New Jersey voters elected several state and federal officials in the General Election last Tuesday, Nov. 5. Republican former President and current President-elect Donald Trump won both the popular and electoral vote to become the 47th president of the United States, securing 309 electoral votes in comparison to Democrat and current Vice President Kamala Harris’ 229. In New Jersey, specifically, Harris won 51.7% of the popular vote, winning New Jersey’s 14 electoral votes.
In terms of the Senate race, Democrat Andy Kim, current representative for New Jersey’s 3rd congressional district, acquired 53.4% of the vote to beat out Republican candidate and hotelier Curtis Bashaw. Kim will be joining the senate as the first Korean American senator in American history. His win comes after a chaotic campaign initiated after former Democratic New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez was convicted on federal corruption charges and resigned from office. Kim won the Democratic party nomination after a brief battle between Kim and New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy, with Murphy ultimately dropping out of consideration.
New Jersey voters also decided on who would represent their congressional district in the House of Representatives. In New Jersey’s 7th District, encompassing Hunterdon and Warren Counties, as well as parts of Morris, Somerset, Sussex and Union Counties, the race was especially close. Republican Incumbent Thomas Kean Jr. won 52.1% of the vote, winning over Democratic candidate and Warren County educator Susan Altman. Altman, who campaigned on reproductive rights and combating political corruption, lost to first-term Rep. Kean Jr., a close associate of former Republican Gov. Chris Christie who previously endorsed Trump.
Mahwah, resting in the 5th Congressional District, voted in democratic incumbent Rep. Josh Gottheimer, who has held the position since 2017. Passaic County, a traditionally liberal region of New Jersey that voted 74% for Hillary Clinton in 2016, saw a flip to a Republican majority, with Trump securing over 95,000 votes in comparison to Harris’ 89,000. New Jersey saw a voter turnout of around 63% of registered state voters, in comparison to a 72% turnout in the 2020 Presidential Election.
sglisson@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of @andykimnj, Instagram
