MADISON - A day after the 2025 election, Jon Bramnick and Joe Cryan alighted on Fairleigh Dickinson's Morris County campus: a couple of Simon and Garfunkel-Led Zeppelin era guys. No electric guitars. No humbucker pickups. No amps. Just human connecting points co-existing with an attentive social media-molded generation, each man pitching public service as the best part of politics and - against the nefarious, demonizing backdrop of Donald Trump in the White House - harmonizing around the common precious theme of - of all things - civility.

This project came about, the College Civility Tour, as they call it, after the killing of Charlie Kirk, and in the deepening divide of hateful politics driving people apart, away from one another, and probably away from the common core of the country.

"Finally, it's about helping people," Cryan told a crowd of students, in the company of moderator Ruthi Byrne, wife of the late beloved Governor Brendan Byrne, and Dr. Peter Woolley, founding director of Fairleigh Dickinson's School of Public and Global Affairs.

That's why they got into the business to begin with, they agreed, in the middle of a federal government shutdown proving a Republican (Bramnick) and a Democrat (Cryan) can reach consensus on something - and stand in proximity to each other in public without a fistfight breaking out.

Their words to the students here included advice on how to manage the heavy lift, for example, of

Thanksgiving Dinner, when people of different political persuasions have to belly up to the same table.

"There are a lot of things to talk about - not just politics," said Bramnick, rattling off some conversation starters that don't leave diners stranded on divisive politics as the only option.

The crowd here included former Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula, Clinton Town Mayor Janice Kovach, Chris Daggett, president and CEO of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, and former Summit Mayor Jordan Glatt.

InsiderNJ caught up with both men to ask them about yesterday's election, what happened, and the implications for CD-7, which Cryan once occupied and where Bramnick still resides.

They agreed that Donald Trump proved the overriding factor in the outcome of the contest.

"The Republican Party did not understand that yesterday was a referendum on Washington and what it meant to the people of New Jersey," said Cryan. "This wasn't a local race. It was a national race."

"It was a national race," said Bramnick in a separate interview. "The election was a referendum on Donald Trump.  It was the first time Democrats could come out and voice their opposition to Donald Trump. The Democratic machine worked hard to get people out and they were motivated to vote against Donald Trump. Obviously, I disagree with Jack Ciattarelli's philosophy of being 100% with Trump. I don't think that helped."

Ciattarelli told supporters he believed he would have coattails to drag in a Republican legislative majority.

"He changed the numbers alright, but it just was the opposite," said Bramnick, whose running mates ended up among the three GOP assembly people who lost their seats.

"That's because of the turnout by Democrats, that even in LD-21, it was impossible for my running mates to win."

As for yesterday's implications on the 2026 midterm elections, Cryan told InsiderNJ, "They were significant. A message was sent right here in New Jersey. I'm shocked I haven't seen Republican members of Congress call for an end to the shutdown immediately. Let's face it - it was a big issue in this campaign. I'm surprised folks don't understand that a majority of New Jerseyans want something different. They spoke yesterday. Hear them out."

Said Bramnick, when asked if the atmosphere bodes ill for his old running mate, U.S. Rep. Tom Kean, Jr., in CD-7: "Once again, it's going to depend on the popularity of Donald Trump. If Donald Trump continues to reduce his support, it makes it harder for Tom Kean, Jr."

For Dr. Woolley's take on yesterday, please below, followed by Ruthi Byrne's views.

"Just when I think the world and the country are going to hell in a hand basket," said Woolley, "I meet great students - every day."