DOVER – Mayor James Dodd was watching. Or more accurately, he had a truck parked across the street from where Gov. Murphy and the mayor’s opponents rallied Saturday before the Nov. 5 election.

Dodd’s sound truck urged voters to reelect “Democratic” mayor Dodd. This is a point of contention.

Dodd says he is a Democrat, but he is on the ballot as an independent. Carolyn Blackman heads the Democratic ticket, and as such, she drew an overflow crowd to the Rico Pan Bakery on Blackwell Street, the town’s main drag.

Even before Murphy arrived, the crowd sampled empanadas and chanted “Carolyn, Carolyn.”

Murphy quickly got into the act, asking “Who’s the next mayor of Dover?”

“Carolyn,” the crowd screamed.

This was the start of an extensive campaign tour for Murphy. From blue-collar and heavily Latino Dover. Murphy next visited a home in affluent Madison and a luncheonette in spiffy Chatham. That wasn’t only three different towns, it was three different Legislative Districts, 25, 27 and 21 if you want to keep track.

“This is a low turnout election,” the governor said in Dover. “That means anything can happen.”

One way to tilt the odds your way, so to speak, is to work harder than the other guy turning out your voters. That was the official reason for a statewide campaign swing Murphy and his wife, Tammy, planned to continue all weekend. Murphy was off to Bergen County when he left Morris.

Local Republicans are engaged as well. The Morris County Republican Committee planned a rally of its own Saturday, but then cancelled it to concentrate on canvassing alone. About 200 GOP volunteers were out going door-to-door by mid-morning, a Republican source said.

Morris Republicans also have put together an Internet advertisement designed to increase turnout. Its message is pretty blunt – Morris County is a great place to live. Don’t let Murphy and the Democrats mess things up.

Many Republicans see the Assembly races as a referendum on Murphy, a contest they think breaks their way. So, Republicans are probably not unhappy that the governor spent about three hours in Morris today.

Murphy is not shying away from the challenge.

Standing in the driveway of a home on Pomeroy Drive in Madison, the governor channeled Howard Dean – minus the infamous primordial scream. When he chaired the national Democratic Committee, Dean talked about competing in all 50 states. Likewise, Murphy said he wants Democrats to compete in such traditional Republican locals as Morris and other suburban areas.

That turned out well last year with Democrats snagging four Congressional seats previously held by Republicans. But this is a different election. It’s really hard to gauge if the anti-Trump sentiment that keyed last year’s Democratic success will repeat itself with Assembly candidates topping the ballot.

Of course, there are other races. The governor talked about building the party from the ground up. That prompted county Democratic Chair Chip Robinson to boldly predict that Democrats will takeover many municipal seats on Tuesday and that they will “sweep Parsippany.” If that happens, Dems will have full control of the county’s largest town.

After Madison, the governor journeyed a mile or so east for lunch with Robinson and Chatham Democratic candidates at the Sorriso Kitchen.

He was now in District 21, where Democrats Lisa Mandelblatt and Stacy Gunderman hope to beat incumbent Republicans Jon Bramnick and Nancy Munoz.

What’s the governor’s prediction?

“We’re going to scratch for every vote,” he said.

In Dover, Murphy had expressed hope that a big party turnout could help “push Lisa and Darcy over the top.” That would be Lisa Bhimani and Darcy Draeger who are challenging Republicans Anthony M. Bucco and Brian Bergen in District 25.