New Jersey politics just went through a meat grinder. If you’ve lived here long enough, you know the drill: the state looks deep blue on a national map, but the local reality is way more of a messy, purple mosaic. The most recent nj county election results from the 2024 general and the 2025 gubernatorial cycle have basically set the old playbook on fire.
Kamala Harris won the state in 2024, sure. But she won it by less than 6 points. Compare that to Joe Biden’s 16-point blowout in 2020, and you start to see why political consultants in Trenton are currently losing their minds. We aren't just talking about a "swing"; we're talking about the second-largest rightward shift in the entire country, trailing only New York.
The Night the Map Flipped
Passaic County was the gut punch. For years, Passaic was a reliable Democratic stronghold, but in 2024, it flipped red for Donald Trump. It wasn't some tiny fluke either. It was part of a massive surge in support among Hispanic and working-class voters in places like Paterson and Passaic City.
Then you’ve got Atlantic County. It’s always been a swingy spot, but Trump grabbed it by about 3 points this time. Even in deep-blue Bergen County, the margins shriveled. Towns like Lodi, Garfield, and the southern edge of the county—areas that used to be safe territory for Democrats—started looking a lot more like Republican territory.
Why? Honestly, it’s the economy. Everyone you talk to mentions the same thing: the price of eggs, the utility bills, and that feeling that their paycheck is being eaten alive by inflation. Micah Rasmussen over at Rider University’s Rebovich Institute pointed out that turnout was down in every single county. People weren't just changing their minds; some were just staying home, especially in Democratic bastions like Essex and Hudson.
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Mikie Sherrill and the 2025 Reset
Fast forward to the 2025 Governor’s race, and the vibe shifted again. After the 2024 "red scare," many thought Republican Jack Ciattarelli might actually pull it off this time. He’d come within 3 points of beating Phil Murphy in 2021, and with the 2024 momentum, the stage was set for a Republican takeover.
But the nj county election results from November 2025 told a different story. Mikie Sherrill, the former Navy pilot and Congresswoman, didn't just win; she won in a landslide—about 14 points.
Sherrill did something wild: she won Morris County. To put that in perspective, a Democrat hasn't won the Governor's race in Morris since 1973. She also came within single digits in Hunterdon County. While Trump was winning over working-class voters in the cities in '24, Sherrill was clawing back the suburbs in '25.
It’s a weird tug-of-war. Voters seem to be saying they’re okay with a moderate Democrat for the State House but are fed up with the national party’s direction.
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Down-Ballot Chaos: The Results You Missed
While everyone was staring at the top of the ticket, the local races were getting weird.
- Senate Surprise: Andy Kim won his Senate seat, but he lost Cumberland County. That’s a big deal. Cumberland hadn't gone Republican in a Senate race since 1972.
- Gloucester Flip: Interestingly, Kim actually flipped Gloucester County to the blue column for his race, even though the county went for Trump at the presidential level.
- The Assembly Mix: In the 2025 legislative races, the Democrats held their ground better than expected. In District 21 (Union/Morris), Andrew Macurdy and Vincent Kearney managed to unseat Republican incumbents Michele Matsikoudis and Nancy Muñoz.
The "county line" system—that weird NJ quirk where party bosses pick who gets the prime spot on the ballot—was also under massive fire. Andy Kim's lawsuit basically nuked the old way of doing things in the primary, which led to a much more open (and chaotic) 2025 primary season.
Why Does This Keep Happening?
It’s tempting to say New Jersey is becoming a "red state," but that’s a bit of an exaggeration. It’s more that the coalition is fracturing.
In the 2024 cycle, third-party candidates like Jill Stein did some real damage to the Democratic margins in places like Middlesex and Passaic. Stein picked up roughly 25,000 more votes than the Green Party did in 2020. In Passaic, those votes likely came straight out of the Democratic column, specifically from voters frustrated with foreign policy.
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On the other side, the GOP is struggling with its own identity. Jack Ciattarelli tried to focus on taxes and the "cost of living," which resonated with 72% of voters who cited taxes as their top issue. But Sherrill hammered him on ethics and healthcare, winning those demographics by massive margins.
What You Should Do Next
If you’re trying to make sense of your specific town or county, don't just look at the percentages. Look at the raw vote totals.
- Check the Certified Totals: Always go to your specific County Clerk’s website (like the Morris County Clerk or the Union County Board of Elections). General news sites often stop updating once a race is "called," but late mail-in ballots can shift things by hundreds of votes.
- Watch the 2026 Primaries: Now that the "party line" is effectively dead in Democratic primaries, the 2026 Congressional races are going to be a free-for-all.
- Local Matters: Keep an eye on school board and municipal races. In many NJ towns, these are becoming just as partisan as the national races, and they're often where the next state leaders get their start.
The biggest takeaway from the latest nj county election results is that nobody is safe. Not the party bosses, and certainly not the incumbents who think a "D" or an "R" next to their name is a lifetime guarantee. New Jersey voters are frustrated, they're paying attention to their wallets, and they're more than willing to jump ship if they don't like what they see.
Next Steps for Informed Voters
To get the most accurate picture of your local representation, visit the New Jersey Division of Elections to view the official canvass of votes. If you want to see how your specific neighborhood voted, look for the "District Canvas" reports on your County Clerk’s website—it breaks down the results precinct by precinct, which is where the real stories are hidden.