Maplewood Township officials announced that shots would be given to children ages 5-11 on Wednesday at Essex County vaccination centers.
Children between the ages of 5 and 11 can begin receiving COVID-19 shots at several Essex County vaccination centers after the CDC approved the vaccines for children who were previously not eligible. (Renee Schiavone/Patch)
MAPLEWOOD, NJ – Maplewood Township children between the ages of 5 and 11 can begin receiving the coronavirus vaccines as early as Wednesday after local officials announced the beginning of the administration of shots.The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention recently OK’d vaccines for children under the age of 12 after the vaccines were found to be safe for children who preciously did not qualify for the vaccines.On Wednesday,… Read more
Coronavirus vaccine shots for children ages 5 to 11 have begun at Essex County’s centers in Newark, Livingston and West Orange.
ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Coronavirus vaccine shots for children ages 5 to 11 have begun at Essex County’s three operational centers in Newark, Livingston and West Orange, officials announced Wednesday…. Read more
Massive media attention swarmed the airwaves and social media circuits searching for Ms. Gabby Petito, who was sadly found dead in Florida on October 20 after being reported missing by her family in September while embarking on a cross-country trip with her fiance, Mr. Brian Laundrie.
As time passed in the search for Petito and Laundrie, hopes of finding them alive became faint. After a weekslong search for Laundrie in a vast Florida nature reserve, on October 21, the FBI announced that a comparison of dental records confirmed the human remains found a day earlier were those of Brian Laundrie.
The countdown to finding a missing person initiates the moment someone concerned for their well-being alerts law enforcement. Working against the clock, FBI officials confirmed that each passing hour decreases the likelihood that the subject will be found alive.
“The first 48 hours are also critical because that’s when investigators have the best chance of following up on leads before witness information fades,” according to NJ law enforcement officials.
In New Jersey, Essex County mother, Ms. Venika Williams, vanished without a trace after leaving her Newark home, headed to Jersey City in December 2017. The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office has taken over the investigation from Newark Police.
Over in Cumberland County, Dulce Maria Alavez was five years old when she vanished from Bridgeton City Park during a visit with her mother and younger brother on September 16, 2019. The case received national and international media coverage that faded after a couple of months.
Both Venika and Dulce have been missing for over two years, without a trace.
In the Essex County town of East Orange, some residents expressed concerns, believing that police and city officials potentially “dropped the ball” in their slow release of information on a teenage girl who left her home in mid-October and hasn’t even had a digital or social media footprint for police to follow.
According to a statement released by East Orange city officials to RLS Media’s evening staff on October 29, Jashyah Moore, 14, was last seen on October 14, around 10 p.m. at Poppie’s Deli Store at 520 Central Avenue.
Besides some social media images and unconfirmed reports of her disappearance, Moore was already missing for 15 days before moderate or major news coverage circled the circumstances of the case.
Potentially, because of this delay, there was little chance for a media frenzy for her case. Patty Hartman from the FBI and Katherine Carter from The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed their involvement in this case, but both stated that East Orange Police is the lead agency.
New Jersey State Police officials have not confirmed involvement in Jashyah’s missing case. Thursday, November 4th marked three weeks since she was reported missing to police.
Some NJ police officials explained the process of determining what constitutes a missing person case.
We’ve learned through police departments that as soon as police get a call reporting that someone is missing, they’ll begin to evaluate whether the case even involves a missing person at all. Law enforcement then chooses how they will allocate resources to missing person cases on a case-by-case basis.
NJ law enforcement officials said in “serious cases” of missing children, in which police have a reason to believe the child has been abducted or is in imminent danger, an Amber Alert may be issued.
According to the agency’s website, they are the nation’s nonprofit clearinghouse and comprehensive reporting center for all issues related to preventing and recovering from child victimization. “NCMEC leads the fight against abduction, abuse, and exploitation – because every child deserves a safe childhood.”
In Venika’s missing person’s case, after over a year of her disappearance, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office took over the investigation, but there have been no reports of the FBI or State Police involvement in her case.
Venika has received less than average national and local media attention, and besides some social media flareups, it appears that no one would know that she’s been missing for nearly four years.
Venika has never been a part of any “pack media reporting.”
Missing adult cases around the nation that resembles Venika’s have raised serious questions about an adult missing person’s registry being started.
Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist and host of The Tamron Hall Show, Tamron Hall hosted John Walsh, a victim’s rights advocate and host of the long-running show America’s Most Wanted, on her episode 39 show “How missing persons cases are handled.”
On the episode, Walsh said he’s been advocating for a national adult registry for years.
“We have so many adults in this country, and I think it’s time for someone in Congress to get going and create a national funded (private sector) to look for missing adults. It’s way overdue for someone in Congress to say enough is enough; we need a center for missing adults in this country,” Walsh said.
SOCIAL MEDIA AND POLICE BOLO’S
Getting the word out as soon as possible to the public that someone is missing is crucial to finding loved ones and for law enforcement to close cases.
Just before social media became the place to go for local, national and international news on missing persons, authorities would release a BOLO (“be on the lookout”) that would be posted to various neighborhoods.
Now, although many police departments now make it standard practice for those BOLOs to be posted to the law enforcement agency’s social media accounts, family members of the missing have learned to take matters into their own hands by using social media to flood local and regional community pages to get their messages out.
RLS Media has learned that in most cases, the sooner an announcement is made, the more likely the missing person will be safely found. A police agency’s reasons that an individual – especially a child – is a runaway can no longer become a delay for initiating an investigation and search.
New Jersey police officials recommend that when filing the report, give law enforcement a detailed description of the subject’s physical appearance such as their height, weight and age, and any identifying markers such as a tattoo or birthmark.
Be sure to include clear photos of the missing person.
In addition, provide law enforcement with any details that may have contributed to the person’s disappearance, such as whether they are mentally impaired or may have witnessed a crime.
According to some residents who’ve contacted RLS Media for assistance, some police agencies told them that their missing person’s cases must follow the 24 or 48 hour waiting period to report missing people, but that doesn’t exist in real police offices, according to findlaw.com.
As soon as you know an adult or child is missing, report it to the police.
A longtime employee said he and six other West Orange firefighters were put on unpaid leave due to the town’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
West Orange has placed several municipal workers on unpaid leave because they haven’t gotten a coronavirus vaccine, officials say. (File Photo: Shutterstock)
WEST ORANGE, NJ — West Orange has placed several municipal workers on unpaid leave because they haven’t gotten a coronavirus vaccine…. Read more
Maplewood Township officials announced that shots would be given to children ages 5-11 on Wednesday at Essex County vaccination centers.
MAPLEWOOD, NJ – Maplewood Township children between the ages of 5 and 11 can begin receiving the coronavirus vaccines as early as Wednesday after local officials announced the beginning of the administration of shots.The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention recently OK’d vaccines for children under the age of 12 after the vaccines were found to be safe for children who preciously did not qualify for the vaccines.On Wednesday,… Read more
Coronavirus vaccine shots for children ages 5 to 11 have begun at Essex County’s centers in Newark, Livingston and West Orange.
ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Coronavirus vaccine shots for children ages 5 to 11 have begun at Essex County’s three operational centers in Newark, Livingston and West Orange, officials announced Wednesday…. Read more
New Jersey families who have been waiting for the approval should be able to get the COVID-19 vaccine for kids beginning Wednesday.
NEW JERSEY — New Jersey families will be able to get their 5- to 11-year-olds vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as Wednesday, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved emergency use of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday. … Read more
The Montclair-based company is expanding several routes in NJ. It temporarily shut down service amid the coronavirus pandemic last year.
MONTCLAIR, NJ — DeCamp Bus Lines is ramping up service and expanding routes across North Jersey as it continues to rebound from a year-long service suspension…. Read more
NEW JERSEY — Below you will find the most up-to-date information on coronavirus news impacting New Jersey. You can find additional resources and coverage on our coronavirus page.
US gives final clearance to COVID vaccine for kids 5 to 11
U.S. health officials on Tuesday, Nov. 2 gave the final signoff to Pfizer’s kid-size COVID-19 shot, a milestone that opens a major expansion of the nation’s vaccination campaign to children as young as 5.
The Food and Drug Administration already authorized the shots for children ages 5 to 11 — doses just a third of the amount given to teens and adults. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention formally recommends who should receive FDA-cleared vaccines.
Vaccinated just as likely to spread delta variant within household as unvaccinated: study
People who have received COVID-19 vaccinations are able to spread the delta variant within their household just as easily as unvaccinated individuals, a new study published on Friday, Oct. 29, shows.
Child tax credit 2022: What we know so far
As inner-party conflict continues to shave off elements of President Joe Biden’s sweeping domestic policy package, there may be good news for parents. While it’s unclear what the ultimate bill will include, Democrats arrived at a framework Thursday, Oct. 28, that included a one-year extension of the expanded child tax credit.
Moderna says its low-dose COVID shot safe, effective for kids 6 to 11
FDA says Pfizer COVID vaccine looks effective for young kids
Federal health regulators said late Friday, Oct. 22, that kid-size doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine appear highly effective at preventing symptomatic infections in elementary school children and caused no unexpected safety issues, as the U.S. weighs beginning vaccinations in youngsters.
NJ among top vaccinated states in U.S.
New Jersey is among the top 10 states in the country with the highest COVID-19 vaccination rates at 74%. Helping to lead the charge is Paterson, which has a 90% vaccination rate.
COVID vaccine mandate for state workers, teachers begins
Many state employees returned to in-person work on Monday, Oct. 18, the same day Gov. Phil Murphy’s requirement for them to either be vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit to regular virus testing went into effect. The vaccine or test mandate also applies to teachers in New Jersey.
IRS sending October installment of child tax credit after delay in September
Families across the country are starting to receive their October child tax credit. The IRS says the program’s fourth monthly payment is already hitting Americans’ bank accounts after a technical issue last month caused delays for some recipients.
New COVID safety guidance for the holidays released by the CDC
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention released updated COVID-19 safety guidance for the holiday season on Friday, Oct. 15, including getting vaccinated, wearing a mask indoors if you’re not vaccinated and avoiding crowded and poorly ventilated spaces.
Rutgers team tries to understand ‘brain fog’ COVID connection
Dr. William Hu, the Chief of the Division of Cognitive Neurology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, is leading a team trying to figure out what brain fog is and how it’s connected to COVID-19.
FDA endorsement essentially calls for Johnson & Johnson to be 2-shot vaccine
An FDA panel unanimously recommended a Johnson and Johnson booster vaccine on Friday, Oct. 15. The terms of the endorsement essentially call for the J&J COVID-19 vaccine to be a two-dose shot, rather than the one-dose shot for which it’s been known since it first got emergency use authorization last spring.
The panel called for a second shot to be available to people 18 and older, at least two months after the first shot.
FDA panel recommends Moderna booster shot, but the process isn’t over
A panel of medical experts affiliated with the Food and Drug Administration endorsed a COVID vaccine booster from Moderna on Thursday, Oct. 14. The panel recommended a half dose as a booster.
Need to be vaccinated by Thanksgiving, Hanukkah or Christmas? Here are the deadlines
People who want to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Thanksgiving, Hanukkah or Christmas are running out of time. Two of the three vaccines available in the U.S. require two doses spread weeks apart and a waiting period once the shots have been administered.
Vice President Kamala Harris visits NJ day care, vaccination site
Vice President Kamala Harris made a stop in New Jersey on Friday, Oct. 8, to discuss the state’s latest vaccination efforts. She visited a day care center to highlight child care provisions in the president’s spending proposal as well as a vaccination site at Essex Community College.
Children will feel impact of pandemic on mental health for years: UNICEF report
UNICEF released a critical report on Friday, Oct. 8, which found that children and young people could feel the impact of the pandemic on their mental health for many years to come.
COVID vaccine for kids: Doctor answers your questions
The Pfizer vaccine for kids could be on the market in about a month after the drug maker filed for FDA authorization Thursday, Oct. 7, for their shot for kids ages 5 to 11.
However, many parents still have questions about the children’s COVID vaccine. Dr. Sallie Permar, the head of pediatrics at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, joined the PIX11 Morning News on Friday, Oct. 8, to share more information and answer some of the biggest questions.
Pfizer’s request to OK shots for kids a relief for parents
Parents tired of worrying about classroom outbreaks and sick of telling their elementary school-age children no to sleepovers and family gatherings felt a wave of relief Thursday, Oct. 7, when Pfizer asked the U.S. government to authorize its COVID-19 vaccine for youngsters ages 5 to 11.
