AP News Guide: A look at New Jersey's elections

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Democrats Joe Biden and Cory Booker emerged victorious Tuesday in New Jersey.

Results are now coming after millions cast mail-in ballots for president, Senate, House and three ballot questions, including legalizing recreational marijuana more than a month ago.

COVID-19 led Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy to upend traditional voting by sending mail-in ballots to all registered voters.

The presidential race between Biden and incumbent Republican Donald Trump, and the U.S. Senate race, weren’t expected to be close in New Jersey. And they weren’t. Biden easily won the state, and Booker won a second full term, defeating Republican Rik Mehta.

But a handful of House races look to be toss-ups, and the marijuana ballot question has national implications: If approved, New Jersey would become the 12th state, plus the District of Columbia, to legalize cannabis for recreational use.

This year’s election is unique because it’s being conducted mostly by mail-in ballots.

A closer look at this year’s most watched races:

PRESIDENT

Democrat Joe Biden has defeated President Donald Trump in New Jersey.

Biden, the former vice president, won New Jersey’s 14 electoral votes Tuesday, continuing Democrats’ stranglehold on the state. Republicans haven’t won in New Jersey since 1988. Despite the president’s ties to New Jersey, he was never expected to carry the state.

Trump owns golf clubs in Bedminster, Colts Neck and Pine Hill. He also operated now-defunct casinos in Atlantic City. The president regularly stays at his Bedminster club throughout the summer.

U.S. SENATE

New Jersey Democrat Cory Booker has easily won a second full term in the U.S. Senate.

Booker defeated Republican Rik Mehta, a business executive with a law degree and a doctorate in pharmacy.

Booker ran an unsuccessful primary campaign for president this year. While he lost the nomination to former Vice President Joe Biden, Booker had a lock on Democratic support in the state, winning Gov. Phil Murphy’s endorsement.

His victory cements New Jersey as a Democratic stronghold.

The last Republican elected to the Senate was Clifford Case in 1972.

Booker won a special election in 2013 after the death of Democrat Frank Lautenberg. He won his first full term in 2014.

MARIJUANA BALLOT QUESTION

Polls show roughly 60% support for the legalization of recreational marijuana. The governor and Democrat-led Legislature also support legalization.

If the measure is approved, the state commission overseeing the medical marijuana program would be in charge of setting up a recreational-use market. Along with an age restriction, cannabis would be subject to the state’s 6.625% sales tax.

The amendment also authorizes the Legislature to enact a law letting towns and cities collect a tax on cannabis of up to 2%.

It’s unclear, though, how soon after the amendment passes that marijuana could hit the market. Lawmakers are wrestling with whether to enact legislation before the public weighs in in order to speed up when the market can open.

HOUSE DISTRICT 2

This is perhaps the most closely watched race in the state. Incumbent Rep. Jeff Van Drew gained national attention when he abandoned the Democratic Party in December and became a Republican, saying he couldn’t support impeachment of the president. He pledged his “undying support” to Trump during an Oval Office meeting and in January hosted the president in Wildwood for a rally.

That was before the COVID-19 outbreak. Since then, Van Drew has been locked in a tight race against Democratic opponent Amy Kennedy, a former public school teacher. She’s also the spouse of former Democratic Rep. Patrick Kennedy, son of the late Sen. Ted Kennedy.

The southern New Jersey district encompasses all or part of eight counties and supported Trump in 2016, though it backed Democrat Barack Obama in his two presidential runs.

HOUSE DISTRICT 3

Democratic incumbent Andy Kim is running for his second term in the southern New Jersey district that stretches from the Philadelphia suburbs along the Delaware River in Burlington County to Ocean County.

He faces Republican former businessman David Richter. Richter originally planned to run against Van Drew. But when Van Drew became a Republican, Richter moved north to seek the 3rd District seat.

Richter, a retired Hill International executive, is a newcomer to politics.

HOUSE DISTRICT 7

Freshman Democrat Tom Malinowski faces Tom Kean Jr., the state Senate Republican Minority Leader and son of former GOP Gov. Tom Kean.

The 7th District includes parts of Essex, Morris, Somerset, Union and Warren counties, and all of Hunterdon.

The race has taken a negative turn, with Kean’s supporters airing ads claiming that Malinowski lobbied against a national sex offender registry. Malinowski explicitly denied the claim, which stems from his work as a lobbyist for Human Rights Watch. Republicans have pointed to lobbying records showing Malinowski’s name as a lobbyist on legislation, including the sex offender registry. But Malinowski covered foreign policy while at Human Rights Watch, he said, not domestic policy. The ads have led to Malinowski getting death threats, his office has said.

HOUSE DISTRICT 11

Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat and former prosecutor and Navy pilot, is running for her second term against Republican Rosemary Becchi, a former attorney for the Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee.

Northern New Jersey’s 11th District covers parts of Essex, Morris, Passaic and Sussex counties. It has the highest median income among the state’s congressional districts at $121,000, according to the Census.

OTHER HOUSE DISTRICTS

In the state's other eight House districts, Democrats are defending seven seats, while Republican Rep. Chris Smith is seeking his 21st term.

Democratic incumbents Donald Payne Jr. and Albio Sires won on Tuesday. Payne beat Republican Jennifer Zinone and three other candidates for a sixth term. Sires overcame Republican and Libertarian challengers to win a ninth term.

ATLANTIC CITY MAYOR

Marty Small, the Democratic incumbent, is running for the final year of his predecessor’s unexpired term. He is being challenged by Republican Tom Forkin. The winner will presumably run again next year for a full four-year term. It’s a time of upheaval in the seaside gambling resort, struggling with the coronavirus pandemic that has kept casinos restricted to 25% of capacity. The city also remains under state control under a takeover law approved by former Republican Gov. Chris Christie and the Democrat-controlled state Legislature.

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Find AP’s full election coverage at APNews.com/Election2020.