6 Numbers That Show New Jersey Might Be Even Worse Than Virginia for Biden
Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy was narrowly reelected Thursday, but virtually unknown Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli far outperformed expectations as did GOP legislative candidates in the state.
SO WHAT
The results of Tuesday’s election in New Jersey in some ways look even more damning for President Joe Biden and his party than the GOP’s electoral triumph in Virginia.
THE NUMBERS
New Jersey Republicans managed their electoral surge in an even “bluer” state than Virginia and without the deep coffers and national attention enjoyed by GOP Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin of Virginia.
In reality world here are the latest results from Phil Murphy's apparently humiliating almost loss in New Jersey and Glenn Youngkin's triumph in Virginia. Virtually identical results with Murphy's margin fractionally larger. pic.twitter.com/70AAZKcjfA
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) November 6, 2021
Six numbers that have emerged from New Jersey tell a story of the Democratic Party in peril:
$153: The mythical amount Republican truck driver Edward Durr was said to have spent to topple the scion of New Jersey’s Democratic machine in the state Senate race.
- Durr’s campaign actually cost $2,300, per an Election Law Enforcement Commission document filed online on Thursday, the Washington Post reported — but still.
10.8%: How much all New Jersey GOP legislative candidates increased their vote share by, relative to 2020, according to the Cook Political Report.
11.8 percentage points: The decline in Murphy’s margin of victory this year compared to in 2017, based on preliminary results.
0: How many fundraisers former Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie held on Ciattarelli’s behalf.
16 percentage points: President Joe Biden’s edge over former President Donald Trump in New Jersey in 2020.
2.3 percentage points: Murphy’s apparent margin of victory in the state 2021.
THE WARNING
Republican Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy warned Democratic lawmakers Wednesday that the results in New Jersey suggested dozens of them could soon be out of jobs.
- “If you’re a Democrat and President Biden won your seat by 16 points, you’re in a competitive race next year,”McCarthy said. “You are no longer safe. … It’ll be more than 70 Democrats that will be competitive.”