U.S. hits 700,000 COVID deaths just as cases begin to fall
The United States reached its latest heartbreaking pandemic milestone Friday, Oct. 1, eclipsing 700,000 deaths from COVID-19 just as the surge from the delta variant is starting to slow down and give overwhelmed hospitals some relief.
NJ leaders take on ‘Mayors Vaccine Challenge’
Two New Jersey mayors are going head-to-head in an effort to get more people vaccinated against COVID-19. It’s all part of the ongoing vaccination campaign in the Garden State that has already propelled it as one of the nation’s leaders in the fight against COVID-19. Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh is squaring off with Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora in what the state is calling the “Mayors Vaccine Challenge.”
New Jersey surpasses 1 million COVID-19 cases
As of Tuesday, Sept. 28, more than 1 million cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in New Jersey since the pandemic reached the state in 2020.
Pfizer submits vaccine data on kids to FDA
Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE announced they have submitted initial data to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from the Phase 2/3 trial of their COVID-19 vaccine in children 5 to 11.
In the trial, which included 2,268 participants 5 to 11 years of age, the vaccine demonstrated a favorable safety profile and elicited robust neutralizing antibody responses using a two-dose regimen of 10 μg doses.
NJ offers $500 ‘return to work bonus’ to unemployed residents
Unemployed New Jersey residents could earn a $500 bonus to return to the workforce as part of a new program announced by Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday, Sept. 27. The “Return and Earn” initiative will offer the one-time bonus to folks who secure a job through the program, including positions that require on-the-job training.
Is it safe to trick-or-treat this Halloween? CDC weighs in
CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said on Face the Nation that kids can trick-or-treat safely this year, adding, “If you’re able to be outdoors, absolutely.”
CDC director overrules panel, backs booster for all adults in high-risk jobs
The panel had voted against saying that people ages 18 to 64 can get a booster if they are health-care workers or have another job that puts them at increased risk of being exposed to the virus.
FDA OKs Pfizer COVID-19 boosters for 65 and older, high-risk Americans
The FDA authorized booster doses for Americans who are 65 and older, younger people with underlying health conditions and those in jobs that put them at high-risk for COVID-19. The ruling represents a drastically scaled back version of the Biden administration’s sweeping plan to give third doses to nearly all American adults to shore up their protection amid the spread of the highly contagious delta variant.
J&J booster shot 94% effective 2 months after 1st dose
Johnson & Johnson on Tuesday, Sept. 21, said new data shows a second dose — or a booster shot — of their one-shot COVID vaccine was found to be 94% effective against symptomatic COVID-19 when given two months after the initial dose.
Pfizer says COVID-19 vaccine works in kids ages 5 to 11
Pfizer said Monday, Sept. 20, its COVID-19 vaccine works for children ages 5 to 11 and that it will seek U.S. authorization for this age group soon — a key step toward beginning vaccinations for youngsters.
Vaccine mandate for child care facilities
Gov. Phil Murphy said all child care workers and facility employees need to be fully vaccinated by Nov. 1 or face regular weekly testing. As of Sept. 24, all employees, students and children in a facility’s care ages two and up will need to wear masks indoors, with limited exceptions.
Moderna vaccine is most effective against hospitalization from COVID-19: study
A study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention compared how effective each of the three COVID-19 vaccines are in preventing hospitalization from the virus. The CDC reported that effectiveness was higher for the Moderna vaccine (93%) than the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine (88%) and the J&J vaccine (71%).
New Jersey surpassed as state with highest rate of COVID deaths
Mississippi has surpassed New Jersey as the state with the highest rate of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S., with roughly 1 of every 320 Mississippians having succumbed to the coronavirus.
COVID-19 is ‘getting better’ at becoming airborne virus
Recent COVID-19 variants are much more adept at airborne transmission than the original version of the coronavirus, according to a new study. University of Maryland researchers analyzed the Alpha variant first identified in the United Kingdom and discovered that carriers breathe out 43 to 100 times more infectious viral aerosols than those infected with the original strain.
U.S. panel backs Pfizer COVID-19 boosters only for 65 and over, high-risk
An influential federal advisory panel overwhelmingly rejected a plan to give Pfizer COVID-19 booster shots to most Americans, but it endorsed the extra shots for those who are 65 or older or run a high risk of severe disease.
COVID outbreaks in NJ schools
As of Wednesday, Sept. 15, there were six outbreaks in New Jersey schools, according to Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli. An outbreak is defined as at least three cases that are epidemiologically connected and not from the same household.
The cases are a mix of students and staff, Persichilli said. More information will be released on the state Health Department website in the coming days.
COVID-19 variants significantly reduce protection of vaccines, prior infection: study
A new study confirms that vaccinations and even prior COVID-19 infection provide significantly less protection against newer variants. Researchers from Oregon Health & Science University say in order to protect against the Alpha, Beta, and now Delta variants, these findings stress the importance of doubling down on both vaccinations and public health measures during the pandemic.
Mask debate moves from school boards to courtrooms
The rancorous debate over whether returning students should wear masks in the classroom has moved from school boards to courtrooms. In at least 14 states, lawsuits have been filed either for or against masks in schools. In some cases, normally rule-enforcing school administrators are finding themselves fighting state leaders in the name of keeping kids safe.
Supreme Court allows evictions to resume during pandemic
The Supreme Court’s conservative majority is allowing evictions to resume across the United States, blocking the Biden administration from enforcing a temporary ban that was put in place because of the coronavirus pandemic. New Jersey’s statewide rent moratorium expires at the end of the year.
These foods are extra hard to find right now because of shortages, supply chain issues
Notice your grocery store shelves looking a little bare lately? You’re definitely not the only one. Supply chain issues have created shortages of highly specific ingredients.
‘It’s up to us’: Fauci says pandemic could possibly end by spring 2022
The nation’s top infectious disease expert believes the pandemic’s end is near as long as the U.S. follows the right protocols to contain COVID-19. Dr. Anthony Fauci said he sees the light at the end of the tunnel, but it’s only open if the country’s 80 million to 90 million unvaccinated people are convinced to get the shot.
Comirnaty: What’s the story behind the new Pfizer vaccine name?
Comirnaty, who? It’s the same exact mRNA vaccine Pfizer has been producing through the emergency use authorization, but now it’s being marketed under a new name.
Is an earache a new COVID-19 symptom?
Doctors say they’re seeing a new COVID-19 symptom in some patients. According to experts, an earache has been reported more frequently by those testing positive for COVID. Earaches can cause pain, a feeling of blockage and sometimes muffled hearing.
NJ COVID hospitalizations top 1,000 for the first time since May: Gov. Murphy
For the first time since May, more than 1,000 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in New Jersey on Wednesday, Aug. 25, Gov. Phil Murphy said. There were 1,012 people hospitalized with COVID, 92 of whom were on ventilators, according to state Health Department data. The last time the state had more than 1,000 COVID hospitalizations was over three months ago on May 11, Murphy said.
Johnson & Johnson: Vaccine booster provides ‘rapid, robust’ response
Johnson & Johnson on Wednesday, Aug. 25, announced new data the company said supports the use of its COVID vaccine as a booster shot for people previously vaccinated with their single-shot vaccine.
J&J said the new data showed that a booster shot of their vaccine generated a “rapid and robust increase in spike-binding antibodies, nine-fold higher than 28 days after the primary single-dose vaccination.”
NJ to require teachers, state workers be fully vaccinated
All school personnel and state workers in New Jersey will be required to get vaccinated against COVID-19, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Monday, Aug. 23.
Will COVID booster shot have the same side effects as the first two shots?
The Biden administration said Wednesday, Aug. 18, that COVID booster shots will soon be available, but how will the Sept. 20 rollout work, and what side effects should Americans expect?
Lambda and B.1.621: New COVID variants could be the worst yet, doctor warns
At least two new COVID-19 variants have hit the United States and they could be worse than the delta variant in their infectiousness and ability to stand up to vaccines, according to a top medical authority.
U.S. health officials call for booster shots for all to battle COVID-19
U.S. health officials recommended all Americans get COVID-19 booster shots to shore up their protection amid the surging delta variant and evidence that the vaccines’ effectiveness is falling. The announcement was made on Aug. 18.
August child tax credit payments issued: Here’s why yours might be delayed
The second installment of expanded child tax credits was issued on Aug. 13 to millions of eligible families, but some payments will likely be delayed due to a technical glitch, the U.S. Department of Treasury said.
Schumer calls for federal crackdown on fake vaccine cards
COVID claims more young victims as deaths climb yet again
The COVID-19 death toll has started soaring again as the delta variant tears through the nation’s unvaccinated population and fills up hospitals with patients, many of whom are younger than during earlier phases of the pandemic.
NJ county opens COVID booster shot appointments
Health care officials in a northern New Jersey county began offering COVID-19 booster shots to qualified residents on Aug. 14. Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. said appointments for a third shot of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine were open at vaccination centers at Kmart in West Orange and Essex County College in Newark.
Concerts, outdoor events still risky as delta variant surges, experts say
Concerts and outdoor events are returning, and many are requiring proof of vaccination as part of new safety protocols designed to help prevent the transmission of COVID-19. But while experts say being outdoors is less risky in general, they continue to recommend additional precautions for those visiting crowded outdoor venues.
Biden weighs stiffer vaccine rules as delta variant spreads rapidly across U.S.
When the pace of vaccinations in the U.S. first began to slow, President Joe Biden backed incentives like million-dollar cash lotteries if that’s what it took to get shots in arms. But as new COVID infections soar, he’s testing a tougher approach.
Who doesn’t need the COVID-19 vaccine?
It has been eight months since the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered to health care workers nationwide. Since then, the vaccine has become available to anyone over the age of 12. Experts explain the few instances in which a person would not qualify for, or should delay getting vaccinated.
Extra COVID shot OK’d for immunocompromised individuals
With more than 600 colleges and universities now requiring proof of COVID-19 inoculations, an online industry has sprung up offering fake vaccine cards.
What to do if you lose your COVID-19 vaccine card
Don’t worry if you’ve lost your COVID-19 vaccine card, there are several ways you can get it replaced. No matter where you got your shots, getting a replacement card is possible.
Will NJ reinstate a travel advisory?
Gov. Murphy said on Aug. 9, a new travel advisory is not off the table, but for now he encouraged mask wearing, which is mandatory in all airports and on flights, and other COVID safety protocols. “You gotta use your head,” he added.
Will NJ mandate masks indoors?
Despite CDC data showing New Jersey falls under its guidance to wear masks indoors, Gov. Murphy said he will not yet mandate face coverings but added, “we leave all options on the table.”
COVID transmission levels call for indoor masking under CDC guidelines
Indoor masking is advised in areas with COVID transmission rates considered “substantial” or “high” under recently updated guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of Aug. 8, all of New Jersey falls under those categories.
How do you know if you have the delta variant of COVID-19?
So you’ve tested positive for COVID – but which COVID exactly? Is there a way to tell if you have the highly transmissible delta variant? There is a way to tell, but there’s not really a way for you to tell.
COVID breakthrough cases: Is one vaccine better than others?
Are kids more vulnerable to the delta variant of COVID-19?
Hospitals around the United States, especially in the South, are starting to fill back up again as the delta variant tears though the country. With previous waves of infection, we’ve been most worried about the elderly being vulnerable. Now, it’s younger people – even children – starting to show up in hospital beds.
U.S. averaging 100,000 new COVID-19 infections a day as delta surges
The United States is now averaging 100,000 new COVID-19 infections a day, returning to a milestone last seen during the winter surge in yet another bleak reminder of how quickly the delta variant has spread through the country. The U.S. was averaging about 11,000 cases a day in late June. Now the number is 107,143.
NJ schools mask mandate: Teachers’ union backs, Republicans slam Murphy decision
New Jersey Republicans have largely trashed Gov. Phil Murphy’s announcement on Aug 6 that masks will be required in all schools in the upcoming academic year.
NJ health care workers must be vaccinated or tested for COVID-19
Gov. Phil Murphy signed an executive order on Aug. 6 mandating that all workers in state and private health care facilities either be vaccinated for COVID-19 or tested for it twice a week.
