TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - The Latest on Election Day in New Jersey (all times local):
12:50 a.m.
New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez defeated Republican Bob Hugin after a grueling and often ugly campaign to win a third term.
Meanwhile, Democrats in the state flipped at least three seats in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday.
Republican incumbent Rep. Leonard Lance in New Jersey’s 7th District was ousted by Tom Malinowski, a former State Department official under President Barack Obama.
Democrat Mikie Sherrill defeated Assemblyman Jay Webber in the open 11th District.
And State Sen. Jeff Van Drew defeated his staunchly pro-Donald Trump rival Seth Grossman to pick up a House seat for Democrats in southern New Jersey’s 1st District.
Thirteen other incumbents won re-election Tuesday night.
The 3rd District House race remains too close to call. Two-term Republican incumbent Rep. Tom MacArthur is running neck-and-neck in the race against Democrat Andy Kim, a former national security aide to Obama.
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12:10 a.m.
New Jersey voters approved $500 million in bonds for a host of school-related initiatives.
The approval Tuesday means the state will offer $500 million in new debt for school security, county colleges, vocational schools and water infrastructure.
It was the only ballot question.
The state constitution requires that new debts obtain voter approval.
Specifically, $350 million would be used to provide grants to county vocational school districts and school security projects. Fifty million dollars would go to county college projects and $100 million would go to support water infrastructure projects across the state’s more than 600 school districts.
The Democrat-led Legislature and Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy approved the bipartisan measure to get the question on the ballot in August.
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12:05 a.m.
State Sen. Jeff Van Drew defeated his staunchly pro-Donald Trump rival to pick up a House seat for Democrats in southern New Jersey’s 1st District.
Van Drew, a dentist and veteran state lawmaker, emerged victorious Tuesday over Republican Seth Grossman.
Van Drew’s win marks the first time in more than two decades that Democrats have won control of the seat. Republican Rep. Frank LoBiondo announced his retirement after 12 terms.
Van Drew has a conservative voting record in the Democrat-led state Senate and has served in the Legislature since 2002.
Grossman is an attorney and former Atlantic City councilman and Atlantic County officeholder. He said he was running to help Trump in Congress.
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11:25 p.m.
A former State Department official under Barack Obama has defeated five-term Republican incumbent Rep. Leonard Lance in New Jersey’s 7th District.
Tom Malinowski won Tuesday in one of the most closely contested House races after raising more cash than Lance.
Democrat Hillary Clinton narrowly carried the district in 2016 over Republican President Donald Trump.
Lance highlighted how he was different from Trump, who is mostly unpopular in New Jersey, and focused on his membership in a bipartisan caucus.
But Malinowski says Lance failed to stop fellow Republicans from enacting proposals he and many New Jersey residents opposed, like the 2017 tax overhaul.
Malinowski served as the assistant secretary of state for human rights from 2014 until 2017.
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11 p.m.
New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez is telling cheering supporters that his defeat of Republican Senate candidate Bob Hugin is “a victory of hope over hate, facts over fiction, inclusion over division, for hard work over ripping people off.”
He says he’s “so proud that New Jerseyans rejected the politics of personal destruction and the false, negative salacious ads,” referring to the Hugin campaign’s television ads. Those ads linked him to unsubstantiated years-old allegations of liaisons with underage prostitutes that surfaced before his corruption charges.
Hugin conceded to Menendez earlier Tuesday night, telling supporters he was proud that his campaign created “a new template” for Republicans in New Jersey by reaching out to urban areas in all corners of the state.
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10:35 p.m.
Republican Senate candidate Bob Hugin conceded to incumbent Democrat Bob Menendez Tuesday night, telling supporters he was proud that his campaign created “a new template” for Republicans in New Jersey by reaching out to urban areas in all corners of the state.
At his mention of Menendez, who faced corruption charges last year before a trial ended in a hung jury and the government declined to continue the case, the crowd began to chant, “Lock him up! Lock him up.”
“I wasn’t the right messenger to get it delivered, but we opened the door,” Hugin told the crowd.
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10:20 p.m.
Democrat Mikie Sherrill has defeated a Republican state lawmaker President Donald Trump called “outstanding” in New Jersey’s open 11th District, picking up a seat for Democrats.
Sherrill defeated attorney and Assemblyman Jay Webber on Tuesday. Webber has held state office since 2008 and was backed by Trump on Twitter.
Sherrill is a former Navy pilot and prosecutor who has not held or sought office before and who built a massive campaign war chest.
The seat was up for grabs after 12-term Republican Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen announced his retirement.
The district has been a GOP stronghold but just narrowly voted for Trump in 2016.
Sherrill campaigned on undoing the 2017 federal tax overhaul’s cap on state and local tax deductions and stressed her support for health care for everyone.
Webber ran as a conservative backer of Trump.
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9:25 p.m.
Four congressmen have won re-election in New Jersey.
Three-term Democratic incumbent Rep. Donald Norcross defeated Republican challenger Paul Dilks in southern New Jersey’s 1st District.
Republican Chris Smith defeated Democratic Navy veteran Josh Welle to win a 20th term in central and coastal New Jersey’s 4th District.
Democrat Frank Pallone was re-elected to a 16th term against Republican Richard Pezzullo.
Democratic Rep. Donald Payne Jr. defeated Republican Agha Khan to win a fifth term in New Jersey’s 10th District.
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8:55 p.m.
