| New Jersey is a politically competitive
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| | in the nation. Polls indicate 2/ 3rds of
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| state; the governorship alternated
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| | the population are self-described as
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| between the parties from the election of
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| | pro-choice and a majority support gay
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| Richard J. Hughes in 1961 until Democrat
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| | marriage.
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| Jon Corzine was elected to replace a
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| | n national elections, the state now tends
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| Democrat in 2005; the legislature has
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| | to lean towards the national Democratic
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| also switched hands, and one house was
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| | Party. It was, however, a Republican
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| evenly divided from 1999–2001. Three of
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| | stronghold for years in the past, having
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| the last five gubernatorial elections
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| | given comfortable margins of victory to
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| have been close. The Congressional seats
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| | the Republican candidate in the close
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| have also been as evenly divided as
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| | elections of 1948, 1968, and 1976. New
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| thirteen seats can be.
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| | Jersey was a crucial swing state in the
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| In national elections, the state now
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| | elections of 1960, 1968, and 1992. In
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| leans towards the national Democratic
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| | national elections, the state gave large
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| Party. It was, however, a Republican
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| | victories to Democrats in the 1990's, and
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| stronghold for years in the past, having
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| | in the 2004 presidential election,
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| given comfortable margins of victory to
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| | Democratic John F. Kerry defeated George
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| the Republican candidate in the close
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| | W. Bush in New Jersey by a margin of
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| elections of 1948, 1968, and 1976. New
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| | about 6%. The last elected Republican to
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| Jersey was a crucial swing state in the
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| | hold a Senate seat from New Jersey was
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| elections of 1960, 1968, and 1992. In
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| | Clifford P. Case in 1979.
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| national elections, the state has given
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| | (Nicholas Brady was appointed a U.S.
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| large victories to Democrats since the
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| | Senator by Governor Tom Kean in 1982
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| 1990's. The last elected Republican to
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| | after Harrison A. Williams resigned the
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| hold a Senate seat from New Jersey was
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| | Senate seat following the Abscam
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| Clifford P. Case in 1979. (Nicholas Brady
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| | investigations. Brady served eight months
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| was appointed a U.S. Senator by Governor
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| | in office.) Partisan strongholds The
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| Thomas Kean in 1982 after Harrison A.
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| | state's Democratic strongholds include
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| Williams resigned the Senate seat
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| | Mercer County around the cities of
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| following the Abscam investigations.) The
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| | Trenton and Princeton; Essex County and
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| state's Democratic strongholds include
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| | Hudson County, the state's two most urban
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| Mercer County around Trenton and
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| | counties, around the state's two largest
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| Princeton; Essex County and Hudson
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| | cities, Newark and Jersey City; as well
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| County, the state's two most urban
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| | as in Camden County and most of the other
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| counties, around the state's two largest
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| | urban communities just outside of
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| cities, Newark and Jersey City; Camden
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| | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and New York
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| County and most of the other urban
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| | City. More suburban northern counties in
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| communities just outside of Philadelphia
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| | the orbit of New York, such as Union and
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| and New York; and more suburban northern
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| | Middlesex, also trend Democratic. The
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| counties in New York's orbit, such as
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| | more suburban northwestern and
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| Union County and Middlesex County.
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| | southeastern counties of the state are
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| The more suburban northwestern and
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| | reliably Republican: Republicans have
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| southeastern counties of the state are
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| | strong backing along the coast in New
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| reliably Republican: Republicans have
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| | Jersey and in the mountainous
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| strong backing along the coast in Ocean
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| | northwestern part of the state,
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| County and in the mountainous
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| | especially in Sussex County, Morris
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| northwestern part of the state,
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| | County and Warren County. Somerset and
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| especially Sussex County, Morris County,
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| | Hunterdon counties, more suburban
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| and Warren County. Somerset County and
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| | counties in the region, also lean
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| Hunterdon County, other suburban counties
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| | Republican but can be competitive in
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| in the region, are also Republican in
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| | national races. In the 2004 presidential
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| local elections but can be competitive in
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| | election, Bush received about 51% in
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| national races. In the 2004 General
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| | Somerset and 56% in Hunterdon, while up
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| Election, Bush received about 51% in
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| | in rural Republican Sussex County, Bush
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| Somerset and 56% in Hunterdon, while up
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| | garnered 64% of the vote.
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| in rural Republican Sussex County, Bush
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| | Swing counties About half of the counties
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| won with 64% of the vote.
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| | in New Jersey, are considered swing
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| About half of the counties in New Jersey,
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| | counties, though most lean toward one
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| however, are considered swing counties,
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| | party, usually the Democrats. For
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| but some go more one way than others. For
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| | example, Bergen County, is solidly
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| an example, Bergen County, which leans
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| | Republican in wealthier north and solidly
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| Republican in the northern half of the
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| | Democratic in the more populated south
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| county, is mostly Democratic in the more
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| | causing it to usually vote slightly
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| populated southern parts, causing it to
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| | Democratic. The same is true of Passaic
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| usually vote slightly Democratic (same
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| | County which has a densely-populated,
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| with Passaic County, with a highly
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| | heavily Hispanic Democratic south and a
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| populated Hispanic Democratic south and a
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| | rural Republican north. Some other
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| rural, Republican north), other "swing"
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| | counties such as Cape May County lean
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| counties like Cape May County tend to go
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| | Republican because the urbanized areas in
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| Republican, as they also have population
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| | those counties are relatively small
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| in conservative areas.
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| | compared to those of the more heavily
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| Socially, New Jersey is considered one of
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| | Democratic counties.
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| the highly liberal and progressive states
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