50% of U.S. population is fully vaccinated, White House says
The United States reached a vaccination milestone on Aug. 6: 50% of the population, all ages, were fully vaccinated, the White House COVID-19 data director confirmed.
CDC says people who’ve had COVID should get shot or risk reinfection
Even people who have recovered from COVID-19 are urged to get vaccinated, especially as the extra-contagious delta variant surges — and a new study shows survivors who ignored that advice were more than twice as likely to get reinfected.
‘You have lost your minds’: Murphy lashes out at anti-vax protesters
Warning of more delta mutations, Fauci urges vaccinations
The White House COVID-19 response team said the delta variant continues to surge across the country. During a briefing on Aug. 5, Dr. Anthony Fauci called on Americans to take precautions to stop the virus from mutating. “The ultimate end game of all this is vaccination,” he said.
The latest surge in COVID-19 infections is fueled by the highly contagious delta variant first identified in India late last year. Now, a variation of that variant is beginning to generate headlines. Here’s what we know about the COVID sub-strain being called delta plus.
Vaccine mandate for state colleges?
Currently, some state colleges in New Jersey are mandating the COVID-19 vaccine for students and staff and some have made it optional. Murphy said a universal mandate “is certainly an option,” but for now individual universities can make their own call.
More ‘pain and suffering’ ahead as COVID cases rise, Fauci says
Dr. Anthony Fauci warned on Aug. 1 that more “pain and suffering” is on the horizon as COVID-19 cases climb again and officials plead with unvaccinated Americans to get their shots.
Walmart requiring COVID vaccination, masks for many employees
In a memo, Walmart announced that associates who work in multiple facilities, and associates of its campus office, will need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct. 4. Walmart also required associates, including those fully vaccinated, to wear masks in its stores.
Iconic NJ restaurant The Fireplace closes after 65 years
The Fireplace, like many other restaurants across the country, was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and temporarily shuttered its doors before reopening in May, when they implemented drive-thru, takeout and curbside pickup followed by indoor dining in October.
New delta variant research makes strong case for vaccination
A report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention emphasized the delta variant is more dangerous and fast-spreading than first thought. The findings also made clear why efforts to get more people vaccinated are vital.
CDC data shows delta variant spreads as easily as chickenpox
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new information on July 30, saying the coronavirus delta variant can spread as easily as chickenpox.
Pfizer: COVID vaccine protective for at least 6 months
The effectiveness of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine wanes slightly over time but it remains strongly protective for at least six months after the second dose, according to company data released on July 28.
Disney World requires masks indoors regardless of vaccination status
Beginning July 30, Disney World required all visitors ages 2 and older to wear a face covering while indoors as well as in Disney buses, the monorail and the Disney Skyliner, regardless of vaccination status.
CDC mask guidance: Vaccinated people should wear face coverings in public indoor settings
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reversed course on some masking guidelines, recommending that even vaccinated people return to wearing masks indoors in parts of the U.S. where the coronavirus is surging.
U.S. headed in ‘wrong direction’ on COVID-19, Fauci says
Doctors warn about slightly different symptoms with delta variant of COVID
As concern grows regarding the COVID-19 delta variant, health leaders are warning about somewhat different symptoms that come with it.
Most unvaccinated Americans unlikely to get COVID-19 shots, new AP poll finds
A new poll shows that most Americans who haven’t been vaccinated against COVID-19 say they are unlikely to get the shots. About 16% say they probably will get the vaccine.
Is asking about someone’s COVID vaccine status a HIPAA violation?
HIPAA was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1996 during a time when medical records were being computerized. It was created to simplify the administration of health insurance and to prevent unauthorized access to peoples’ medical histories.
In fact, HIPAA doesn’t block anyone from asking another person about their health status, according to Alan Meisel, law professor and bioethics expert at the University of Pittsburgh.
Gov. Murphy holds off on reinstating mask mandate
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy says he’s not ready to reinstitute mask requirements, now or when schools are back in session in September. Murphy says he “is comfortable where we are” on mask mandates but is also closely monitoring developments.
Child tax credit checks: Will they become permanent?
The parents of an estimated 60 million American children began receiving child tax credit payments from the IRS in a move expected to lift millions of families above the poverty baseline for the remainder of 2021. Should they become permanent?
Biden grapples with ‘pandemic of the unvaccinated’
President Joe Biden is confronting the worrying reality of rising cases and deaths — and the limitations of his ability to combat the persistent vaccine hesitance responsible for the summer backslide.
Child tax credit: When to expect payments, how it may impact tax returns
Common cholesterol drugs may significantly reduce risk of death from COVID-19: study
Statins, a common medication for lowering cholesterol, may be saving lives among patients with COVID-19. A new study reveals hospitalized coronavirus patients who take statins are much less likely to die from the illness.
WHO chief says it was ‘premature’ to rule out COVID lab leak
The head of the World Health Organization acknowledged it was premature to rule out a potential link between the COVID-19 pandemic and a laboratory leak, and he said he is asking China to be more transparent as scientists search for the origins of the coronavirus.
Wildfire smoke linked to increased COVID-19 risk, study says
A new study suggests that exposure to wildfire smoke is linked to an increased risk of contracting COVID-19.
What can I do if I didn’t get my child tax credit payment?
The official disbursement date for the first child tax credit payments from the Internal Revenue Service was July 15, but parents may not see the cash right away.
Delta now dominant COVID variant in New Jersey
The highly transmissible delta variant is now the dominant strain in New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy said on July 12. The governor urged New Jersey residents to get vaccinated against COVID if they haven’t already done so.
Global COVID-19 deaths hit 4 million amid rush to vaccinate
There’s more to the worker shortage than pandemic unemployment, experts say
The workforce shortage is a combination of several factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic, a shift in the economy, and changes in the workforce demographics, experts say.
Free health insurance included in stimulus benefits for unemployment recipients
Along with $1,400 stimulus checks and monthly child tax credit payments, the American Rescue Plan has another important benefit available to people who qualified for unemployment assistance this year: free health care.
Will one dose of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine protect me?
Yes, but not nearly as much as if you had both doses. Experts recommend getting fully vaccinated, especially with the emergence of worrisome coronavirus mutations such as the delta variant first identified in India.
Workers enjoy the upper hand as companies scramble to hire
With the economy growing rapidly as it reopens from the pandemic, many employers are increasingly desperate to hire. Yet evidence suggests that as a group, the unemployed aren’t feeling the same urgency to take jobs.
As of Wednesday, there have been 1,044,964 total positive PCR tests in the state since March 2020, and there have been 25,195 lab-confirmed coronavirus deaths, according to the state Health Department.
NEW JERSEY (WABC) — New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy is projected to win reelection Wednesday over Republican Jack Ciattarelli, according to ABC News.
At the time of the call, Murphy had 1,215,346 votes to Ciattarelli’s 1,192,854, with 87% of the expected vote reporting.
Murphy would become the state’s first Democratic governor to get a second straight term in 44 years, defeating the Republican former assembly member.
Ballots remaining to be counted included a significant number of votes from predominantly Democratic Essex County, along with mail-in votes spread across other counties. Murphy has won the mail-in vote by a wide margin even in Republican leaning counties like Monmouth.
Ciattarelli spokesperson Stami Williams disputed the call because of the close margin, calling it “irresponsible.”
“With the candidates separated by a fraction of a percent out of 2.4 million ballots cast, it’s irresponsible of the media to make this call when the New Jersey Secretary of State doesn’t even know how many ballots are left to be counted,” Williams said.
Meanwhile, Murphy pushed forward, delivering a victory speech in Asbury Park.
“Tonight, I renew my promise to you — whether you voted for me or not — to work every single day of the next four years to keep moving us forward,” he said.
Ciattarelli waged a formidable campaign in the heavily Democratic New Jersey, his spending nearly equaling the governor’s and outpacing the GOP’s performance four years ago. But Murphy’s advantages, including 1 million more registered Democrats, proved too much for the Republican to overcome.
The victory gives Democrats a silver lining after GOP businessman Glenn Youngkin defeated Terry McAuliffe in Virginia’s gubernatorial race – exacerbating worries that President Joe Biden’s sagging approval ratings are hurting the party. This year’s elections were the first major tests of voter sentiment since Biden took office and pointed to a potentially painful year ahead for Democrats as they try to maintain thin majorities in Congress.
Former Republican Governor of New Jersey Tom Kean says the race was trending in Ciattarelli’s direction.
“If the election were held a week ago or two weeks ago, Ciattarelli would have lost by a good margin,” he said. “If it was held next week, I think he would have won. So the trend line was moving very much in his direction. It’s a great year for the Republicans in New Jersey, led by Ciattarelli, who deserves a lot of credit for the kind of campaign he ran.”
The closeness of the race has surprised experts, who watched public polls showing Murphy leading comfortably and looked to his party’s registration advantage of more than a million voters.
Instead, New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy and Republican Jack Ciattarelli remained virtually deadlocked through Wednesday evening, after a campaign centered on the incumbent’s progressive policies and handling of the pandemic.
On Wednesday morning, both contenders called for all the votes to be counted, and neither conceded while urging supporters to be ready for a longer wait than expected.
“While we’re going to have to wait a little while longer than we had hoped, we’re going to wait for every vote to be counted,” Murphy said. “That’s how our democracy works.” LIVE RESULTS:
Both candidates spoke to supporters after midnight.
“I wanted to come out here tonight and tell you that we won, but I’m here to tell you that we’re winning,” Ciattarelli said. “We want every legal vote counted, and you all know the way the VBMs (vote by mail) work and the provisionals work. We’ve got to have time to make sure that every legal vote is counted.”
The Ciattarelli campaign released a statement later Wednesday, saying, “Let’s count the votes.”
“Last night was a historic one for New Jersey Republicans, who picked up at least a half dozen Assembly seats, several Senate seats, along with county and local seats up and down the state,” Ciattarelli campaign spokeswoman Stami Williams said. “Jack is proud to lead our ticket and our party’s resurgence. Right now, our team is focused on making sure all the legal votes are counted and our citizens can have confidence in the system.”
Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey Sheila Oliver also addressed supporters late on Tuesday night at the campaign headquarters in Asbury Park.
“First of all, I want to thank you for hanging in here, it’s been a very long night. And we know that you are still here, strongly, because you believe in our cause and in the future of our beloved state of New Jersey,” Oliver said. “Now, our adversaries may be jumping up and down with glee. But let me tell you something: I know Essex, my home county. I know how we roll. And we know that the votes in that Democratic stronghold have yet to be counted in total. Bergen County, the home of our beloved Senator Loretta Weinberg-Bergen is still counting. Union, still counting. Middlesex, still counting.”
Murphy had been leading in the polls, has a 1 million-voter registration advantage, and had more cash in his campaign coffers than Ciattarelli in the final days of the race. But Ciattarelli has far surpassed the Republican nominee from four years ago in fundraising and saw the gap in public polls move in his favor – if only by a few points.
At Murphy’s election night party in Asbury Park’s convention hall, the crowd went from cheering early results reported on TV to milling around the cavernous venue and checking their phones. At Ciattarelli’s camp in Bridgewater, the crowd was breaking out into periodic cheers.
While a Ciattarelli win would send a jolt through state and national politics, a win by Murphy would also break some historical trends.
New Jersey does not have an automatic recount law, but the candidates are permitted to request one. The party that wants a recount has to file a suit in State Superior Court in the counties where they want to contest tallies. That has to be done within 17 days of Election Day.
Murphy has campaigned as a solid progressive, with a record to show for it. He signed bills into law that expanded voting access, provided for taxpayer-funded pre-K and community college, hiked the minimum wage to $15 an hour over time along with opening up the state to renewable energy like wind power.
Ciattarelli’s campaign seized on comments Murphy made that New Jersey probably isn’t for voters whose top issue is taxes, casting the governor as out of touch with a concern many prioritize.
He also sought support from those who disagreed with Murphy’s handling of COVID-19. At a recent campaign rally in Hazlet when someone in the audience asked about mandates, Ciattarelli said there’d be none under his administration – an allusion to mask and vaccination mandates. He also implicitly criticized critical race theory in schools, saying that “we are not going to teach our children to feel guilty.” Critical race theory is a method of thinking of America’s history through the lens of racism that has become a political lightning rod of the Republican Party.
Polls showed Murphy got solid support for his handling of the COVID-19 outbreak, which hit New Jersey hard in early 2020 and resulted in the deaths of more than 25,000 people. About a third of those deaths occurred in nursing and veterans homes. But the state also excelled at getting people vaccinated and was quick to become one of the states with the highest percentages of eligible people to be fully vaccinated.
