Assembly Election Results in: Dems Pick up 4 Seats in Low Turnout Election

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In an election reported to be the lowest turnout in New Jersey history, at 21 percent, Democrats picked up four seats moving the Caucus closer to a veto proof majority.

Results

Democrats picked up four seats in Tuesday’s midterm election, including a close call in District 16 decided by a handful of votes. Results had  Democrats regaining the seat they lost two years ago in South Jersey’s 1st District, as well as winning both seats in Monmouth County’s 11th District in an upset.  Physicist Andrew Zwicker is also leading Republican Assemblywoman Donna Simon by 29 votes in Central Jersey’s 16th District, although it’s unclear whether the totals reported by the county clerks include mail-in and provisional ballots, which could change the outcome in such a close race.

But, even if the Democrats win all four seats, they will be two votes short of a veto-proof majority in the next term. To override any Christie vetoes, they would need 54 and they appear to have won, at most, 52. So far, lawmakers have been able to override any of the governor’s vetoes as a majority of Republicans have remained loyal to the Governor.

Lowest Turnout In NJ History

While the figure is likely to rise when all votes, including mail-in and provisional ballots, are counted, Tuesday’s turnout will probably still go down in history as a new record low. Little more than 2 in 10 voters bothered to cast ballots in this off-year election.

The last time the Assembly led the ballot, in 1999, 31 percent of voters went to the polls. Four years ago, when the state Senate was the highest office up for election, just 27 percent of those registered voted.

The previous low was 25 percent, for the October 2013 special election for U.S. Senate won by former Newark Mayor Cory Booker.

Special Senate Election

There was one Senate seat on the ballot, a special election in the 5th District in Gloucester and Camden counties. Democratic Sen. Nilsa Cruz-Perez, who was appointed earlier this year to replace Donald Norcross when he was elected to Congress, faced no opposition and won the right to keep her seat for the next two years.

Assembly Election Results In: Dems Pick Up 4 Seats In Low Turnout Election

Posted · Add Comment

In an election reported to be the lowest turnout in New Jersey history, at 21 percent, Democrats picked up four seats moving the Caucus closer to a veto proof majority.

Results

Democrats picked up four seats in Tuesday’s midterm election, including a close call in District 16 decided by a handful of votes. Results had  Democrats regaining the seat they lost two years ago in South Jersey’s 1st District, as well as winning both seats in Monmouth County’s 11th District in an upset.  Physicist Andrew Zwicker is also leading Republican Assemblywoman Donna Simon by 29 votes in Central Jersey’s 16th District, although it’s unclear whether the totals reported by the county clerks include mail-in and provisional ballots, which could change the outcome in such a close race.

But, even if the Democrats win all four seats, they will be two votes short of a veto-proof majority in the next term. To override any Christie vetoes, they would need 54 and they appear to have won, at most, 52. So far, lawmakers have been able to override any of the governor’s vetoes as a majority of Republicans have remained loyal to the Governor.

Lowest Turnout In NJ History

While the figure is likely to rise when all votes, including mail-in and provisional ballots, are counted, Tuesday’s turnout will probably still go down in history as a new record low. Little more than 2 in 10 voters bothered to cast ballots in this off-year election.

The last time the Assembly led the ballot, in 1999, 31 percent of voters went to the polls. Four years ago, when the state Senate was the highest office up for election, just 27 percent of those registered voted.

The previous low was 25 percent, for the October 2013 special election for U.S. Senate won by former Newark Mayor Cory Booker.

Special Senate Election

There was one Senate seat on the ballot, a special election in the 5th District in Gloucester and Camden counties. Democratic Sen. Nilsa Cruz-Perez, who was appointed earlier this year to replace Donald Norcross when he was elected to Congress, faced no opposition and won the right to keep her seat for the next two years.