Donald Trump

New Jersey Voters Approve Using Gas Tax for Transportation, Back Hillary Clinton for President

Track the election results here


The Latest on Election Day in New Jersey (all times local):

12:10 a.m.

New Jersey voters said yes to a question asking whether every penny of the state's 37.5-cent per gallon gas tax should go exclusively to transportation costs.

The question of creating a so-called constitutional "lockbox" was viewed as a no-brainer by most lawmakers, but Republican Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno came out opposed to the question recently.

She argues a yes vote amounts to a rubber stamp on $12 billion in state borrowing over eight years. The borrowing is part of a deal reached between Republican Gov. Chris Christie and the Democrat-led Legislature to raise the gas tax by 23 cents, cut other taxes and pay for transportation.

The ballot question did not mention the borrowing, which instead is contained in the legislation Christie signed into law.

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Midnight

Democrat Josh Gottheimer has defeated seven-term Republican U.S. Rep. Scott Garrett in New Jersey's closest-watched race.

The former Microsoft executive and Bill Clinton speechwriter toppled Garrett in the perennially Republican 5th District in northern New Jersey.

The campaign became bitter, with Gottheimer calling Garrett a bigot and Garrett calling Gottheimer a liar.

Gottheimer had broad support from Democratic officials, including U.S. Sen. Cory Booker. His supporters had hoped to capitalize on reports that Garrett would not contribute to the House Republican campaign arm because it backed gay candidates. Garrett rejected the claims and denied being anti-gay.

Gottheimer had a fundraising edge with $2.6 million to Garrett's $2.1 million.

The district includes parts of Bergen, Passaic, Sussex and Warren counties.

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10:30 p.m.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. has won re-election in New Jersey's 9th District.

Pascrell beat Republican Hector Castillo, of Paterson, and is returning for an 11th term in Congress.

The district includes parts of Bergen, Hudson and Passaic counties.

Pascrell is a former state lawmaker and Paterson mayor. He spent about $1 million during the campaign. Castillo is an ophthalmologist who spent about $39,000.

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10:15 p.m.

Republican U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance has won re-election in New Jersey's 7th District.

Lance defeated Democratic challenger Peter Jacob, of Union, in the sprawling district that stretches from the Delaware River in the west to Union County in the east.

He will be returning for a fifth term.

The contest did not look close, with Lance raising more cash and the district leaning Republican.

Lance spent about $1 million compared to Jacob's roughly $43,000.

During the contest, Jacob's campaign office was spray-painted with a swastika, which Lance condemned. Jacob blamed the vandalism on the "ever increasing atmosphere of accepted racism" in the country.

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10:15 p.m.

Voters are returning Republican U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo to Congress for a 12th term.

LoBiondo defeated Democratic software engineer Dave Cole, who hammered the incumbent over his history of receiving donations from Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

LoBiondo represented Atlantic City at the height of Trump's casino empire there and got more donations from the businessman than any current member of Congress. Trump gave more in total cash to other lawmakers.

LoBiondo had said he wouldn't support Trump, but his spokesman said that he changed his mind and voted for him Tuesday.

The large district in southern New Jersey includes all or parts of Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean and Salem counties.

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10:10 p.m.

Republican U.S. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (FRAY'-ling-high-zen) has won re-election to the House in New Jersey's 11th District.

Frelinghuysen beat Democratic attorney Joe Wenzel, of West Orange, to win a 12th term in Congress.

A member of the Frelinghuysen family has intermittently represented New Jersey in Congress going back to 1793.

Rodney Frelinghuysen succeeded his father about two decades after Peter Hood Ballantine Frelinghuysen Jr. left Congress in 1974.

The district has more Republicans than Democrats, and Frelinghuysen had more cash than his opponent. The race did not look close, with Frelinghuysen spending about $1.4 million and Wenzel spending nothing.

The district includes parts of Essex, Morris, Passaic and Sussex counties.

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10:10 p.m.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman has won a second term representing New Jersey's 12th District.

Watson Coleman, the first black woman elected to Congress in state history, defeated Republican meat wholesaler Steven Uccio (YOU'-see-o), of East Windsor. Watson Coleman is the only female member of the state's 12-person delegation.

Federal Election Commission records show Watson Coleman spent about $630,000 in the race, while Uccio who had no cash in the bank

Watson Coleman, of Ewing, served in the state Assembly before winning election to Congress in 2014.

New Jersey has a culturally diverse congressional delegation, including black and Latino members. But it has lagged when it comes to women representing the state.

Before Watson Coleman, Republican Marge Roukema was the last of five women to represent the state in Congress.

