Plastic Straws Will Be Banned in NJ Starting Today
November 4, 2021Santa Photos at the Ocean County Mall
November 4, 2021
Ciattarelli's legal options are 'not off the table.'
Although not all of the votes have been counted in the New Jersey governor's race, the Associated Press and news media outlets have predicted Gov. Phil Murphy winner, making him the first Democratic governor to win re-election in the Garden State in more than four decades.
Governor Murphy currently has 50 percent of the vote, while Republican Jack Ciattarelli has 49 percent, with 98 percent of precincts reporting.
Murphy declared himself the winner on Wednesday night after a razor-thin victory.
“Thank you very much, New Jersey. "Thank you for entrusting our staff with another four years of your trust," Murphy said.
Despite the fact that both The Associated Press and CBS News list Murphy as the winner, Ciattarelli has refused to surrender.
Gov. Murphy Declares Victory in New Jersey; Ciattarelli Does Not Concede
When asked if his team would consider any legal challenge, Ciattarelli spokeswoman Stami Williams replied: "Right now it's too soon to tell, but nothing is off of the table."
"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 while the New Jersey secretary of state doesn't even know how many ballots are left to be counted," the Ciattarelli campaign wrote on Twitter.
Many political experts and former politicians believe that a Ciattarelli victory is a pipe dream at this point.
"The New Jersey Republican Party is working hand in hand with the Ciattarelli for Governor campaign and the Republican National Committee to ensure a robust legal presence to scrutinize the process and ensure that every legal vote is counted," said Tom Szymanski, the party's director, late Wednesday.
He cautioned, "This process will take some time to play out."
He added that Republican volunteers filled nearly 1,000 poll worker shifts and nearly 1,000 challenger shifts in Tuesday's election.
No matter what happens with the governor's race, Szymanski hailed Tuesday as a giant victory for the New Jersey GOP.
