TRENTON -- Despite reports of apathy and discontent among Democratic voters nationwide, the city's left-leaning voter base turned out in large enough numbers Tuesday to give a boost to U.S. Rep. Rush Holt in his tough battle for re-election to the 12th District seat and to help Democratic candidates prevail in three Mercer County races.
Of the 39,508 registered voters in Trenton, 13,321 or 34 percent, went to the polls, a similar percentage as in this year's mayoral race and last year's gubernatorial contest, according to unofficial figures from the Mercer County Clerk's Office.
That was far below the 64 percent who voted in the previous congressional contest in November 2008, when enthusiasm for Barack Obama's candidacy spurred strong turnout by the heavily African-American city electorate.
Holt earned 8,044 votes in Trenton, which made up a large portion of his overall districtwide margin of 13,836 votes, according to unofficial figures. Despite making an unusual visit to the South Ward last week, the Republican challenger, Scott Sipprelle of Princeton Borough, won only 437 votes in the city.
moreMore NJ:
New Jersey’s tea party movement had pinned its hopes to Republican congressional candidate Anna Little, who ran a long-shot campaign against Democratic incumbent Frank Pallone in the 6th Congressional District.
But despite hundreds of enthusiastic volunteers — "Anna’s Army," as they called themselves — it wasn’t enough to unseat Pallone, who had a $4 million campaign warchest and represents a district that is heavily Democratic.
Pallone defeated Little by about 11 points today to win his 12th full House term. It was a comfortable margin but not the type of blowout win he’s become accustomed to.
"Any Democratic member of Congress who walks away with a 10-percent margin of victory this year, I think you can refute any assertion that the tea party has really held sway in (that) district," said Brigid Harrison, a political science professor at Montclair State University.
moreDemocrats did well at the state level.
TON — While Republicans trounced the competition all over America, New Jersey Democrats Wednesday highlighted one victory close to home: Linda Greenstein’s special election win for a state Senate seat.
The veteran Democratic assemblywoman from New Jersey's 14th District ousted Republican Tom Goodwin, who had temporarily held the seat in the union-heavy district for the past seven months.
A beaming Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-3rd Dist.) said Wednesday Greenstein’s election sent a message to Republican Gov. Chris Christie: Stop the steamroller approach to governing and work with the Democrat-controlled Legislature.
"This is a loud statement," he said. "When the rubber hit the road, Linda Greenstein proved that she was the best candidate and that the people of New Jersey want someone to work with the governor, and the governor to work with the Legislature, and not the other way around where it’s, ‘My way or the highway.’ "
Greenstein’s win in the only competitive Statehouse election this year increases the Democrats’ majority over Republicans in the state Senate to 24-16.
"(Christie) put all his money on Tom Goodwin. All of it," Sweeney said. "He put his name, his credentials, everything behind him. And he lost."
moreTRENTON — Democrats have retained a New Jersey Assembly seat that opened up earlier this year when the incumbent resigned and pleaded guilty in a corruption case.
Democrat Anthony Chiappone had been an assemblyman for the 31st District in Hudson County, but he had to resign in June after pleading guilty to filing false campaign finance reports.
Democrat Jason O'Donnell was appointed to fill the seat. O'Donnell retained it today by defeating Republican Joseph Turula and two independents.
Democrats also kept control of state Senate and Assembly seats from New Jersey's 5th District in a special election.
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