{"id":2260182,"date":"2024-06-05T07:56:02","date_gmt":"2024-06-05T11:56:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/flip-the-script-republicans-harnessing-tremendous-momentum-in-quest-to-win-new-jersey\/"},"modified":"2024-06-05T07:58:19","modified_gmt":"2024-06-05T11:58:19","slug":"flip-the-script-republicans-harnessing-tremendous-momentum-in-quest-to-win-new-jersey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/flip-the-script-republicans-harnessing-tremendous-momentum-in-quest-to-win-new-jersey\/","title":{"rendered":"Turning the tables: Republicans gaining strong momentum in bid for New Jersey victory"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fflip-the-script-republicans-harnessing-tremendous-momentum-in-quest-to-win-new-jersey%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2260182&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>President Joe Biden and \u2062former President Donald Trump are fiercely battling to secure victory in seven <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/internal-poll-shows-trump-up-in-5-pivotal-swing-states\/\" title=\"Internal Poll Shows Trump Up In 5 Pivotal Swing States\">pivotal swing states<\/a>, crucial in determining the next president. Republicans and\u2063 Democrats are strategizing beyond traditional battlegrounds, aiming to flip unexpected states in their favor. Momentum and enthusiasm are high as both parties seek\u200c to reshape the political landscape.\u200b President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump \u200care in a heated race \u200bfor victory in seven \u2062crucial\u200d swing states, pivotal in determining\u200b the next president.\u2063 Republicans\u200d and Democrats are expanding their strategies beyond typical battlegrounds, \u2062aiming to win unexpected states. There&#8217;s \u2063a surge in momentum and enthusiasm as both\u200b parties work to reshape the\u2064 political landscape.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<figure><\/figure>\n<p><em>President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are locked in a fight for seven swing states that appear to be in control of who will be the next president. But outside the Rust Belt and Sun Belt contests that have dominated everyone\u2019s attention, Republicans and Democrats are both putting states no one expects to be competitive on their November wish list. The <\/em>Washington Examiner <em>looked at four contests where the parties are looking to flip the script and steal a win where no one expected they could.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>As President <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/joe-biden\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Joe Biden\u2019s<\/a> campaign works to flip historic swing states such as Florida and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/2914841\/biden-follows-obamas-lead-again-with-push-to-capture-north-carolina\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>North Carolina<\/a> that have leaned into Republican policies, the campaign to reelect former President <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Donald Trump<\/a> is also looking to expand its road map. <\/p>\n<p>The Trump campaign has said it is confident it can flip solid blue states such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/2993512\/trump-campaign-puts-minnesota-virginia-back-in-play-flip-red\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Minnesota, Virginia, <\/a>and even the Democratic stronghold of New York. The former president sometimes calls <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/new-jersey\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>New Jersey<\/a> home and is making headway in convincing voters there to turn out for him in November.<\/p>\n<h2>Enthusiastic voters try to close the gap<\/h2>\n<p>Trump hosted a rally in Wildwood, New Jersey, a beach town on the Jersey Shore, where he <a href=\"https:\/\/abc7ny.com\/post\/donald-trump-wildwood-nj-2024-rally-new-jersey-tickets\/14801435\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>drew crowds<\/a> of 80,000 to 100,000 people last month. The visit marked his first campaign visit to the Garden State since 2020.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are witnessing tremendous momentum and enthusiasm from black and brown communities all over the country, even in blue states like New York and New Jersey,\u201d Trump\u2019s campaign said in a statement to the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>.<\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks during his campaign rally in Wildwood, New Jersey, Saturday, May 11, 2024. (AP Photo\/Matt Rourke)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Since Biden took office, voters in New Jersey have been registering increasingly with the Republican Party. In 2020, New Jersey Democrats had an <a href=\"https:\/\/newjerseyglobe.com\/campaigns\/republicans-continue-to-gain-in-n-j-voter-registration\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>advantage<\/a> of more than 1 million voters. Democrats\u2019 advantage has since <a href=\"https:\/\/newjerseyglobe.com\/voters\/n-j-added-10k-new-voters-in-april-with-dems-gop-both-making-gains\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>dwindled<\/a> down to an advantage of a little more than 930,000 registered voters as of May 2024.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt indicates a renewed enthusiasm about the party in some ways, and I think that\u2019s a positive thing,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.checkmatewins.com\/about\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Chris Russell<\/a>, a longtime Republican strategist in New Jersey, told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. \u201cBut it\u2019s still a significant hill to climb for any Republican statewide.