Democrats win big in New Jersey

Unofficial election results shortly after polls closed Tuesday showed that voters in West Milford followed the trend in Passaic County and the rest of the state of New Jersey and voted heavily in favor of Democratic candidate for President Joe Biden and those for other offices who ran on Democratic slates.

Due to the high volume of mail in ballots by Nov. 3, the mail in ballot count will continue. The Passaic County Clerk’s office will put unofficial results out as they become available and there will be updates on a continual basis.

Ballots postmarked on or before Election Day received by Nov. 10 will be included as tallies are updated, according to the county clerk’s office.

Gov. Phil Murphy tweeted on that it appeared voter turnout throughout the state was “likely to be the highest in state history.”

He reported on 3.54 million New Jersey residents had already voted by Monday. This was 90 percent of the total number of voters in the 2016 election.

Presidential vote

The unofficial results Tuesday showed that in Passaic County, of the total 112,822 votes cast, (34.41 percent) showed 67,754 voters, (60.53 percent) of the 327,853 number of Passaic County voters registered to vote, chose Democrat Joe Biden for President.

President Donald Trump polled 42,881, by 38 percent of the registered voters.

U.S. Senate

Cory Booker, a Democrat who in early deliberations was considered by some as the best Democrat candidate for President of the United States, easily won a seat in the U.S. Senate with 67,957 votes, amounting to 61.96 percent of the vote. Rikin “Rik” Mehta, the Republican opponent, polled 39,183 for 35.72 percent of the vote.

Pallotta vs. Gottheimer

Republican Frank T. Pallotta beat Democrat incumbent Josh Gottheimer for a Fifth District seat in the House of Representatives.

Pallotta took 50.03 percent of the vote with 6,916 voters supporting him. Gottheimer received 6,666 votes for 48.22 percent of the vote.

Pascrell vs. Prempeh

House of Representatives 9th District candidate Democrat Bill Pascrell Jr. with 37,961 votes; 79.38 percent of the vote, defeated Republican challenger Billy Prempeh who polled 8,887 votes for 18.58 percent. Democrat Mike Sherrill took the 11th District with 51.43 percent of the vote of 24,673 over challenger Rosemary Becchi who polled 23,282 votes for 48.53 percent.

Board of Freeholders

Board of Chosen Freeholders Democrat incumbents Bruce James and Theodore TJ Best Jr. beat Republican challengers William Marsala and Matthew P. Conlon. James polled 60,038 votes for 31.49 percent’; Best 52,935 votes, 27.76 percent; Marsala 40,635 votes, 21.31 percent and Conlon 36,847, for 19.32 percent of the voters.

West Milford Township

On the local level in West Milford where two township council seats are open there is no competition. Republican candidates are Michael J. Chazukow and David S. Marsden.

There are no Democrat candidates on the ballot for the seats. Republicans Andie Pegel and Patricia Gerst, whose seats expire on Dec. 31, did not seek re-election.