A lawsuit filed Tuesday evening by the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey, based on social media posts and local news reports, alleged that dozens of voters were turned away from polls. In some places, that was because electronic tablets used to check in voters struggled to connect to the internet.
The suit, which had sought to extend voting until 9:30 p.m., was denied by the court, the civil rights organization said. A message seeking comment was left with the secretary of state’s office, which oversees elections in the state.
The driver of the truck was on 46-year-old from Voorhees.
He was taken to Community Medical Center for observation, but no injuries were reported.
For a time on Wednesday Route 37 in the area of the collision was completely shut down.
photo courtesy of Manchester Police Department
Because the fireball severely damaged both sides of Route 37 in the area, repairs will need to be made after investigations are completed.
According to a report from NJ.com, Route 37 between Commonwealth Boulevard and Bone Hill Road will be closed for “the foreseeable future.”
photo courtesy of Manchester Police Department
A big shout out to our first responders in Manchester and Whiting for arriving on the scene quickly.
Taking care of the victims and the scene was a group effort according to the Manchester Police Department.
A huge thank you to the Manchester Volunteer Fire Department, Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Department, Whiting Volunteer Fire Department, Manchester EMS, Manchester Emergency Management, Berkeley Hazmat Unit, Lakehurst and Toms River Police Departments, Ocean County Sheriff’s Department, Ocean County Department of Health, New Jersey State Police, NJ Department of Transportation, NJ Department of Environmental Protection, and Jersey Central Power & Light.
Accidents happen, but Jersey is still amazing. These are the 25 Best Places To Live in New Jersey
Stacker compiled a list of the best places to live in New Jersey using data from Niche. Niche ranks places to live based on a variety of factors including cost of living, schools, health care, recreation, and weather. Cities, suburbs, and towns were included. Listings and images are from realtor.com.
On the list, there’s a robust mix of offerings from great schools and nightlife to high walkability and public parks. Some areas have enjoyed rapid growth thanks to new businesses moving to the area, while others offer glimpses into area history with well-preserved architecture and museums. Keep reading to see if your hometown made the list.
Small Business Saturday is November 27th, but I say we start celebrating this weekend! Let’s be real, every day we should shop locally and support small businesses.
Thanks to the Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners and Brookdale Community College, the wonderfulMade in Monmouth event will take place. Over 130 unique Monmouth County vendors will have products for sale this Saturday, November 6th. ‘Made in Monmouth’ will be held at the Robert J. Collins Arena on the Brookdale Community College campus in Lincroft. The event will start at 10 am and finish around 4 pm. You can go for FREE!
Don’t forget to stop at the 94.3 The Point table from Noon-2 pm. We will have your chance to win a ton of NJ lottery tickets!
You will be able to check out vendors that have art, books, clothing, food/beverages, garden, home decor, jewelry, pet items, photography, plants/flowers, pottery, toys, winery/brewery, woodworking, personal care, and MORE!
The purpose is to encourage people to shop local. This Interactive Vendor Directory, as well as all Made in Monmouth programs, is provided to you and the vendors at no charge. When you visit or communicate with any of the vendors, please let them know that you saw their information and products in this Vendor Directory. Many of our Made in Monmouth vendors have store front locations and they are indicated in the directory with an address. Make sure you check their websites for days and hours of operation. All vendors lsited manufacture a consumer product in Monmouth County.
The event is brought to you by the Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners and organized by the County’s Division of Economic Development. This is a wonderful opportunity to help retain and grow Monmouth County businesses.
If you are interested in helping or learning more information, contact the County Division of Economic Development at (732)-431-7470, or via email at econdev@co.monmouth.nj.us.
There will also be another “Made in Monmouth” on December 4th in Manalapan. CLICK HERE for more details…
Any towns in Monmouth County make the list….? Keep scrolling…
These are the 25 Best Places To Live in New Jersey
Stacker compiled a list of the best places to live in New Jersey using data from Niche. Niche ranks places to live based on a variety of factors including cost of living, schools, health care, recreation, and weather. Cities, suburbs, and towns were included. Listings and images are from realtor.com.
On the list, there’s a robust mix of offerings from great schools and nightlife to high walkability and public parks. Some areas have enjoyed rapid growth thanks to new businesses moving to the area, while others offer glimpses into area history with well-preserved architecture and museums. Keep reading to see if your hometown made the list.
Check out Jersey Shore high schools that have the best teachers…
Voted by you!
Top 20 High Schools With The Best Teachers At The Jersey Shore 2021-2022
This morning the sun rose on a New Jersey where the race for Governor between the incumbent and his energetic challenger former Assemblyman Jack Ciatarrelli was still too close to call. This came as a total surprise to the corporate national news media’s political analysts who had flagged the race for Governor in Virginia as the only real contest to watch last night.
But long time Essex County based community organizer Larry Hamm, who ran in the 2020 Democratic Primary against Sen. Cory Booker, was anything but surprised by what daybreak brought the Garden State. He had been worried about the potential collapse of New Jersey urban base in northern and southern Jersey that left Gov. Murphy just a few thousands ahead in race all the pollsters said was his.
Nationally, and here in New Jersey, that’s exactly what happened in 2016 when several hundred thousand voters of color, that had been so enthusiastic about voting for President Obama in 2008 and 2012, stayed home in 2016, helping Trump flip states like Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania.
“My concern all along was not that the Governor wouldn’t win the urban Black and Latino vote but that they wouldn’t turnout in sufficient numbers to overcome the places in the state where Trump had made gains in 2020 over 2016,” Hamm said. “Generally, on the left we underestimate Donald Trump and the Republicans. There’s lip service but we don’t take action.”
Hamm says Jersey Democrats ignored Trump’s Jersey in roads at their peril. In the 2020 election, Trump once again carried Ocean, Cape May, Salem, Hunterdon, Warren and Sussex counties, and added to his vote totals from 2016 in Atlantic, Bergen, Burlington, Gloucester and Mercer counties.
Hamm continued. “When I went into polling place at Trinity Church in Montclair it scared me because there were only two to three voters there and I knew how important this election was—this was in the same place that in 2008, 2012 and in 2020, there lines of voters waiting to vote for Obama and then Biden.”
Consider Essex County, where Newark is so critical to Democratic vote totals, that as of this morning Murphy had close to 112,000 compared to President Biden’s 267,000 last year. While there is always a drop off from the Presidential cycle to the Governor’s race, consider Ciatarrelli’s 40,500 vote total, compared to Trump’s 75,500 last year. The former Assemblyman clearly did a better job engaging his base to limit the expected slide in turnout from a high energy Presidential election year.
In Passaic County it was much the same story with even potentially more seismic results. Murphy got almost 53,000 compared to Ciatarrelli’s 51,000. Last year, Biden beat Trump 129,100 to 92,000.
Over in Hudson County, Murphy’s drew close to 100,000 fewer votes than Biden. A similar slide occurred in Camden.
Hamm founded the Newark based People’s Organization for Progress, which focuses on police accountability as well as for social and economic justice issues. He maintains the Democratic Party needs to gear up to address the issues that matter most to communities of color, more along the lines of a social movement like the civil rights movement than a conventional political party.
“It has to be voter registration and education 365 days a year in these communities,” Hamm said.
While some commentators insist that Murphy was hurt by the appearance of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) on his behalf, Hamm thinks it may have saved him. “If Murphy does pulls it out, I would actually credit that visit from Senator Bernie Sanders for the win because it showed Murphy was making some effort to reach out to progressives,” Hamm said.
It is New Jersey’s urban centers made up of neighborhoods composed of people of color and immigrant households that were most hard hit by the pandemic who were most likely to be part of the essential workforce for whom working remotely from home was not an option.
The broad consensus of conventional political wisdom is that the Democratic Party must now chase after the white suburban independents voters that voted for Biden but in both the Virginia and New Jersey races for Governor backed the Republican.
But at the same time there’s a lack of appreciation of the political potential of the state’s low wage working families, a multi-racial cohort that’s mostly white but also includes a significant percentage of people of color. These are the voters that would stand to benefit significantly from President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda that includes extending the expanded Child Tax Credit that is expected to cut childhood poverty by 45 percent.
Here in New Jersey, we have 1.42 million of these voters, poor and low-income voters, according to a research paper done for the Poor People’s Campaign that is co-chaired by Rev. Dr. William Barber and Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis. According to the PPC’s “Waking the Sleeping Giant: Poor and Low-Income Voters in the 2020 Election” this cohort, 58 million voters, made up more than one-third of last year’s electorate.
“There were another 22 million low-income voters who were registered, but did not vote, meaning that out of the 215 million registered voters in 2020, 80 million — or 37% — were eligible low-income voters,” the PPC reported.
“We also found that the reason poor and low-income voters participate in elections at lower rates is not because they have no interest in politics, but because politics is not interested in them,” according to the PPC. “They do not hear their needs and demands from candidates or feel that their votes matter. They are less likely to vote because of illness, disability, or transportation issues, not to mention the rise of voter suppression laws, all systemic barriers rather than individual failures.”
In New Jersey there are 400,000 of these voters that were registered but did not vote in the Biden/Trump contest. There was a similar number missing from the 2020 balloting in Virginia as well.
Keep that six-figure number in mind as we spend the next weeks fixating on every provisional and absentee ballot.
Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small, who just won re-election, said the state’s low voter turnout produced “shock waves up and down the state” that should be “a wake-up call for Democrats to get back to the basics.”
Small said that had beltway Democrats been able to deliver on President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda, particularly on infrastructure, it could have boosted their performance. “You would have had the announcements of projects that were getting underway—you got to produce,” he said. “It’s one thing to run for office as a candidate and tell voters what you are going to do. It’s another thing to actually govern.”
This morning the sun rose on a New Jersey where the race for Governor between the incumbent and his energetic challenger former Assemblyman Jack Ciatarrelli was still too close to call. This came as a total surprise to the corporate national news media’s political analysts who had flagged the race for Governor in Virginia as the only real contest to watch last night.
But long time Essex County based community organizer Larry Hamm, who ran in the 2020 Democratic Primary against Sen. Cory Booker, was anything but surprised by what daybreak brought the Garden State. He had been worried about the potential collapse of New Jersey urban base in northern and southern Jersey that left Gov. Murphy just a few thousands ahead in race all the pollsters said was his.
Nationally, and here in New Jersey, that’s exactly what happened in 2016 when several hundred thousand voters of color, that had been so enthusiastic about voting for President Obama in 2008 and 2012, stayed home in 2016, helping Trump flip states like Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania.
“My concern all along was not that the Governor wouldn’t win the urban Black and Latino vote but that they wouldn’t turnout in sufficient numbers to overcome the places in the state where Trump had made gains in 2020 over 2016,” Hamm said. “Generally, on the left we underestimate Donald Trump and the Republicans. There’s lip service but we don’t take action.”
Hamm says Jersey Democrats ignored Trump’s Jersey in roads at their peril. In the 2020 election, Trump once again carried Ocean, Cape May, Salem, Hunterdon, Warren and Sussex counties, and added to his vote totals from 2016 in Atlantic, Bergen, Burlington, Gloucester and Mercer counties.
Hamm continued. “When I went into polling place at Trinity Church in Montclair it scared me because there were only two to three voters there and I knew how important this election was—this was in the same place that in 2008, 2012 and in 2020, there lines of voters waiting to vote for Obama and then Biden.”
Consider Essex County, where Newark is so critical to Democratic vote totals, that as of this morning Murphy had close to 112,000 compared to President Biden’s 267,000 last year. While there is always a drop off from the Presidential cycle to the Governor’s race, consider Ciatarrelli’s 40,500 vote total, compared to Trump’s 75,500 last year. The former Assemblyman clearly did a better job engaging his base to limit the expected slide in turnout from a high energy Presidential election year.
In Passaic County it was much the same story with even potentially more seismic results. Murphy got almost 53,000 compared to Ciatarrelli’s 51,000. Last year, Biden beat Trump 129,100 to 92,000.
Over in Hudson County, Murphy’s drew close to 100,000 fewer votes than Biden. A similar slide occurred in Camden.
Hamm founded the Newark based People’s Organization for Progress, which focuses on police accountability as well as for social and economic justice issues. He maintains the Democratic Party needs to gear up to address the issues that matter most to communities of color, more along the lines of a social movement like the civil rights movement than a conventional political party.