New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez fended off his wealthy Republican challenger and a barrage of ads about his tossed-out corruption charges to win re-election.
Menendez, 64, wins a third term Tuesday after a grueling campaign against Republican Bob Hugin.
Polls showed Hugin, 64, and Menendez much closer than expected in overwhelmingly Democratic New Jersey.
Hugin tapped his deep pockets for at least $27.5 million and spent on TV ads attacking Menendez over the 2017 trial on charges that he helped a friend with Medicare billing in exchange for lavish gifts.
The charges were dropped this year after a mistrial.
The race was particularly significant because Democrats are defending 26 seats, including 10 incumbents running in states that President Donald Trump won in 2016.
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8 p.m.
Polls in New Jersey are now closed.
Voters on a rainy Tuesday settled a closely watched Senate contest between Democratic incumbent Sen. Bob Menendez and Republican Bob Hugin.
They also voted for representatives in New Jersey’s dozen House races.
Menendez is seeking his third term. Hugin served as CEO of the drug maker Celgene.
Six other candidates were also on the ballot.
Voters weighed in on a $500 million education bond issue.
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3:45 p.m.
President Donald Trump endorsed Republican Bob Hugin in blue New Jersey’s Senate contest, leading Democratic incumbent Bob Menendez to tweet out his gratitude.
The Republican president said Tuesday that Hugin, a former executive at drug maker Celgene, would be a “Great Senator.” Menendez is seeking his third term in Tuesday’s election.
Hugin has kept his distance from Trump, who’s unpopular in New Jersey. He even said during the campaign that he’s not a “Trump Republican.”
Menendez campaigned in part on Trump’s unpopularity and said Hugin would be a “rubber stamp” for the president.
In response to the president’s tweet, Menendez tweeted, “Thank you.”
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11:45 a.m.
Some New Jersey voters say their views about President Donald Trump are influencing their ballot choices in the midterm elections.
Among them is 57-year-old Connie Stoerk, an engineer who lives in suburban Parsippany-Troy Hills. Stoerk says the votes she cast for Democratic candidates Tuesday were a direct response to Trump.
Stoerk says Trump’s actions and rhetoric have created “so much bad tension” that people feel they can’t talk about politics with friends and co-workers.
New Jersey voters were deciding a closely watched U.S. Senate election between Democratic incumbent Sen. Bob Menendez and Republican Bob Hugin as well as a dozen House races. Polls opened at 6 a.m. Tuesday and close at 8 p.m.
Long lines were being reported at many voting sites across the state, while some scattered problems - such as malfunctioning voting machines- were also being reported.
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8:20 a.m.
Bob Hugin says he’s seen “enthusiasm across the state” for his candidacy as he hopes to become the first Republican elected to the U.S. senate from New Jersey in 50 years.
Hugin, who served as CEO of the drugmaker Celgene, is hoping to unseat incumbent Democrat Bob Menendez, whose seeking his third term. He cast his ballot Tuesday morning in Summit.
He has cast Menendez as untrustworthy and corrupt. Prosecutors dropped corruption charges against him after an earlier trial ended in a mistrial.
Menendez says Hugin will be an ally of Republican President Donald Trump, who’s unpopular in New Jersey.
Polls opened at 6 a.m. Tuesday and will close at 8 p.m.
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7:45 a.m.
New Jersey’s senior U.S. senator is calling on voters to ignore rainy conditions and cast their ballots.
Democrat Bob Menendez made the remarks Tuesday morning shortly after he voted in Harrison. He told reporters that he hopes it “pours with votes,” noting the only way a “blue wave” can occur in New Jersey is if people get out and vote.
Polls opened at 6 a.m. Tuesday and will close at 8 p.m. Forecasters say there is a chance for showers and thunderstorms throughout the day.
Menendez is seeking his third term. He’s being challenged by Republican Bob Hugin, who served as CEO of the drugmaker Celgene.
Hugin was expected to cast his vote later Tuesday morning in Summit.
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6 a.m.
Election Day in New Jersey is off to a foggy and drizzly start.
Polls opened at 6 a.m. Tuesday and will close at 8 p.m. Forecasters say there is a chance for showers and thunderstorms throughout the day.
New Jersey voters are deciding the closely watched Senate race between Democratic incumbent Sen. Bob Menendez and Republican Bob Hugin as well as a dozen House races.
Menendez is seeking his third term. Hugin served as CEO of the drugmaker Celgene.
Six other candidates are also on the ballot.
Hugin cast Menendez as untrustworthy and corrupt. Prosecutors dropped corruption charges against him after an earlier trial ended in a mistrial.
Menendez says Hugin will be an ally of President Donald Trump, who’s unpopular in New Jersey.
Voters are also deciding a $500 million education bond issue.
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12:15 a.m.
New Jersey voters are deciding the closely watched Senate election between Democratic incumbent Sen. Bob Menendez and Republican Bob Hugin as well as a dozen House races.
Polls open at 6 a.m. Tuesday and close at 8 p.m.
Menendez is seeking his third term. Hugin served as CEO of the drugmaker Celgene.
Six other candidates are also on the ballot.
Voters have been bombarded with millions of dollars in negative advertising.
Hugin cast Menendez as untrustworthy and corrupt. Prosecutors dropped corruption charges against him after an earlier trial ended in a mistrial.
Menendez says Hugin will be an ally of President Donald Trump, who’s unpopular in New Jersey.
The state’s 12 House seats are up for grabs. Voters are also weighing a $500 million education bond issue.
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