four decades to win reelection, even though registered Democratic voters outnumber Republicans by more than a million in the Northeast US state.
With 90 percent of ballots counted, unofficial results reported by the Associated Press and published by the New York Times and several other media sites showed Murphy with 50.03 percent of the vote, compared to 49.22 percent Ciattarelli.
Murphy has presided over a political tilt to the left in the state, including additional taxes on millionaires, more handgun regulations, a higher minimum wage, and paid sick leave. He is an ally and party partner of US President Joseph Biden.
He's also defended his harsh public-health policies to combat the coronavirus outbreak, a major topic of controversy in the campaign.
Ciattarelli, 59, who had trailed Murphy by up to ten percentage points in some polls, took advantage of Murphy's harsh mask regulations for kids, capitalizing on widespread disapproval.
The Republican had also spent much of his campaign railing against the state's high taxes, accusing Murphy, a wealthy former Goldman Sachs CEO, of being out of touch with voters.
In recent years, New Jersey has shifted significantly toward the Democratic Party.
In 2020, the party won 10 of the state's 12 US House of Representatives seats, and Biden won the state by more than 15 percentage points over then-President Donald Trump last year.
Democrats are in a pickle.
Murphy trailed in the polls overnight but snatched the lead on Wednesday morning after the vote was tabulated in numerous heavily Democratic counties.
After GOP businessman Glenn Youngkin upset Terry McAuliffe in Virginia's governor race, the victory gives Democrats a silver lining, compounding concerns that Biden's declining support ratings are damaging the party.
This year, the elections were the first extensive tests of voter opinion since Biden assumed office. They hinted at a potentially tricky year ahead for Democrats as they strive to keep their slim congressional majority.
Experts were startled by the race's closeness, given public polls showed Murphy comfortably winning and pointed to his party's registration advantage.
This year, voters turned out in substantially more significant numbers for Ciattarelli than they did for his Republican predecessor in 2017.
While campaigning, he straddled the line between defending his moderate legislative positions – like his support for Roe v. Wade – and appealing to Trump supporters, particularly on cultural topics that have captivated the country.