“It has to be voter registration and education 365 days a year in these communities,” Hamm said.
While some commentators insist that Murphy was hurt by the appearance of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) on his behalf, Hamm thinks it may have saved him. “If Murphy does pulls it out, I would actually credit that visit from Senator Bernie Sanders for the win because it showed Murphy was making some effort to reach out to progressives,” Hamm said.
It is New Jersey’s urban centers made up of neighborhoods composed of people of color and immigrant households that were most hard hit by the pandemic who were most likely to be part of the essential workforce for whom working remotely from home was not an option.
The broad consensus of conventional political wisdom is that the Democratic Party must now chase after the white suburban independents voters that voted for Biden but in both the Virginia and New Jersey races for Governor backed the Republican.
But at the same time there’s a lack of appreciation of the political potential of the state’s low wage working families, a multi-racial cohort that’s mostly white but also includes a significant percentage of people of color. These are the voters that would stand to benefit significantly from President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda that includes extending the expanded Child Tax Credit that is expected to cut childhood poverty by 45 percent.
Here in New Jersey, we have 1.42 million of these voters, poor and low-income voters, according to a research paper done for the Poor People’s Campaign that is co-chaired by Rev. Dr. William Barber and Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis. According to the PPC’s “Waking the Sleeping Giant: Poor and Low-Income Voters in the 2020 Election” this cohort, 58 million voters, made up more than one-third of last year’s electorate.
“There were another 22 million low-income voters who were registered, but did not vote, meaning that out of the 215 million registered voters in 2020, 80 million — or 37% — were eligible low-income voters,” the PPC reported.
“We also found that the reason poor and low-income voters participate in elections at lower rates is not because they have no interest in politics, but because politics is not interested in them,” according to the PPC. “They do not hear their needs and demands from candidates or feel that their votes matter. They are less likely to vote because of illness, disability, or transportation issues, not to mention the rise of voter suppression laws, all systemic barriers rather than individual failures.”
In New Jersey there are 400,000 of these voters that were registered but did not vote in the Biden/Trump contest. There was a similar number missing from the 2020 balloting in Virginia as well.
Keep that six-figure number in mind as we spend the next weeks fixating on every provisional and absentee ballot.
Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small, who just won re-election, said the state’s low voter turnout produced “shock waves up and down the state” that should be “a wake-up call for Democrats to get back to the basics.”
Small said that had beltway Democrats been able to deliver on President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda, particularly on infrastructure, it could have boosted their performance. “You would have had the announcements of projects that were getting underway—you got to produce,” he said. “It’s one thing to run for office as a candidate and tell voters what you are going to do. It’s another thing to actually govern.”
Jack Ciattarelli, the Republican candidate in the New Jersey governor’s race, told supporters it would take time to count all the votes sent in by mail and provisional ballots.
I wanted to come out here tonight because I had prepared one hell of a victory speech. I wanted to come out here tonight and tell you that we had won. I’m here, but I’m here to tell you that we’re winning. We’re winning. We want every legal vote counted. And you all know the way the V.B.M.s work and the provisionals work. We’ve got to have time to make sure that every legal vote is counted, and I’m confident, I’m confident that when they are, I can stand before you and not say we’re winning. I can stand before you and say we’ve won.
Jack Ciattarelli, the Republican candidate in the New Jersey governor’s race, told supporters it would take time to count all the votes sent in by mail and provisional ballots.CreditCredit…Dave Sanders for The New York Times
Tuesday’s elections left the Democratic Party reeling after Republicans won the governor’s race in Virginia and posed an unexpectedly strong challenge in New Jersey, inspiring fresh doubts among Democrats about their fortunes heading into next year’s midterm elections.
President Biden returned from his trip to Europe and was immediately greeted with a bracing reminder of his party’s shaky political footing. With his approval ratings sagging and Republicans eager to wrest back control of Congress, the president is facing an uncertain landscape on Capitol Hill, including whether he can persuade a key Democratic holdout, Senator Joe Manchin III of West Virginia, to get on board with his $1.85 trillion social policy bill.
The most surprising unknown on Wednesday was the fate of the governor’s race in New Jersey, a state that Mr. Biden carried by 16 percentage points last year. Gov. Philip D. Murphy, a Democrat seeking a second term, was locked in a razor-thin contest with a little-known Republican challenger, Jack Ciattarelli, a former assemblyman.
The other governor’s race on Tuesday, in Virginia, offered foreboding signs of the political environment for Democrats more than nine months into Mr. Biden’s presidency.
A year after Mr. Biden won Virginia by 10 percentage points, former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat, failed in his quest to win back his old office, losing to the Republican candidate, Glenn Youngkin, in a contest that was closely watched for what it could signal about voters’ satisfaction or lack thereof with the president and his party. Mr. McAuliffe conceded to Mr. Youngkin on Wednesday morning.
The setback in Virginia was the latest in a series of stumbles for Mr. Biden, who has faced criticism over the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and over the surge in migrants at the Southern border. And in Washington, he has struggled to unite Democratic lawmakers behind his social policy bill. With that measure in dispute, the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill that passed the Senate in August has been on hold in the House, depriving the party of an accomplishment that could have been promoted on the campaign trail this fall.
The dispiriting results for Democrats on Tuesday stoked fears in the party that the infighting in Congress was taking a toll with the public.
“The No. 1 concern voters have raised with me over the last several weeks has been inability of Congress and government in general to get things done at a time of great need for the country,” said Representative Tom Malinowski, a Democrat from a swing district in New Jersey. “So the best thing we can do in Congress is to pass these damned bills, immediately.”
Asked on Wednesday whether the Democratic loss in Virginia changed the House’s agenda, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, “No, no.”
A number of other notable races remained unresolved.
The race for mayor of Atlanta was headed to a runoff. Felicia Moore, the City Council president, was the top vote-getter. But it remained unclear whom she would face in the runoff; Andre Dickens, a councilman, was vying with Kasim Reed, a former mayor trying to make a comeback, for the other spot in the runoff.
In Seattle, a Republican candidate for city attorney and a pro-police candidate for mayor each held large leads, as voters appeared to reject rivals who had sought more aggressive overhauls of policing and the criminal justice system.
If the results hold, Seattle would elect a Republican to citywide office for the first time in three decades, with a city attorney candidate, Ann Davison, who has vowed more prosecutions for low-level crimes in a traditionally liberal city grappling with homelessness.
The debate over policing also figured prominently in the race for mayor, with one candidate, Lorena González, endorsing steep cuts to the police budget last year and another, Bruce Harrell, advocating for the hiring of more officers. Early results showed Mr. Harrell in the lead.
Gov. Philip D. Murphy of New Jersey thanked his supporters and told them more time was needed to determine the winner of the governor’s race because it was too close to call.
Thank you all so much for sticking around. Well, we’re going to have to wait a little while longer than we had hoped. We’re going to wait for every vote to be counted and that’s how our democracy works. We’re all sorry that tonight could not yet be the celebration we wanted it to be. But as I said, when every vote is counted and every vote will be counted, we hope to have a celebration. Again, thank you all. May God bless you all, and may God continue to bless the great state of New Jersey and the United States of America.
Gov. Philip D. Murphy of New Jersey thanked his supporters and told them more time was needed to determine the winner of the governor’s race because it was too close to call.CreditCredit…Bryan Anselm for The New York Times
Gov. Philip D. Murphy pulled ahead of his Republican challenger, Jack Ciattarelli, on Wednesday in the race for governor of New Jersey, but the contest was still too close to call and was emboldening national Republicans.
Mr. Murphy, a Democrat in his first term, trailed by more than 50,000 votes at one point after the polls closed on Tuesday night, an unexpected deficit in a race that a recent Monmouth University poll had him leading by 11 points.
But Mr. Ciattarelli’s once significant lead evaporated as results trickled in from Democratic strongholds, especially those in northern New Jersey like Essex County, which includes Newark. By Wednesday afternoon, Mr. Murphy held a slim 15,000-vote margin.
Central to the delay in calling the race is the number of outstanding mail ballots and provisional ballots still to be tabulated, with both campaigns looking at tranches of votes that had yet to be counted across the state.
This year, New Jersey did not permit local election officials to begin “preprocesssing” ballots — which includes opening, verifying and scanning ballots — until Election Day, causing a massive backlog of more than 520,000 mail ballots to be counted in a single day. During the 2020 election in New Jersey, officials were allowed to begin processing 10 days before Election Day, which ensured a much smoother tabulation process.
New voting laws and voting equipment in use for the first time in the 2021 election also sparked confusion among both election workers and voters. New electronic poll books proved confusing for workers, forcing some voters to have to cast a provisional ballot. Other voters brought their mail ballot to their precincts, a voting method permitted in 2020 but not in 2021. Those voters were then forced to vote provisionally.
Coupled with high turnout, the slog of tabulation has left the result of the governor’s race, as well as multiple state legislative elections, unknown nearly 20 hours after polls closed in New Jersey.
According to the Murphy campaign on Wednesday afternoon, there are at least 30,000 mail ballots from multiple counties where the governor performed well that haven’t been counted, as well as results from in-person votes from 50 precincts in Essex County, another Democratic stronghold.
The Ciattarelli campaign is looking at 15,000 mail ballots that they say are outstanding in Monmouth County, a Republican stronghold. However, Democrats have fared better in mail returns across the state.
And both the campaigns and election officials expect the number of provisional ballots to be in the tens of thousands.
Democrats expressed optimism that Mr. Murphy would prevail.
“My takeaway overall in this election is that people want action,” Representative Josh Gottheimer, Democrat of New Jersey, said during an appearance Wednesday on CNN. Mr. Gottheimer said. “They want results, and they deserve results.”
At about 12:30 a.m., both candidates took the stages at their election-night parties to tell supporters that the results of the contest would not be clear until all provisional and vote-by-mail ballots were counted.
“We’re all sorry that tonight could not yet be the celebration that we wanted it to be,” said Mr. Murphy, surrounded by his family in Asbury Park’s Convention Hall. “But as I said: When every vote is counted — and every vote will be counted — we hope to have a celebration again.”
Mr. Ciattarelli, 59, said much the same thing, but appeared far more relaxed after outperforming every public opinion poll conducted during the campaign in a state where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by nearly 1.1 million voters.
“We have sent a message to the entire country,” Mr. Ciattarelli told supporters gathered in Bridgewater. “But this is what I love about this state, if you study its history: Every single time it’s gone too far off track, the people of this state have pushed, pulled and prodded it right back to where it needs to be.”
Kevin Armstrong and Lauren Hard contributed reporting.
The victory for Byron W. Brown — a centrist and a lifelong Democrat — was a stinging rebuke for the left wing of the party, which had celebrated India Walton’s unlikely win in June.Credit…Malik Rainey for The New York Times
BUFFALO, N.Y. — In a shocking reversal of political fortune, Mayor Byron W. Brown of Buffalo has seemingly triumphed in a write-in campaign for a new term, besting India Walton, a democratic socialist who had stunned Mr. Brown in a primary in June and had drawn national attention as a champion of progressive values.
Ms. Walton — a first-time candidate — conceded on Wednesday afternoon. “It seems unlikely that we will end up with enough votes to inaugurate a Walton administration in January,” she wrote on Twitter.
Mr. Brown, 63, declared victory late Tuesday, as ballots rolled in and it became apparent that write-ins would carry the day: With all precincts reporting, just over 41 percent of votes were for Ms. Walton and 59 percent were marked for “write-in,” or 23,986 to 34,273.
Mr. Brown campaigned for a fifth term with a feisty campaign and the help of a varied coalition of conservative and moderate supporters, as well as the backing of several prominent labor unions and a plan to distribute tens of thousands of ink stamps bearing the mayor’s name to allow voters to ink his name on ballots.
The apparent win for Mr. Brown — a centrist and a lifelong Democrat — is a stinging rebuke for the left wing of the party, both nationally and in New York, which had celebrated Ms. Walton’s unlikely win in June with volunteers and prominent backers flocking to her campaign in recent months.
That included Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, as well as Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who represents parts of Queens and the Bronx but traveled to Buffalo last weekend to campaign on Ms. Walton’s behalf.
For all of that, Ms. Walton was likely hurt by her lack of help from state party leadership, as Gov. Kathy Hochul — a Buffalo native — and Jay S. Jacobs, the chairman of the New York State Democratic Committee, declined to endorse her.