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10 p.m.

New Jersey voters have rejected an attempt to allow casinos at two locations in northern New Jersey.

The defeat means casino gambling will remain legal only in Atlantic City, where voters approved it in 1976. The question cannot be placed on the ballot again for two years.

The defeat was expected after expansion backers ended a $10 million ad campaign believing that voters were opposed.

It also comes as Atlantic City's casino industry shrinks, thanks in part to the opening of casinos in neighboring states. Five of the city's 12 casinos closed since 2014. The Trump Taj Mahal closed last month.

The referendum didn't specify where the casinos would go. Proposals were floated for the Meadowlands Racetrack, in Jersey City, and Newark.

A group including New York casinos spent $11.3 million against expansion.

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10 p.m.

Republican U.S. Rep. Tom MacArthur has won a second term in Congress.

MacArthur beat Democrat Frederick John LaVergne in the district that includes Burlington and Ocean counties.

The former insurance executive first won election after former Philadelphia Eagles football player Jon Runyan retired in 2014.

LaVergne previously ran in the district in 2014 but finished in third place as a third-party candidate.

MacArthur has highlighted his work with Democrats in the politically mixed 3rd District and has been praised by Democratic U.S. Sens. Cory Booker and Bob Menendez.

He also had the bigger campaign war chest. Federal records show he spent more than $1 million, while LaVergne raised only $600 for his campaign.

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9:45 p.m.

Incumbent Democratic Assemblyman Robert Karabinchak has won a full term in the 18th District.

Karabinchak defeated Republican Camille Ferraro Clark. He was tapped to fill the seat after Assemblyman Patrick Diegnan was appointed to the state Senate when Peter Barnes assumed a judgeship.

Karabinchak is the president of Tri-Form Construction Inc.

The district contains a handful of towns in Middlesex County, including Edison and Metuchen.

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9:40 p.m.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Albio Sires (SEER-ees) has defeated Republican challenger Agha Khan in New Jersey's 8th District.

Sires, a former Assembly Speaker and mayor of West New York, will be returning to Congress for his seventh term.

The Hudson County-centered district has the second fewest number of Republicans of any of the state's 12 congressional districts.

The race was not expected to be close.

Federal Election Commission records show Sires spent nearly $400,000, while Khan spent nothing.

Khan, of Jersey City, has served as a Hudson County Republican Party official and works as a real estate developer.

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9:40 p.m.

Democratic state Sen. Patrick Diegnan has won his first full term in the 18th legislative district, which includes Edison and Metuchen.

Diegnan defeated Republican Roger Daley, of East Brunswick, on Tuesday.

Diegnan has served in the Senate since May when he was tapped to succeed Democrat Peter Barnes, who was named a judge.

Before going to the Senate, Diegnan represented the district in the Assembly since 2002.

The district contains a handful of towns in Middlesex County, including Edison and Metuchen.

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9:40 p.m.

Democratic Assemblywoman Blonnie Watson has won a full term in the Newark-based 29th District.

Watson defeated Republican Ronda Morrison.

Watson was tapped to fill the seat after incumbent Democrat Grace Spencer assumed a judgeship in July.

The district includes Newark and Belleville.

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9:30 p.m.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Donald Payne Jr. has won re-election to the U.S. House in New Jersey's 10th District.

Payne defeated Republican David Pinckney, of Irvington, and will return to Congress for his fourth term. Payne succeeded his father in 2012 after the elder Payne died at age 77. The senior Payne served 12 terms in the House.

The district includes parts of Essex, Hudson and Union counties and has the fewest number of Republicans among the state's 12 congressional districts.

Pinckney was a delegate for Donald Trump at the Republican convention from the 10th district and previously ran for and lost an Assembly seat.

Payne is a former Essex County freeholder and Newark City Council member.

Records show Payne spent about $387,000, while Pinckney spent nothing.

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9:15 p.m.

U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross has defeated Republican Bob Patterson in New Jersey's 1st District House race.

Norcross won in the heavily Democratic district that includes Camden as well as other parts of Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties.

He first won a special election to Congress in 2014 to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of Robert Andrews.

An electrician, union representative and former state legislator, Norcross is also the brother of influential Democratic Party power broker and insurance executive George Norcross.

Norcross survived a primary challenge from Bernie Sanders supporter Alex Law in June, though the election ultimately was not close.

Patterson is a one-time aide to former Republican Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett.

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9:05 p.m.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone has defeated Republican challenger Brent Sonnek-Schmelz in New Jersey's 6th District.

Pallone will return for his 16th term representing the district that includes Middlesex and Monmouth counties.

