This guide was originally published on October 31.
Click HERE to download a high-resolution version of the 2024 New Jersey Globe Voter’s Guide.
Click HERE for a lower-resolution version.
It’s that time of year again, New Jersey.
Every year, of course, is Election Year in the Garden State, with federal elections in even-numbered years and state elections in odd-numbered ones. But once every four years, a presidential election comes along, and the New Jersey electorate gets energized in a way that transcends anything else in politics.
Just look at the turnout statistics for early voting, which has finally taken off this year after first being implemented in 2021. As of November 2, 1,022,699 New Jerseyans had voted early in-person – far more than the total number of early in-person votes cast in the 2021, 2022, and 2023 general elections combined. Another 751,835 have returned their mail-in ballots, meaning that turnout is already at 39% of total turnout in the 2020 election.
The high engagement from New Jersey voters is fantastic, and it also comes despite the fact that the outcome of the presidential race in the state is probably not in doubt. Vice President Kamala Harris is overwhelmingly likely to win New Jersey this year over former President Donald Trump, keeping the state in the Democratic column for a ninth straight presidential cycle.
Rep. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown) is similarly favored against Republican Curtis Bashaw in the state’s U.S. Senate race. Kim has had an eventful year: launching a primary campaign against disgraced Senator Bob Menendez, taking on First Lady Tammy Murphy and the party bosses who supported her in the Democratic primary, and ultimately bringing down the party line, the ballot design system that has helped New Jersey’s political machines stay in power for decades. Now, the U.S. Senate awaits the 42-year-old congressman.
The one race where New Jersey voters truly might change the balance of power in Washington is the 7th congressional district, where freshman Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) faces Democrat Sue Altman. Polls show a tight race, both candidates are campaigning hard, millions of dollars have been spent calling Kean a feckless Trump supporter and Altman a radical progressive – and the outcome could help decide control of the House.
As for the state’s other 11 House districts, the Democratic-drawn congressional map put in place in 2021 did its best to make them as uncompetitive as possible, and it seems to be working. Unless one party scores a landslide, don’t expect any districts besides the 7th to be especially close – and once the dust settles, do expect Reps. Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair) and Josh Gottheimer (D-Tenafly) to launch their long-anticipated gubernatorial campaigns.
But just because most seats are safe for one party doesn’t mean the state’s congressional delegation isn’t getting a makeover. Assemblyman Herb Conaway (D-Delran), State Sen. Nellie Pou (D-North Haledon), and brand-new Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-Newark) are set to win their first full House terms, making for what’s likely to be New Jersey’s most diverse delegation ever.
Down the ballot, as always, there’s plenty of action in county and local races. Democrats could get a clean sweep in Gloucester County, Republicans could do the same in Cumberland County, and Morris County might elect Democrats to countywide office for the first time in 60 years.
It has undoubtedly been a strange year in New Jersey politics, from the downfall of a sitting senator to the advent of ballot reforms that could have reverberations for decades to come. This voter’s guide aims to tell the story of that year – and provide some insight about what may be coming on November 5. We hope we did it justice.
Once again, click HERE to download a high-resolution version of the guide. (And reach out to [email protected] if you spot any mistakes.)
2024 Voter’s Guide 10-31 – HIRES -4