And while Ms. Walton had begun to draw the support of more Democratic establishment figures like Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, she was unable to translate the energy of her surprising primary victory into a general election win. She could not match the power of Mr. Brown’s incumbency and a campaign that tapped into a more moderate base that he persuaded to get to the polls.
In many ways, Ms. Walton’s candidacy has underscored a deeper rift in the Democratic Party, which has seen moderates like President Biden and Eric Adams, the mayor-elect of New York City, repeatedly scuffle with more left-wing candidates and elected officials.
Ms. Walton, 39, would have been a trailblazing mayor, as the first woman and the first Black woman to lead New York’s second largest city, as well as the first socialist to lead a major American city in decades.
She has an evocative life story as a single mother and labor organizer, a narrative that she leaned on in advertisements, some of which were paid for by groups like Working Families Party, a labor-backed organization that often supports progressive candidates.
The strength of her primary campaign surprised Mr. Brown, who largely refused to acknowledge her candidacy, having won past campaigns comfortably in a city in which Democrats far outnumber Republicans.
The mayor’s blasé attitude changed radically, however, after Ms. Walton’s win, as he announced a write-in campaign, and attempted a legal push to get himself put on the ballot. That ballot effort failed after a pair of judges ruled against Mr. Brown in September. Still some political observers here predicted that Mr. Brown was the favorite, if only because of his 16 years in office and widespread name recognition.
Lauren D’Avolio and Dan Higgins contributed reporting from Buffalo.
Police Reform ‘Must Continue,’ Minneapolis Mayor Says
Mayor Jacob Frey, a Democrat who led the city when a police officer murdered George Floyd, was elected to a second term. Mr. Frey opposed efforts to abolish or replace the city’s police force.
We need deep and structural change to policing in America. [crowd clapping and cheering] And at the same time, we need police officers to make sure that they are working directly with community to keep us safe. There will be many that will try to argue that this is a blow to reform — that is dead wrong. [crowd clapping and cheering] Reform — reform has begun, but it must continue with the necessary — with understanding the magnitude of this particular moment, and making sure that we’re all, each and every one of us, rallying around the cause of change.
Mayor Jacob Frey, a Democrat who led the city when a police officer murdered George Floyd, was elected to a second term. Mr. Frey opposed efforts to abolish or replace the city’s police force.CreditCredit…Jenn Ackerman for The New York Times
MINNEAPOLIS — Mayor Jacob Frey, a Democrat who led Minneapolis when a police officer murdered George Floyd and the city was overwhelmed by rioting last year, was elected to a second term, The Associated Press projected on Wednesday. Mr. Frey also had opposed efforts to abolish or replace the local police force.
The election in Minneapolis, an overwhelmingly Democratic city, was shaped by Mr. Floyd’s death in May 2020, by a sharp rise in homicides afterward and by disparate views on how to address public safety. Voters on Tuesday also rejectedan amendment to replace the city’s Police Department with a new safety agency focused on public health.
From the start, Mr. Frey, a former professional runner and City Council member, called for a more incremental approach to improving law enforcement. He supported efforts to hire mental health workers to respond to emergencies and to curtail some low-level police stops, while defending a need to maintain a Police Department.
“We’ve got to stop this pendulum from swinging violently back and forth between defund and abolish the police on one side, and do nothing, status quo on the other,” Mr. Frey said in an interview before the election. “Those are not the two options.”
But Minneapolis had been shaken by police shootings and protests before, and many residents said that little seemed to change. When Mr. Frey won his first term four years ago, he pledged to improve police-community relations that had been frayed by the killings of Jamar Clark, a Black man fatally shot in 2015 during a fight with officers, and Justine Ruszczyk, a white woman whose death in 2017 led to an officer being convicted of manslaughter.
Sheila Nezhad, one of Mr. Frey’s challengers, worked as a street medic during the unrest last year and supported the amendment to replace the police force. Ms. Nezhad said Mr. Frey had failed to rise to the moment and listen to the demands of protesters.
“People took to the streets because their voices were not being heard through the quote-unquote ‘appropriate’ channels, through city government,” Ms. Nezhad said. “Whatever we do next has to make sure that we have as many voices included as possible.”
Though more than a dozen candidates ran against him, Mr. Frey retained significant support among Minneapolis residents wary of reinventing or downsizing the police force. On the city’s North Side, where shootings have been a fact of life, the Rev. Jerry McAfee criticized how the mayor had engaged with community groups, but said he still preferred him to the wide field of challengers.
“Jacob is still the best person,” Mr. McAfee said. “The other ones that they’re trying to push, they’re going to push this agenda of basically defunding the police, and I’m not with that.”
Glenn Youngkin greeted supporters at a hotel in Chantilly, Va., on Tuesday. He will be the state’s first Republican governor in more than a decade.Credit…Melissa Lyttle for The New York Times
A year after voters elected President Biden and pushed Republicans fully out of power in Washington, the G.O.P. rebounded with a strong election night on Tuesday, highlighted by Glenn Youngkin’s victory in Virginia’s governor’s race.
Here is a run-down of election results from some of the closely watched races around the country on Tuesday.
The victory by Mr. Youngkin, a first-time candidate in one of only two gubernatorial races before next year’s midterm election, may provide his party with a formula for how to exploit President Biden’s vulnerabilities and evade the shadow of former President Donald J. Trump in Democratic-leaning states.
New Jersey governor’s race
Former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, a moderate Republican, surprised many analysts with a strong showing in the race for governor in New Jersey against Gov. Philip D. Murphy, a Democrat seeking a second term who was ahead in most public polling before Tuesday’s contest.
By late Wednesday morning, Mr. Murphy had pulled ahead of Mr. Ciattarelli, but the race was still too close to call.
New York City
In the city’s mayoral race, Eric Adams, a former police captain and Brooklyn borough president, easily dispatched his long shot Republican candidate, Curtis Sliwa, to become only the second Black person elected mayor in the city’s history.
And Alvin Bragg was elected Manhattan district attorney. He will become the first Black person to lead the influential office, which handles tens of thousands of cases a year and is conducting a high-profile investigation into former President Donald J. Trump and his family business.
Boston mayor’s race
Michelle Wu easily defeated City Councilor Annissa Essaibi George to become the first woman, first person of color and first person of Asian descent to be elected mayor in Boston. The city has been led by an unbroken string of Irish American or Italian American men since the 1930s.
Minneapolis police ballot item
Minneapolis residents rejected an amendment that called for replacing the city’s long-troubled Police Department with a new Department of Public Safety, The Associated Press projected.
The ballot item emerged from anger after a Minneapolis police officer murdered George Floyd last year, galvanizing residents who saw the policing system as irredeemably broken.
Buffalo mayor’s race
Mayor Byron W. Brown of Buffalo, an incumbent four-term Democrat, declared victory on Tuesday night in his write-in campaign to defeat his own party’s official nominee, India Walton. On Wednesday afternoon, Ms. Walton, a democratic socialist, conceded.
San Antonio state seat
A Democratic stronghold in San Antonio flipped to a Republican in a runoff for a seat in the Texas House on Tuesday.
John Lujan, a 59-year-old retired firefighter who had briefly held the seat before, beat Frank Ramirez, a 27-year-old former legislative aide, by fewer than 300 votes, according to a tally released by the Bexar County Elections Department. About 70 percent of the largely working-class families Mr. Lujan will represent, in the 118th District, identify as Hispanic.
“This speaks loudly that people are concerned about conservative values,” Mr. Lujan told his supporters. “You know, we want to secure our border, we want to grow our economy.”
Abdullah Hammoud was elected mayor of Dearborn, Mich., on Tuesday. He is one of a number of successful candidates across the United States who represent firsts for their roles.Credit…Robin Buckson/Detroit News, via Associated Press
Voters in cities across the country made milestone choices on Election Day, elevating Asian Americans, Arab Americans, African Americans and women to top municipal offices.
That was particularly true for three cities in the Detroit area, which chose Muslim and Arab Americans as mayors for the first time. The area is home to some of the country’s largest Muslim and Arab American communities.
In Dearborn, Wayne County’s unofficial election results showed Abdullah Hammoud, a 31-year-old state Democratic lawmaker and the child of Lebanese immigrants, with 55 percent of the vote.
In Hamtramck, whose City Council in 2015 became the first in the country to have a Muslim majority, Amer Ghalib, a 42-year-old health care worker who immigrated from Yemen, defeated the longtime incumbent, Karen Majewski. Mr. Ghalib will be Hamtramck’s first mayor in a century who is not Polish, according to The Detroit Free Press.
In Dearborn Heights, the mayor, Bill Bazzi, a 58-year-old Lebanese immigrant who was appointed to his position by the City Council, was elected to a full term.
Among the other milestone elections across the country, according to news reports:
Ann Davison, left, is leading her opponent, Nicole Thomas-Kennedy, right, in the race for city attorney in Seattle.Credit…via Associated Press
A Republican candidate for city attorney and a pro-police candidate for mayor each held large leads in Seattle’s election on Wednesday, as voters appeared to reject rivals who had sought more aggressive overhauls of policing and the criminal justice system.
If the results hold, Seattle would elect a Republican to citywide office for the first time in three decades, with a city attorney candidate, Ann Davison, who has vowed more prosecutions for low-level crimes in a traditionally liberal city grappling with homelessness.
Ms. Davison was running against Nicole Thomas-Kennedy, who had praised those who perpetrated property destruction during last year’s policing protests and has called for eventually abolishing the criminal justice system as it is currently structured. Ms. Davison held a lead with 58 percent of the vote on Wednesday morning.
The debate over policing also featured prominently in the race for mayor, with one candidate, Lorena González, endorsing steep cuts to the police budget last year and another, Bruce Harrell, advocating for hiring more officers. Early results showed Mr. Harrell in the lead with 65 percent of the vote.
The results were not yet conclusive, with many votes left to be counted in an all-mail voting system in which ballots can be postmarked on Election Day. Later votes historically skew toward more liberal candidates, sometimes changing results by double digits but not to the degree that would close the gaps shown in Tuesday’s results.
In a city that typically elects only Democrats, Ms. Davison entered the city attorney’s race after having switched last year to the Republican Party. She recorded a “WalkAway” video for a social media campaign led by Brandon Straka, a prominent Trump supporter who pleaded guilty this year to disorderly conduct during the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. But Ms. Davison worked to distance herself from the national Republican Party leadership, saying she voted for President Biden in the 2020 election.
Ms. Thomas-Kennedy, a self-described “abolitionist,” had vowed to pursue fewer prosecutions of misdemeanor crimes. Last year, during racial justice protests, she had posted on Twitter about her “rabid hatred” of the police and called property destruction “a moral imperative.”
While the city’s major Democratic groups endorsed Ms. Thomas-Kennedy, some prominent leaders in the party broke ranks to endorse Ms. Davison, including former two former governors, Gary Locke and Christine Gregoire.
Seattle’s elections are technically nonpartisan, but many candidates run with a party preference. The last Republican to serve as mayor left office in 1969. The last Republican to serve as city attorney departed in 1989. And the last Republican to serve on the City Council left office in 1991.
Along with policing, the race for mayor focused on the issue of homelessness in a region that has seen years of soaring housing prices. Researchers have counted a 50 percent increase in tents within the urban core since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Mr. Harrell, a former member of the City Council, has called for removing homeless encampments from public spaces. Ms. González, the current Council president, said she would not pursue forced removals from city parks. Both have said they want more shelters and alternative housing.
In Leadville, Co., voters approved a new 3 percent tax on visitors staying in hotels, motels and short-term rentals.Credit…Rachel Woolf for The New York Times
A slew of initiatives aimed at the addressing the nation’s housing crisis passed on Tuesday, a test run for ballot choices in 2022 as more cities and states take aim at rising rents, a continued explosion in short-term rentals and the depressed housing stock nationwide.
The epicenter of the action was in the West, particularly in Colorado, where housing prices have skyrocketed in recent years, with short-term rentals helping lead the way. In Leadville, a scenic former silver mining town, voters overwhelmingly approved a new 3 percent tax on visitors staying in hotels, motels and short-term rentals, which will be used to create more affordable housing.
Measures to increase fees on short-term rentals passed in Telluride, Avon and Ouray; Vail approved a sales tax increase for housing.
