New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has barely survived re-election. He eked out a win as a red surge almost swamped his ship. New Jersey wasn’t supposed to be a race, but double-digit swings in some key counties made it a closer than expected contest. It would have capped off an excellent night for Republicans who retook Virginia’s House of Delegates and the governor’s mansion. They also won the state’s attorney general and lieutenant governor’s offices as well. It was a bloodbath in the Old Dominion, and it could have been in Jersey. Senate President Stephen Sweeney, a top Democrat from South Jersey, was toppled by Edward Durr—and Murphy was quite triggered by the upset win. Let’s say he’s already made it known that he doesn’t like Mr. Durr much (via Star-Ledger):
Despite a sometimes tumultuous relationship with state Senate President Stephen Sweeney, Gov. Phil Murphy said Friday he’s “stunned” and “bummed” over the incredible upset New Jersey’s second-most powerful elected state official’s suffered in Tuesday’s election.
Sweeney, D-Gloucester, is expected to be ousted from the state Senate to a little-known Republican rival, Edward Durr. Sweeney has yet to concede the race against the political newcomer who spent little to campaign against him, though The Associated Press has projected the underdog the winner of the race.
Durr, meanwhile, has already garnered negative headlines and deleted his social media accounts after past xenophobic and anti-Muslim messages surfaced. A post from his Twitter account in September 2019 labeled Islam “a false religion” and its prophet, Muhammad, a “pedophile.”
Murphy characterized it all as bad for the state.
“I’m stunned. This guy who is apparently winning is a dangerous guy,” the Democratic said at a public event in New Brunswick, calling Durr’s social media posts “outrageous.”
“I want to be unequivocal,” Murphy added. “I do not welcome this in any way, shape or form. Steve has been a great partner, particularly over the past sort of two, two-and-a-half years. But at every step of the way we’ve gotten a ton done together. Steve has been outstanding.”
Yeah, well, maybe Democrats should have paid attention to how Sweeney’s state senate district went during the 2020 election. Trump got more votes than Joe Biden, which should have been a big red flag that the region was becoming much redder. By 2021, that flip was complete.