Sonnek-Schmelz is an Ivy League-educated attorney and sports retail executive from Atlantic Highlands.

Federal records show Pallone spent about $1.2 million in the campaign while his opponent spent about $46,000.

Pallone cites the Zadroga Act, which gave Sept. 11 first-responders medical coverage, as a top legislative achievement.

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9 p.m.

Republican U.S. Rep. Chris Smith has won his 19th term in Congress.

Smith has served in the House since 1981 and is the longest-tenured member of New Jersey's congressional delegation.

Smith defeated Democrat Lorna Phillipson. The Wall Street executive had served as CEO at Stewart Forbes Venture Capital.

The 4th District includes parts of Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean counties and has more Republicans than Democrats. But like most of the state, it has even more unaffiliated voters.

Smith has been popular in the district, and the contest did not look close. The congressman spent about $360,000 to Phillipson's $191,000 during the campaign.

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8 p.m.

New Jersey voters have given the state's 14 electoral votes to Hillary Clinton.

Voters in New Jersey chose the Democrat over Republican businessman Donald Trump.

Clinton was heavily favored to win the state despite Trump's former casino empire in the state and Republican Gov. Chris Christie's strong support.

Clinton came to Atlantic City during the campaign to highlight Trump's financial struggles, including multiple bankruptcies for his casino empire.

Trump did not campaign much in New Jersey, although he did headline a fundraiser for Christie to help pay off the debt from Christie's failed presidential campaign.

Democrats have won New Jersey in presidential elections since 1992.

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8 p.m.

Voting has ended across New Jersey, but voters who got into line by 8 p.m. can still cast a ballot.

Election results are being counted across New Jersey in the presidential contest between Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump.

Results are also being tallied for the state's 12 congressional races and two ballot questions on casino expansion and using gas tax cash for transportation.

Voters lined up and waited for hours in parts of New Jersey with millions expected to vote, drawn by the presidential-year contest that normally produces a spike in turnout.

New Jersey is a reliably Democratic state having picked a Democrat in every presidential contest from 1992 onward. Data shows Democrats boosted their over Republicans in the state by 174,000 from January of this year to November.

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5:50 p.m.

Most New Jersey voters say they had their minds made up in the presidential election long before they cast their ballots.

About 3 in 4 voters surveyed by an exit poll conducted for The Associated Press and the television networks said they made their decision between Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump before September.

About 1 in 10 waited until the last few days to decide.

Polls are open in New Jersey until 8 p.m.

The preliminary exit poll of 1,037 voters was conducted for AP and the television networks by Edison Research in a random sample of 25 precincts statewide.

Results were subject to sampling error of plus or minus 5 percentage points; it is higher for subgroups.

5 p.m.

A civil liberties group says it has received a complaint that signs asking people to have identifications ready to vote were posted in at least one polling place in New Jersey.

The American Civil Liberties Union's New Jersey chapter told NJ.com (http://bit.ly/2fe6Lxx ) that it received a complaint about the Voter ID sign at a polling place in Metuchen.

Most voters in New Jersey are not required to show identification to vote.

Middlesex County elections officials say the issue was resolved as soon as they were told about the sign.

Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer said Tuesday that she was also asked for her ID by a worker who was looking up her information. Zimmer refused to show her ID.

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4 p.m.

A New Jersey congressman who withdrew his endorsement for Donald Trump last month and said he would write in Indiana Gov. Mike Pence has changed his mind.

A spokesman for Republican Rep. Frank LoBiondo said that he voted for Trump on Tuesday.

Jason Galanes says that LoBiondo decided on Monday to vote for Trump despite his disappointment and anger over Trump's comments about women. Galanes says LoBiondo believes Hillary Clinton is "100 percent unacceptable to be president."

LoBiondo said last month that he would "not vote for a candidate who boats of sexual assault" and that Trump was "unfit to be president."

Approached by a Philadelphia Inquirer reporter to ask him about his vote , LoBiondo backed his SUV up, hitting a banister with his side view mirror.

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3:40 p.m.

New Jersey election officials say there have been no complaints lodged so far on Election Day.

Secretary of State spokesman Shawn Crisafulli said Tuesday that the state has not seen any red flags.

He added that there had been long lines in Jersey City, but officials brought in extra machines. He also said that mail-in ballots were being counted by hand in Burlington County.

Polls close at 8 p.m.

The attorney general has about 350 deputy attorneys general posted at voting stations across the state to consult officials regarding any problems that came.

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1:15 p.m.

Some people are waiting hours to vote at some polls in Jersey City.

