TRENTON, NJ – The days of New Jersey Republicans boasting about who is the Trumpiest Trumpster in Trumpville appear to be over as conservative Republicans lost significant races in the state on Tuesday. While the goal of New Jersey GOP Chairman Bob Hugin was to take over the Senate and legislature this year in a promised ‘red wave,’ what happened in New Jersey was a blue tsunami on election night.
Republicans focusing on parental rights, windmills, and saving whales missed the messaging mark on election night.
Going into the election, Democrats prepared for the worst, but it never happened.
Democrats added five seats in the state assembly and one in the state senate. The night was an utter failure for the GOP.
At the heavily Republican Jersey Shore, Democrat Avi Schnall stunned Republicans with an overwhelming victory that smacked Monmouth County GOP Chairman Shaun Golden in the proverbial face. While Golden sees the loss of an assembly seat to an Ocean County Democrat as a defeat, it was a victory for residents of Ocean County to have the county take that seat from Golden’s grasp.
Golden, blaming Ocean County GOP Chairman George Gilmore for the defeat, was met by Gilmore responding, “He doesn’t understand the demographics.”
The Schnall victory was orchestrated and driven by Lakewood’s large Orthodox Jewish community and was a bi-partisan effort.
In South Jersey, Ed “The Trucker” Durr, a staunch Trump supporter, was defeated by Democrat John Burzichelli.
In the ‘swing district’ of LD-11 in Monmouth County, Senator Vin Gopal’s team they defeated a challenge by Republican Steve Dnistrian.
The Democrats now hold a 25-15 lead in the Senate and 47-27 in the Assembly.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, reeling from a massive defeat to his clean energy agenda last week, celebrated the victory, congratulating Democrats statewide for their victories.