“If folks want to play in the beautiful mountains of Colorado, then individuals must also be able to live and work in those same towns,” said Corrine Rivera Fowler, the director of policy and legal advocacy at the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center.
Other cities and counties around the country passed similar initiatives. In coastal Lincoln County, Ore., where tourism is a major economic driver, the sole item on the ballot was a measure that would require the phasing out of short-term rental homes in unincorporated residential areas — and it prevailed in spite of a large spending campaign by opposing groups. Houses used for short-term rentals have pushed up rents n tourist towns, making them unaffordable for workers. In some cities, houses targeting short-term rentals have been built faster than cheaper units for lower-income residents.
In both Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn., residents approved rent-controlmeasures, and in Boston, Michelle Wu won the mayor’s race after calling for a form of rent control.
Other cities approved funding measures such as bond issues or dedicated tax revenue for housing. In Albuquerque, voters approved new bonds that would finance the construction and rehabilitation of low- and moderate-income housing.
Experts expect more of the same in the next election cycles.
“As housing availability decreases and housing costs increase in cities, especially big cities across many states, voters will continue to see more housing-related measures on the ballot,” said Josh Altic, the ballot measures project director at Ballotpedia.
Glenn Youngkin after defeating Terry McAuliffe in Virginia on Tuesday.Credit…Melissa Lyttle for The New York Times
Glenn Youngkin, a Republican business executive, marched to victory in Tuesday’s election, delivering his party the governorship of Virginia and highlighting a strong night for Republicans less than a year after voters pushed them fully out of power in the nation’s capital.
The outcome in Virginia, combined with an unexpectedly close contest in New Jersey, where the governor’s race remained too close to call, delivered a jolt of encouragement for Republicans and a stark warning sign for the Democrats less than 10 months into President Biden’s term.
Here are five takeaways from Tuesday’s contests and what the results could mean for 2022, when control of the House, Senate and 36 governorships will be on the ballot:
Youngkin’s success across the state offers a G.O.P. pathway.
Republicans suffered repeated down-ballot losses in the past four years, as the party grappled with how to motivate a base deeply yoked to Donald J. Trump without alienating the suburban voters who came to reject the former president’s divisive style of politics.
Mr. Youngkin pulled off something of a surprise and rare feat: He drove up the Republican margins in white and rural parts of the state further than Mr. Trump had, cutting into the edge of the Democratic nominee, former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, in suburban areas. He even flipped some key counties entirely.
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Circle size is proportional to the amount each county’s leading candidate is ahead
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Mr. Youngkin had campaigned heavily on education and seized on Mr. McAuliffe’s remark that he didn’t “believe parents should be telling schools what they should teach.” Mr. Youngkin used the comment, made during a debate, as an entryway to hammer his rival on issues like race and transgender rights in schools. The issues simultaneously motivated the G.O.P. base while casting the matter to moderates as an issue of parental rights.
All politics are presidential. But Biden loomed larger than Trump.
To the extent that the Youngkin victory provided a fresh G.O.P. blueprint, the surprisingly strong showing in New Jersey by the Republican candidate, Jack Ciattarelli, who was virtually tied with Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, made plain that the political environment had seriously degraded for Democrats nationally.
A national NBC News poll in late October showed that 45 percent of registered voters approved of the job Mr. Biden was doing, compared with 52 percent who disapproved.
Such diminished standing offered Republicans an opportunity even in traditionally blue territory.
Strategists in both parties said that the Virginia race was heavily shaped by Mr. Biden’s falling approval rating, and that the downward Democratic trajectory had begun when the president stumbled through the troubled pullout of American troops from Afghanistan.
Mr. McAuliffe and the Democrats never recovered.
The G.O.P. margins make it even more worrisome for Democrats in 2022.
The headline, of course, is that Mr. Youngkin won. But for political strategists focused on the midterms in 2022, his final margin is every bit as revealing about the trajectory of the two parties.
Because Mr. Biden carried Virginia by 10 percentage points in 2020, a Youngkin victory represents a Republican improvement of more than 10 percentage points in exactly one year.
Just as worrisome for the Democrats is that of the 36 governorships up for grabs in 2022, eight are now held by Democrats in states that had a smaller Democratic margin of victory in 2020 than Virginia, according to an election memo for donors from the Republican Governors Association. That list includes three of the most crucial presidential battlegrounds: Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.
The political middle still matters.
The American electorate is increasingly polarized, and a shrinking sliver of voters oscillates between the two major parties. But those voters still matter. For every vote that flips to the other side, a campaign must find two new voters to make up for the lost ground.
For years, it was the Democrats in Virginia who were obsessed with cutting into the margins in Republican strongholds and the suburbs.
Yet in 2021, Mr. McAuliffe ran as a mainline Democrat. He deployed Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Barack Obama and Stacey Abrams in a bid to rally his party’s partisan faithful.
If Mr. McAuliffe was seemingly singularly obsessed with his base, the Youngkin campaign homed in on an issue that Democrats typically dominate: education. That focus helped him make incursions into Democratic territory.
Democratic ideological factions face off in cities.
Several municipal races pitted the progressive and moderate wings of the Democratic Party. The contests offered mixed results.
In Buffalo, India Walton, who was seeking to become a rare democratic socialist elected to a mayoralty, conceded to Mayor Byron W. Brown, who waged a write-in campaign to keep his job after losing to Ms. Walton in the Democratic primary.
In Minneapolis, voters rejected an amendment to transform the city’s Police Department into a new Department of Public Safety. At the same time, the city’s moderate Democratic mayor, Jacob Frey, won a second term.
In Seattle, Bruce Harrell, a former City Council president, was leading his more progressive rival, Lorena González.
The left did score some wins. In Boston, Michelle Wu, who was running with the backing of progressives, won the mayor’s race. And in Cleveland, Justin Bibb, a 34-year-old with progressive backing, is set to become mayor as well.
Democrats are concerned that the failure to pass President Biden’s agenda or make good on his campaign promise of overcoming the pandemic has fueled voter dissatisfaction.Credit…Erin Schaff/The New York Times
President Biden returned from his second foreign trip since taking office aiming to celebrate the return of American leadership on the global stage and hoping for Democratic victories in key elections in Virginia and New Jersey. It didn’t work out like that.
Instead, just as Mr. Biden stepped off Air Force One early Wednesday morning, Glenn Youngkin delivered a victory speech as the first Republican to win the governorship of Virginia in more than a decade. In New Jersey, an unexpectedly strong Republican showing against Gov. Philip D. Murphy made the race too close to call. And a central piece of Mr. Biden’s agenda remained stalled after Senator Joe Manchin III, Democrat of West Virginia, raised new doubts about what was thought to be an agreement over a $1.85 trillion climate change and social safety net bill.
The political losses meant that within hours, Mr. Biden went from celebrating the reassertion of American credibility in Rome to contending with growing anxiety in his own party back home.
The results in Virginia and New Jersey did not just expose the party’s limitations in relying on anti-Trump sentiment to galvanize voters, but also highlighted a growing concern for Democrats and the White House: that the failure to pass Mr. Biden’s agenda or make good on his campaign promise of overcoming the pandemic had fueled dissatisfaction among voters.
Mr. Biden’s approval rating has declined across the board in recent months amid concerns about rising inflation, a seemingly everlasting pandemic, the United States’ botched withdrawal from Afghanistan and an increase in immigrant crossings at the southwest border.
In a sign of the administration’s need for a victory, Mr. Biden made a last-minute visit to Capitol Hill on Thursday just before flying to Europe to implore a fractured Democratic Party to embrace his spending package, which would invest in universal prekindergarten, child care and combating climate change.
But Mr. Biden faced challenges even as he traveled to the Group of 20 summit last week, as House liberals demanded legislative language and assurances from key Senate centrists that they would back the larger social spending package before the liberals would vote for a separate, Senate-passed $1 trillion infrastructure investment. Then, this week, after liberals signaled support for votes on both bills, one of the Senate holdouts — Mr. Manchin — delivered a blistering news conference outlining his concerns with the larger package and saying he would not be pressured by their demands.
That left Mr. Biden without a major piece of his domestic agenda that he could use to rally foreign allies, and it left Democrats without a win they could promote to voters.
Terry McAuliffe, the Democratic nominee for governor of Virginia, had begged the White House and Speaker Nancy Pelosi to push for the passage of the infrastructure bill.
“The people have spoken,” Ms. Pelosi said on Wednesday.
Asked whether the Democratic loss changed the House’s agenda, she added, “No, no.”
Mr. Biden did try to help in the election, traveling to Virginia days before his foreign trip in an effort to increase turnout among Democrats.
The president barely mentioned the infrastructure and social spending proposals. And instead of relaying a concrete message from the Democratic Party, he focused on criticizing his predecessor, former President Donald J. Trump.
That proved ineffective, as Republicans won the statewide election for the first time since 2009.
In Buffalo, India Walton appeared to be headed to a defeat after the long-serving moderate Democratic mayor ran a write-in campaign aided by Republican voters.Credit…Libby March for The New York Times
In Southern Brooklyn, a New York City Council seat long held by Democrats flipped to Republican control. On Wednesday morning, two other Democratic seats nearby still hung in the balance, including a race where the incumbent — a likely candidate for Council speaker — was trailing.
On Long Island, Democrats were wiped out at every level of government.
And in Buffalo, a democratic socialist who had been hailed by left-wing leaders as a future face of the party appeared to be headed to a defeat after the long-serving moderate Democratic mayor ran a write-in campaign aided by Republican voters.
As national Democrats grappled with losing the Virginia governor’s race and confronted a far closer race than expected for governor of New Jersey, New York Democrats of varying ideological stripes were dealt one stunning blow after the next on election night. While Eric Adams and fellow Democrats easily won races to retain control of City Hall and the City Council overall, Republicans made significant inroads across a state perceived by much of the country to be a liberal stronghold.
Statewide, voters appear to have soundly rejected a pair of constitutional amendments meant to liberalize access to the ballot in future elections — a major national priority for the party — that Democrats had believed would sail to approval. Democrats were left to grapple Wednesday morning with how they lost so many local seats that had been safely in their corner for years, with the potential for the greatest Republican presence on the New York City Council since Rudolph W. Giuliani was mayor.
And to Democrats already worried about next year’s midterms, there were abundant warning signs that the moderate suburbs that had increasingly shifted left in the Trump era were going to be far more difficult to maintain without a polarizing Republican president on the ballot.
“There’s no way to sugarcoat this: This was a shellacking on a thumping,” said former Representative Steve Israel of New York, a former chair of the House Democratic campaign arm.
Nowhere was that clearer than on Long Island, where Democrats lost a pair of district attorney races, a county executive who had been widely seen as a strong incumbent was trailing her Republican opponent Wednesday morning and other local seats tilted toward Republicans.
Election night winners clockwise from left: Michelle Wu in Boston; Glenn Youngkin in Virginia; Shontel Brown in Ohio; Alvin Bragg and Eric Adams in New York City. Credit: The New York Times and AP (Brown)
Fears about Black voter turnout and a lack of enthusiasm did not materialize in Tuesday’s results.Credit…Kenny Holston for The New York Times
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Democrats across Virginia expressed profound disappointment on Wednesday after Republicans romped to an unlikely victory in the governor’s race, an ominous sign for the Democratic Party ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
But one group refused to be blamed for the party’s poor showing: Black voters and elected officials.
Fears about Black turnout and a lack of enthusiasm did not materialize in Tuesday’s results, as former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat, ran close to expected totals in the state’s majority-Black areas. Instead, Black state leaders and voters who backed Mr. McAuliffe said the results were a sign that the party could not rely on minority voters to cover its cratering totals in more white areas of the state, particularly in rural communities that voted heavily for Glenn Youngkin, the Republican businessman who won the governor’s race.
“I believe that Black voters are easily the first target for when things don’t go for how they want it to go,” said Marcia Price, a member of the Virginia House of Delegates who won re-election.
“It’s a trash take to look at us and not the middle,” she said. “The middle said Youngkin is more palatable than Trump and they were willing to take a chance with him.”
Ms. Price’s words reflect a sense among the state’s Black political class that communities of color are often blamed when Democrats lose.
At the grass-roots level, voters in Newport News also said that their support for Mr. McAuliffe did not mean they were satisfied with the performance of Democrats in Washington.
