NJ governor’s race has Murphy, Ciattarelli in dead heat

By MIKE CATALINI
Associated Press

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy and Republican Jack Ciattarelli were virtually deadlocked early Wednesday after a campaign centered on the incumbent’s progressive policies and handling of the pandemic. The Associated Press has not declared a winner in the race with votes from Tuesday’s election still being tallied. Incomplete returns showed Ciattarelli and the first-term governor separated by about 1,200 votes out of more than 2.3 million cast. A Ciattarelli win would send a jolt through state and national politics, though a win by Murphy for a second consecutive term as a Democrat would break historic trends in the state.