Hudson County deputy superintendent of elections John Brzozowski says it's taking workers longer to process the high number of people going to the polls. He also says the ballot is longer and voters are taking their time once they are behind the curtain.

Brzozowski says the county started out with 500 voting machines for 450 districts. His office has added another 13 machines to try to offset the volume of voters.

He says the Jersey City districts with the longest waits are near high-rise apartment buildings.

Meanwhile, Burlington County election officials say that a printing error will force them to hand count most of the more than 19,000 mail-in ballots submitted. The error was discovered Tuesday morning and there is no guarantee that all the ballots will be counted by Tuesday night.

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1 p.m.

Election officials in Burlington County say that a printing error will force it to hand count most of the more than 19,000 mail-in ballots submitted.

Board of Election Chairman Joseph Dugan told the Burlington County Times (http://bit.ly/2fQ4EBK ) that dozens of workers are now performing a hand count of the mail-in ballots.

He says that the error was discovered Tuesday morning and that there is no guarantee that all the ballots will be counted by Tuesday night.

Officials say the more than 19,000 ballots returned as of Tuesday morning is a new record for the county. Ballots can be submitted until polls close at 8 p.m.

Voters in the county are choosing a sheriff, surrogate and freeholders. Republicans won freeholder seats by a margin of less than 2,000 votes last year.

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12:40 P.M.

All roads lead to New York City when it comes to the presidential election and that could pose troubles for motorists coming or going from New Jersey.

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are in Manhattan waiting for election results.

The Port Authority is urging motorists to avoid the Lincoln Tunnel on Tuesday afternoon and evening because of planned election events at Trump headquarters in Midtown and at Clinton headquarters on Manhattan's West Side.

The agency says significantly higher traffic volumes are expected and travelers are encouraged to seek alternate routes.

Polls in New Jersey close at 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Heavy and steady voting is reported around the state.

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11 a.m.

New Jersey voters are casting ballots mostly without the gridlock seen in some other states.

It took more than an hour before people could vote in Ward F, District 6 at County Prep High School in Jersey City because someone brought the wrong keys for the voting machines. The line eased by 8 a.m.

Bergen County deputy elections superintendent Theresa O'Connor says it's busy, but the lines are moving in the state's most populated county.

The county is part of the 5th Congressional District House and the most closely watched race between incumbent Republican Scott Garrett and Democrat Josh Gottheimer. Gottheimer's wife and young children watched as he voted in Wyckoff. Garrett has not said when and where he's voting.

Atlantic County is reporting steady voting.

Republican Gov. Chris Christie voted soon after the polls opened. The Donald Trump surrogate did not answer questions from reporters and the event was not on his public schedule.

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7:50 a.m.

Gov. Chris Christie voted without any fanfare soon after polls opened in New Jersey.

The former Republican presidential candidate had nothing to say as he left his precinct in Mendham and did not list the event on his public schedule as he has during previous elections.

Christie dropped out of the presidential race and supported Donald Trump after a poor showing in the New Hampshire primary. He has not been seen campaigning with Trump or acting as a surrogate after two former Christie aides were convicted for their roles in closing traffic lanes leading to the George Washington Bridge.

In addition to the presidential race, New Jersey voters have two public questions on statewide ballots. One would expand casino gambling to northern New Jersey and the other would dedicate the recent gas tax increase to transportation projects.

Polls close at 8 p.m. Tuesday.

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6 a.m.

Polls are open in New Jersey and voters have until 8 p.m. to decide whether Republican Donald Trump or Democrat Hillary Clinton will become president.

Republican Gov. Chris Christie had hoped he'd be the choice for president. But Christie folded his campaign after a poor showing in the New Hampshire primary and backed Trump.

There are two statewide ballot questions that will be settled Tuesday.

The first would amend the state constitution to allow two casinos to be built in northern New Jersey. The other would require revenue from the state's recent 23 cents-a-gallon gas tax increase be dedicated to transportation projects.

Voters will also decide who will serve their districts in the House of Representatives and who will serve in local and county offices.

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12:50 a.m.

It's finally here.

New Jersey voters go to the polls Tuesday to pick between Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump for president, along with the 12-member U.S. House delegation. They'll also decide whether to allow casinos in northern New Jersey and if every cent of the gas tax should be spent only on transportation.

Polls are open from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m.

Clinton is favored to win New Jersey despite Trump's former casino empire in the state and Republican Gov. Chris Christie's strong support.

The 5th District House race between incumbent Republican Scott Garrett and Democratic challenger Josh Gottheimer is the state's most closely watched contest.

A question mark also hangs over a ballot question asking voters whether all of the state's gas tax should be used for transportation.


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