As the Virginia and Ohio election ballots are tallied up, New Jersey held a similar face-off between Democratic Governor Philip Murphy and Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli on Tuesday night.
Polls wrapped up with leftover tensions among voters and candidates related to the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic by the sitting New Jersey governor.
Although the competition is slightly different in the Garden State compared to Virginia, the election poses a political statement regardless, especially for Republicans seeking a stronghold for the upcoming midterm elections in 2022.
With 35 percent of precincts reported so far, Ciattarelli is taking the lead with 50.5 percent of votes, versus 48.7 percent of votes toward Democratic incumbent Murphy.
The neck-to-neck race is proving an interesting yet necessary battle between increased governmental intervention versus reduced governmental intervention.
Republican Jack Ciattarelli campaigned on the failures of progressive policies that led to increased taxes and crime rates over the last several decades within the state that borders New York.
The New York Post went so far as to publicly endorse the Republican candidate, referring to him as a “clear choice” in the bid to oust Gov. Phil Murphy.
The Post described Ciattarelli as “a genuine Jersey businessman who’s cared about the state his whole life, also serving the legislature. He has a far better understanding of regular people’s troubles and of New Jersey’s true needs.”
East coast elections like the one witnessed in Virginia and New Jersey so far should send the Biden administration a wake up call that a red wave is definitely incoming.
