NJ Governor's Race Still Too Close To Call; Votes Arrive In The Middle Of The Night

(Tyler Durden) If the off-year election of 2021 truly was a proxy for the public's feelings toward President Biden and the Democrats, then the Dems have officially been warned: their shallow electoral mandate is already collapsing - and the midterms are still a year off. Because the Dems had a worse Tuesday night than the Houston Astros, a sign that voters are pushing back against the party's increasingly leftward drift.

Not only did Republican political newcomer Glenn Youngkin wax former Democratic Gov. (and Clinton pal) Terry McAuliffe in Virginia, but in New Jersey, what was supposed to be an easy re-election victory for Gov. (and former Goldman Sachs employee) Phil Murphy has turned into a political dogfight, with neither Murphy nor his GOP rival Jack Ciattarelli able to claim victory after a long night of ballot-counting. Both spoke to supporters in post-midnight speeches, but the mood of deflation felt by the Democrats was difficult to ignore.

And while the pundits are still clinging to the notion that Murphy will clinch re-election - after all, he had a massive advantage including 1 million more registered voters and far more cash in his campaign coffers than his GOP rival - the race is still neck and neck.

Based on the counties that are outstanding, I would think Murphy squeaks by with a narrow victory: https://t.co/mRzVRJOWK5 pic.twitter.com/0f98Z3eXXS

— Steve Chernoski (@nsjersey) November 3, 2021

According to NJ.com, as of 5:45ET Wednesday, it's possible the gubernatorial race in the Garden State may not be decided Wednesday. With 98% of the precincts in, Ciattarelli - a former member of the state Assembly - was leading Murphy by about 1,200 votes, according to totals from the Associated Press. That amounted to 49.7% for Ciattarelli and 49.6% for Murphy. To be sure, thousands of votes, many from Dem-leaning counties, remain uncounted.