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201cOftentimes, the NJ GOP doesn\u2019t get as much credit as they deserve for all the stuff that they\u2019re doing trying to make a difference here in the state,\u201d Republican Minority Whip in the New Jersey Assembly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.njleg.state.nj.us\/legislative-roster\/423\/assemblyman-bergen\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Brian Bergen<\/a> told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. \u201cThey\u2019re increasing voter registration. Biden obviously makes it a lot easier for us because he\u2019s such an unlikable president that he\u2019s forcing many independent voters over to be Republicans.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bergen said he believes some of Biden\u2019s unpopularity among New Jersey residents has also forced \u201csome Democrats who may have been just kind of \u2018Democrats In Name Only\u2019\u201d as well as independents to move their political affiliation to the right.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey feel like their government is more out of touch than ever,\u201d Bergen said. \u201cThey\u2019re looking for an alternative and the Republicans are here to offer them an alternative, and people are starting to embrace that.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Problems at home<\/h2>\n<p>Democrats have held on to a majority of both chambers for the past two decades, with Republicans representing the minority party in the Assembly since 2002 and the Senate since 2004. Democrats hold a 25-15 majority in the Senate and a 46-34 majority in the Assembly.<\/p>\n<p>State Senate Minority Leader <a href=\"https:\/\/www.njleg.state.nj.us\/legislative-roster\/419\/senator-bucco\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Anthony Bucco<\/a> told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> affordability is one of the main issues affecting New Jerseyans. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newjerseyrealestatenetwork.com\/blog\/most-expensive-states-to-live-in\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Multiple<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/nj1015.com\/new-study-ranks-nj-the-6th-most-expensive-state-in-the-u-s\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>studies<\/a> have <a href=\"https:\/\/wobm.com\/new-jersey-is-the-9th-most-expensive-state-to-live-in-america\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>consistently<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hcdnnj.org\/index.php%3Foption%3Dcom_content%26view%3Darticle%26id%3D587:report:-n.j.-fourth-most-expensive-state-for-renters%26catid%3D20:in-the-news%26Itemid%3D225\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>ranked<\/a> New Jersey in the top 10 most expensive states to live in.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA lot of times, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will talk about affordability, but their actions never meet their words, and I think people are starting to pick up on that,\u201d Bucco said.<\/p>\n<p>New Jersey holds its legislative and gubernatorial races in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/virginia-dems-say-holding-an-election-for-loudoun-school-board-this-year-would-subvert-democracy\/\" title=\"Virginia Dems Say Holding An Election For Loudoun School Board This Year Would \u2018Subvert Democracy\u2019\">odd-numbered years<\/a> in which there are no congressional or presidential races. <\/p>\n<p>Russell believes that gives New Jersey voters a chance to think about issues affecting their state, not necessarily who they want to represent them in Washington, because in general or midterm election years, local candidates are \u201cin the shadow of national politics.\u201d That changes when the governor\u2019s race is at the top of the ballot.<\/p>\n<h2>Successful Republicans have worn a home Jersey<\/h2>\n<p>In 2021, the gubernatorial race between former state Rep. Jack Ciattarelli and Gov. Phil Murphy (D-NJ) was close, with Ciattarelli producing higher numbers than expected. He garnered 48% of the vote to Murphy\u2019s 51.2%.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCertainly 2021 was a very strong year for Republicans. It kind of defied a lot of expectations that the gubernatorial race came close. We picked up seven legislative seats, and hundreds of county and local seats moved to the Republican side,\u201d Russell said. He added that Republicans have not produced as strong of a turnout in 2022 or 2023 as they did that year, which could prove Russell\u2019s theory on the timing of races.<\/p>\n<p>Russell, who worked as a top adviser on Ciattarelli\u2019s campaign, said the enthusiasm surrounding 2021 and the legislative pickups could have been due to Ciattarelli himself, who <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jack4nj.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>campaigned<\/a> as \u201ca lifelong Jersey guy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cObviously I\u2019m biased, but a lot of credit in 2021 goes to Jack Ciattarelli and the kind of campaign he ran,\u201d Russell said. \u201cHe ran the candidate he was and to get that level of enthusiasm for a statewide candidate in New Jersey, and that trickled down out for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Being a \u201cJersey guy\u201d may be the key in the state. Bergen, Bucco, and Russell all said one of the reasons for former Republican Gov. Chris Christie\u2019s success in New Jersey was his persona as a \u201cJersey guy,\u201d as well as his leadership in the state at the time, notably after Hurricane Sandy. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cHis initial response to that storm certainly catapulted his popularity,\u201d Russell said. \u201cHe was a person who was a leader who governed the state through a difficult time, similar to George Bush after 9\/11.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think that was a significant reason why that 2013 reelection was kind of easy as it was, and certainly at the time, he was gearing up to be a national candidate. There\u2019s no secret here that there\u2019s a presidential ambition heading into 2013,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<h2>Breaking with Washington<\/h2>\n<p>Still, Chrisie, who was a two-term governor from 2010-2018, began to struggle in the state once he began to align himself with national Republicans as he launched a presidential campaign in 2016. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf, as a legislator, you\u2019re focused on what\u2019s going on in Washington, you\u2019re losing sleep on what\u2019s happening in your backyard,\u201d Bucco said. \u201cAnd people here in New Jersey are pretty smart.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Despite entering his second term well received after pulling the state through Hurricane Sandy, Christie also left office with low ratings after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2016\/11\/04\/nyregion\/george-washington-bridge-scandal-what-you-need-to-know.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Bridgegate<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2017\/07\/03\/nyregion\/chris-christie-beach-new-jersey-budget.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Beachgate<\/a> left his reputation in the state <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/states\/new-jersey\/story\/2017\/06\/14\/with-15-percent-approval-christie-is-now-new-jerseys-least-popular-governor-ever-112747#:~:text=The%20Quinnipiac%20University%20poll%20shows,in%20more%20than%2020%20years.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>tarnished<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Bucco pointed to a pattern related to <a href=\"https:\/\/governors.rutgers.edu\/new-jersey-governors-1776-present\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>New Jersey governors<\/a> and who controls the White House. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a pretty clear pattern: If the Democrats are in control of the White House, the Republicans do better here. If the Republicans control the White House, the Democrats seem to do better here,\u201d Bucco said. \u201cHere in New Jersey, the party that is out of power really does better.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Since 1992, New Jersey has voted only for Democrats for president, and it\u2019s unlikely it will switch now and give its 14 electoral votes to Trump. <\/p>\n<p>Seven of the last eight senators from New Jersey have been Democrats, save for GOP Sen. Jeffrey Chiesa, who was appointed by Christie after the death of Democratic Sen. Frank Lautenberg. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cNonetheless, the fact that there was a close governor\u2019s race in 2021, the fact that registration is moving in the right direction, certainly should give hope to Republicans in New Jersey,\u201d Russell said. \u201cThere can be some wins just ahead of us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Statewide races are also expensive in New Jersey because candidates must buy into both the pricey New York and Philadelphia TV markets because New Jersey, sandwiched between the two cities, does not have its own market. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><strong>CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou know, the tried and true way to reach voters in the state, from an advertising standpoint, are through those mediums, and they just happen to be ridiculously expensive,\u201d Russell said. \u201cIf you cannot <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/and-then-there-were-three-the-last-senators-undecided-about-reelection-in-2024\/\" title=\"Three senators remain undecided about seeking reelection in 2024.\">raise significant money<\/a>, you have a really difficult time getting your message through.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t subscribe to the \u2018woe is me\u2019 financial limitations or the map design or the voter registration or any of that. The bottom line is winners win,\u201d Bergen said. \u201cIf you want to win badly enough, you put together a strategy that gets you there.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump battle for seven swing states crucial to determining the next president. Beyond the Rust Belt and Sun Belt showdowns, both parties focus on unexpected states, shaping a diverse electoral landscape<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2910,"featured_media":2260183,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/AP24132848921547-1.jpg.optimal.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2260182","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/AP24132848921547-1.jpg.optimal.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2260182","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2910"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2260182"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2260182\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2260183"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2260182"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2260182"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2260182"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}