Phil Murphy, Democratic winner

Kim Guadano, Murphy’s GOP opponent

As usual in primary elections, New Jerseyans voted the party line, choosing Wall Streeter Phil Murphy and Christie’s #2, Kim Guadagno. Losses mean veteran legislators John Wisniewski and Ray Lesniak won’t return to Trenton in January.


Lee Keough reports for NJ Spotlight:

Democrat Phil Murphy, a 59-year-old former Goldman Sachs executive will square off this November against Republican Kim Guadagno, the 57-year-old Lt. Gov. to Chris Christie, in this year’s gubernatorial contest. The vote turned out to be an easy win for the regular county political organizations, as both Murphy and Guadagno were clear favorites of their respective political machines.


“The walk-away from this election is the importance of political parties in New Jersey,” said Brigid Harrison, professor of political science and law for Montclair State University. “Primary voters vote the line here.”

Murphy beat five other candidates, two of whom were well-known state legislators, Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Middlesex) and Sen. Ray Lesniak (D-Union), along with a well-heeled undersecretary of the Treasury in the Clinton administration, Jim Johnson.


With 99 percent of the vote tallied, Murphy had 48 percent of the Democratic ballots. Both Johnson and Wisniewski each had 22 percent of the vote, with Johnson squeaking by Wisniewski by 1,000 votes to come in second. Lesniak came in fourth with 5 percent of the vote, followed by relative unknowns Bill Brennan (2 percent) and Mark Zinna (1 percent.)


Read the full story here

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