Several voters cited a radio advertisement that had been playing on local stations saying Black voters should not back Mr. McAuliffe because Democrats cared about Black communities only during election season. They rejected the ad’s plea to stay home but said the general theme resonated, and they urged Democrats in Congress to pass bold legislation on President Biden’s core campaign promises, including climate change, police reform and economic investments in Black communities.
“A lot of people are upset with Biden,” said William Joyner, a 54-year-old Democrat. “We have high gas prices. Everything is so expensive right now.”
He added, “Biden made promises to Black people he hasn’t kept yet.”
Tony McCright, 68, who also voted for Mr. McAuliffe, said there was a sense among Black voters that they were voting for Democrats only out of necessity.
“Republicans are happy to come together to do the wrong thing,” Mr. McCright said, “but Democrats never come together to do the right thing.”
A rally for Glenn Youngkin on Monday in Leesburg, Va. Hours after the governor’s race was called for Mr. Youngkin, former President Donald J. Trump claimed credit.Credit…Cliff Owen/Associated Press
CHANTILLY, Va. — Former President Donald J. Trump never appeared in public with Glenn Youngkin, Virginia’s new Republican governor-elect. Other than delivering a six-minute speech during a conference call with supporters on Monday and issuing a few written statements, Mr. Trump was not that involved in Mr. Youngkin’s campaign.
But that did not stop him and his supporters from claiming, mere hours after the race was called, that Mr. Youngkin could not have won the election without the former president and his legions of supporters.
A little after 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Mr. Trump called into the John Fredericks Radio Show and, in typically grandiose fashion, claimed most of the credit.
“Without MAGA, he would have lost by 15 points or more,” Mr. Trump said, referring to the shorthand he and his supporters use for the Trump movement. “Instead of giving us credit, they say, ‘Oh he’s more popular than Trump.’ It’s unbelievable.”
Mr. Fredericks, who served as Mr. Trump’s Virginia campaign chairman during his presidential campaigns, said multiple times during the interview that he agreed. “If there was no Trump in this election, there’s no Glenn Youngkin,” he said.
Mr. Trump endorsed Mr. Youngkin in a news release in May — but only after the Republican had secured his party’s nomination. The two men did not know each other and are not close. Republicans were concerned that the former president’s interference in the race could cost Mr. Youngkin in a state that voted for Mr. Biden by 10 percentage points.
Mr. Youngkin kept his distance from Mr. Trump even as he leaned into issues that are popular with Trump supporters, including exaggerated claims of lax security around elections.
After the interview, Mr. Trump’s office issued a single-sentence news release. It was Mr. Fredericks’s comment about the former president’s supposedly pivotal role in the race.
Joseph Van Pelt Elementary School in Bristol, Va. Education in Virginia has continued to be disrupted this year by occasional quarantines and classroom closures to contain the coronavirus.Credit…Clark Hodgin for The New York Times
Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, campaigned heavily on education — and in opposition to what he called “critical race theory” — in his successful campaign for Virginia governor against the Democrat Terry McAuliffe. But Mr. Youngkin also made an issue of the state’s handling of schooling during the pandemic, which may have played a part in his win.
“Virginia’s excessive and extended school closures ravaged student advancement and well-being,” he wrote in an opinion piece for Fox News just before the election.
Last year, districts in Virginia, led by Governor Ralph Northam, a Democrat, were some of the last to reopen classrooms full-time.
While some parents supported the cautious approach — driven by teachers’ unions, school boards and some administrators — others became frustrated and angry, especially in suburban counties like Fairfax and Arlington.
And national and state teachers’ union leaders drew public ire for slowing reopening timelines even after educators were given early access to the vaccine.
Hostility toward teachers’ unions has been a problem for Democrats like Mr. McAuliffe, since the party is closely tied to organized labor. In the final days of the campaign, Mr. McAuliffe appeared with Randi Weingarten, the powerful president of the American Federation of Teachers, which drew rebukes from Republicans.
Schools are open this year, but that has not neutralized the issue. Education in Virginia, and in other states, has continued to be disrupted by occasional quarantines and classroom closures to contain the coronavirus.
Some parents have become fed up with their children learning in masks. A smaller group has also loudly resisted vaccine mandates for student athletes, which some districts, like Fairfax County, require.
Parents angry over how schools have operated during the pandemic span the political spectrum, from lifelong liberal Democrats to activist Trump supporters. But on the right, the issue has been a potent way to energize voters who are also angry about other cultural issues in schools, namely, efforts to teach a more critical history of race in America.
The strategy is not new. For many decades, conservatives have used white grievance politics around education to energize their base.
Mr. Youngkin seized on Mr. McAuliffe’s remark that he didn’t “believe parents should be telling schools what they should teach.” Mr. Youngkin used the comment, made during a debate, as an entryway to hammer his rival for supporting efforts that would help address racial inequities in schools — including changes to the curriculum, discipline policies and diversifying the teaching staff.
“This is no longer a campaign,” Mr. Youngkin said. “It is a movement being led by Virginia’s parents.”
Kevin Brobson, a Commonwealth Court judge, at a polling site in Harrisburg, Pa., on Tuesday. He prevailed in his bid for a seat on the state’s Supreme Court vacated by a fellow Republican. Credit…Marc Levy/Associated Press
Even without presidential contenders fanning out across the state, Pennsylvania presented one of the biggest prizes in this year’s elections, one influencing everything from the governor’s coronavirus powers to redistricting — a seat on the state’s Supreme Court.
On Tuesday, P. Kevin Brobson, a Republican and a Commonwealth Court judge, defeated Maria McLaughlin, a Democrat and a Superior Court judge, in a fiercely contested race for a seat vacated by a Republican. The candidates raised more than $5 million, much from special interests.
The election protected one of the two seats Republicans control on the seven-member court in Pennsylvania, which is one of a handful of states that elect rather than appoint their Supreme Court justices.
While judicial races often fly under the radar, they are hugely consequential.
In Pennsylvania over the past few years, the Supreme Court has redrawn the state’s congressional districts, throwing away a Republican gerrymander and contributing to Democrats’ net gain of four House seats there in 2018. It has also upheld an emergency declaration that enabled Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, to issue stay-at-home orders and other restrictions in response to the pandemic; allowed Pittsburgh to enact a paid sick leave law; and slapped down a Republican lawsuit seeking to invalidate mail-in ballots in the 2020 election.
Given the persistence of efforts by former President Donald J. Trump and his allies to delegitimize the voting process, more election-related cases are likely to come before the court. So might one or more cases challenging Pennsylvania Republicans’ efforts to subpoena voters’ personal information in their bid for a partisan review of the 2020 election results. The court is also expected to decide whether Pennsylvania’s Medicaid program must cover abortion without restrictions.
Republicans also won judicial races in lower courts. Megan Sullivan beat Timika Lane, a Democrat, for a seat on the state’s Superior Court. Stacy Wallace, a Republican, finished first among four candidates for two seats on the Commonwealth Court. Another Republican, Drew Crompton, who was seeking a permanent seat on the court, was leading the two Democrats in that race.
Glenn Youngkin won by making broad gains over Democrats in every part of the state, across every demographic group.Credit…Melissa Lyttle for The New York Times
Over the last two decades, American politics has steadily polarized along urban and rural lines, with Democrats running up the score in well-educated metropolitan areas and Republicans making gains in the countryside.
For one night in Virginia, that trend did not continue.
In a departure from recent demographic trends, there weren’t really any notable demographic trends in Virginia at all.
Glenn Youngkin, the Republican candidate for governor, won by making broad gains over Democrats in every part of the state and, apparently, across every demographic group. He gained in the cities, the suburbs and rural areas. He gained in the east and west. He made inroads in precincts with both white and nonwhite voters.
It’s an unusually simple picture for such a noteworthy result. When a candidate outperforms expectations, it’s often accompanied by a big breakthrough among a particular demographic group; when a candidate disappoints, they still usually have a few bright spots. There were no bright spots for the Democratic candidate, Terry McAuliffe, but no breakthroughs for Mr. Youngkin, either.
The broad shift to the right could indicate widespread revulsion against Democrats, or it could simply be a sign that longstanding trends have finally run their course. Or perhaps it’s because Mr. Youngkin adopted a message that appealed to the kinds of voters who have gradually been fleeing the Republican Party.
Whatever the reason, it makes it harder to tell the usual story about why Democrats lost on Tuesday.
Vito Perillo, believed to be the oldest mayor in the country, has said he does not want to be known for his age.Credit…Bryan Anselm for The New York Times
In a milestone Election Day for mayoral races around the country, a 97-year-old World War II veteran in New Jersey won his second term in his borough’s top municipal office.
Vito Perillo bested three opponents in the nonpartisan race for mayor of Tinton Falls, a small borough a few miles off the Jersey Shore, with 40 percent of the votes.
Though there is no official record-keeping, Mr. Perillo is believed to be the oldest mayor in the country. When he leaves office, he will be 101.
“Today I stopped to think about why people might vote for me. Maybe it’s because I’m a WWII veteran, or an ‘old guy’ (hopefully not),” Mr. Perillo wrote on Facebook. “My hope, however, is that it’s because you see that I care about our town and the people who live in it above anything else.”
Mr. Perillo made his first run for political office in 2017, and in a surprise, he ousted the borough’s former police chief and two-term incumbent mayor. He was motivated in part by high property taxes and a whistle-blower lawsuit involving the Police Department that cost his town $1.1 million.
The agenda that Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin laid out in his acceptance speech echoed the light-on-specifics platform he ran on.Credit…Melissa Lyttle for The New York Times
Politically, Democrats view the Virginia election result as a sign that the sky is falling.
In terms of how life shifts under a new Republican governor, however, Virginians may find the outcome much more mundane.
The agenda that Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin laid out in his acceptance speech early Wednesday morning echoed the light-on-specifics platform he ran on, promising Virginians “a commonwealth of high expectations,’’ but mostly sketching out minor-key changes that might not affect everyday life that much.
Notably, Mr. Youngkin, who sought to appeal to suburban moderates, never shaped his candidacy around repealing the bulk of the sweeping liberal agenda that Democrats have passed since taking full control in Richmond last year. Democrats ended the death penalty, raised the minimum wage to $15, broadly expanded voting rights and introduced gun safety measures such as universal background checks.
With the House of Delegates likely to end up with a Republican majority, it can be counted on to introduce bills next year to reverse those progressive laws. But they will meet resistance in the State Senate, where Democrats retain control.
Mr. Youngkin’s major campaign message, to give parents more input to schools, is both broadly popular and highly vague. Parents already elect school boards that choose the curriculum of their local schools.
Likewise, the incoming governor’s promise to ban critical race theory may have little practical effect, educators say, because it is not taught in K-12 schools, nor does it shape curriculums.
More specific education items on Mr. Youngkin’s punch list, such as raising teacher salaries and creating 20 new charter schools, must pass the General Assembly. Kirk Cox, a former Republican speaker of the House of Delegates, who is a retired teacher, predicted both initiatives would have a good shot in a “holistic” education package in the legislature, along with Mr. Youngkin’s proposal to have a police officer in every school.
Mr. Youngkin’s most concrete agenda is aimed at stimulating the economy, including ending a sales tax on groceries, doubling the standard deduction on state income taxes and paying a one-time rebate of $300 to individuals. Each item will have to pass via the state budget that requires lawmakers’ approval.
Richard Saslaw, the Democratic majority leader of the Senate, said zeroing out the grocery tax and other revenue sources would lower the money the state has to spend, including on Youngkin proposals for higher pay for teachers and police officers.
“We have to see what all the numbers look like,’’ Mr. Saslaw said. “We’re not the federal government, we don’t have a printing press.”
Felicia Moore is waiting to hear whom she will compete against in a runoff for mayor of Atlanta: Kasim Reed, a former two-term mayor, or Andre Dickens, a councilman.Credit…Kendrick Brinson for The New York Times
Not all of the people eagerly awaiting the outcomes of Tuesday’s elections live in New Jersey.
But the outcomes of those races seem clearer than Atlanta’s. As of Wednesday afternoon, two staunchly pro-police candidates, Bruce Harrell for mayor and Ann Davison for city attorney, were well ahead of Lorena González, who called last year for a 50 percent cut in the police budget, and Nicole Thomas-Kennedy, who wants to overhaul the criminal justice system.
Later votes historically favor liberal candidates, sometimes enough to swing results by double digits, but most likely not to the degree needed to close the gaps in these races. Ms. Davison would be the first Republican elected to citywide office in Seattle in three decades.
