Democratic candidate Gov. Phil Murphy has been declared the winner in New Jersey's governor's race, pulling off a narrow victory after Republican rival Jack Ciattarelli stunned political observers for 24 hours. The Republican challenger held the lead for most of the aftermath on election evening before Murphy pulled into a deadlock with him.
Pollsters had essentially predicted a Murphy landslide but Ciattarelli nearly beat him, and the fact that a Republican did so well in deep-blue New Jersey has been a political shocker. Ciattarelli made major headway in areas like Bergen County which have had a long history of voting Democrat.
Republicans swept all major races in Virginia on Tuesday, ousting Democrats after years in power, and the Virginia and New Jersey races are both considered to be a sign of growing voter discontent with the Democrat agenda from Washington, DC to the state level. Registered voters in N.J. rated tax policies as a major issue in the race, followed by education, COVID-19, and crime.
Before Tuesday's voting, a Monmouth University poll had shown Murphy leading 50% to 39%, but Murphy only pulled out a win by less than 1%, so the results have been a major upset for Democrats.
Ciattarelli campaigned against Murphy by pointing out his heavy-handed approach to COVID, saying that has hurt the state and the rights of its citizens, according to NJ Spotlight News. Ciattarelli contended that people should have the right to make up their own minds on personal health decisions like COVID vaccines. "The choice is theirs," he said in the final debate of the campaign.
Murphy said Ciattarelli's views on vaccine decisions would fit better for a candidate in Texas or Florida than New Jersey. "We know vaccines work. We know masking works," Murphy said. "For folks to ignore that (and) disregard that playbook is putting lives needlessly at risk."
Murphy has vowed to sign a Reproductive Freedom Act enshrining abortion rights into state law, while Ciattarelli has promised to lower property taxes, which are among the highest in the country.
Murphy becomes the first Democrat to be reelected governor in the Garden State since 1977.
Political observers were watching both the New Jersey race and Virginia's race for governor to see if they reveal any big trends before the 2022 congressional midterm elections, and the results indicate Republicans are on the rise among voters.
***Please sign up for CBN Newsletters and download the CBN News app to ensure you keep receiving the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***
Did you know?
God is everywhere—even in the news. That’s why we view every news story through the lens of faith. We are committed to delivering quality independent Christian journalism you can trust. But it takes a lot of hard work, time, and money to do what we do. Help us continue to be a voice for truth in the media by supporting CBN News for as little as $1.
Support CBN News
