UP

Mikie Sherrill

She smoked the Democratic Primary field. Look at these results:

Jack Ciattarelli

He ran a great campaign. Killed it. Look at those numbers down below.

Women

The shift from urban turnout to the suburbs showed up most obviously in a place like Morris County, the heart of Sherrill Country, and that core first galvanized back in 2018 against Donald Trump. Consider this: Morris County gave Sherrill 26K votes, or more than Middlesex (24K), and more than Union (14K).

Brian P. Stack 

Sherrill's last stop on the campaign trail heading into Election Day was Union City. She ended up winning Hudson County (which offset her lost in Essex 29K to 35K to Baraka), mostly on the strength of Stack's organizational backing.

The Laborers

They went all in with Sherrill. GOTV.

The FMBA

So did the firefighters.

Middlesex County

They did what they said they would do, which was deliver the county to Sherrill. The eventual nominee received 24K votes in Middlesex, while Baraka and Fulop fought for second place with about 14K apiece.

Kenyatta Stewart

He smoked the Passaic County Democratic Machine.

The Monmouth County Republican organization:

It beat back a challenge from Bill Spadea-endorsed state Assembly and county candidates.

Mayor Jamie Barberio

He survived a primary challenge in Parsippany.

LeRoy Jones

He didn't win Essex for Sherrill, but that was always going to be tough with the mayor of his county's biggest city running - complicated by the late surge from the Delaney Hall episode. Don't forget that Jones' enemies would be coming for him this time, after he hit the eject button on Sweeney, after the tough encounters with Norcross, and the Democratic State Party Chair would have to depend on his alliances. Ultimately, his candidate won.

DOWN

Bill Spadea

He got blown out by Ciattarelli.

Look at this:

George Gilmore

The Ocean County GOP Chairman went in with Spadea. Paid for it.

George Norcross III

The South Jersey Democratic Party powerbroker's longtime ally Sweeney did not fare well statewide (generating a paltry 7.2%), despite such early hopes generated by strong VBM totals.

Chris Christie

The former governor didn't seem to have much political pull in a Republican Primary, in a party now dominated by President Donald J. Trump, who backed Ciattarelli.

Sean Spiller

The New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) tried hard in his campaign for governor, but that $40 million independent expenditure rubbed people the wrong way, in both parties.

Nick Sacco

His nemesis, Larry Wainstein, will soon represent his town (North Bergen) in the Assembly.

Frank Pallotta 

He lost two races for Congress in 2020 and 2022; Now he lost again for the Assembly in LD-39.

The Democratic Left

The liberal vote was split between Ras Baraka and Steve Fulop. If there had been only one left wing candidate, he may have won.