Democrats still majority party in N.J.

Democrats maintained their sizable majorities in both houses of the state legislature in quiet statewide elections Tuesday night, emerging victorious in a pair of vicious state Senate races in Atlantic and Bergen Counties.

Though all 120 members of the state legislature faced reelection in slightly different districts due to legislative redistricting, few incumbents lost their seats in the low-turnout elections. The new district map — molded by the state’s Demoratic leadership — was widely seen as protective of incumbents, and relatively few seats were considered competitive.

In the 16th Legislative District, which houses most of the University, the Republican slate defeated the Democratic challengers. Senator Kip Bateman defeated Democrat Maureen Vella 55 percent to 45 percent, and Republican incumbents Assemblyman Pete Biondi and Somerset County Freeholder Jack Ciattarelli led their challengers by roughly 2,000 votes with all precincts reporting. Before redistricting, the University was represented by the heavily Democratic 15th Legislative District.

In the top two legislative slugfests of this election season, the Democrats held their ground despite a heavy Republican offensive to flip the seats. In the battle for the Senate seat in the 2nd Legislative District in Atlantic County, incumbent Jim Whelan fought off challenging Republican Assemblyman Vince Polistina 54 percent to 46 percent with all precincts reporting. The race between Whelan and Polistina was neck-and-neck for the duration of the elections.

Further north in the 38th Legislative District, incumbent Democratic Senator Bob Gordon defeated Bergen County Freeholder John Driscoll 53 percent to 47 percent, with 95 percent of precincts reporting. The New Jersey Republican Party launched an expensive campaign against Gordon, and Gov. Chris Christie stumped alongside Driscoll in the lead-up to the election. Gordon enjoyed strong support from the New Jersey Education Association, the state’s largest teachers’ union.

New Jersey voters also passed a nonbinding referendum that will eventually allow the state to file a lawsuit to overturn a 1992 federal ban on sports betting. New Jersey is one of 46 states prohibited from placing wagers on sporting events.