New Jersey governor’s race still remains too close to call
(The Center Square) – The New Jersey gubernatorial election remains too close to call, delivering an election hangover for an incumbent governor expected to cruise to re-election.
With about 88% of ballots counted as of 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, incumbent Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, and former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli were virtually tied, each with about 46.4% of the vote.
“Last night was a historic one for New Jersey Republicans, who picked up at least a half dozen Assembly seats, several Senate seats, along with county and local seats up and down the state,” Stami Williams, a Ciattarelli campaign spokeswoman, said in a statement. “Jack is proud to lead our ticket and our party’s resurgence. Right now, our team is focused on making sure all the legal votes are counted and our citizens can have confidence in the system.”
Murphy is seeking to be the first Democratic governor in New Jersey to win re-election in the Garden State since 1977. Ciattarelli unsuccessfully ran for governor four years ago.
Green Party candidate Madelyn Hoffman, Libertarian Party candidate Gregg Mele and Socialist Workers Party candidate Joanne Kuniansky rounded out the field. Each garnered less than 1% of the vote.
According to the New York Post, there is no automatic recount in New Jersey. However, candidates have 17 days to ask a Superior Court judge overseeing districts where a recount is requested for one.
“Every pollster was wrong,” the political editor of TownHall.com quoted former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, as saying. This is likely to be a recount race, either way… There’s a very legitimate chance Jack could win this.”
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