A slate of liberal stars touched down in New Jersey ahead of the election — former President Barack Obama, current President Joe Biden, and Sen. Bernie Sanders — in moves that could have helped Gov. Phil Murphy keep his job as the Garden State’s governor.
While Murphy graced stages with big name Democrats, Republican opponent Jack Ciattarelli stuck to diner booths. And without any star power, he pulled off a much closer race than most had expected.
It’s the same refrain New Jersey heard four years ago, although it may have resonated deeper in 2021. Murphy can shout ”Greetings from Asbury Parl” when addressing his supporters, but the Goldman Sachs guy just isn’t Jersey enough for others.
Still, he did something Democrats haven’t done in 44 years by winning a second term as New Jersey’s governor. But not without a tough fight from Ciattarelli.
As voters hit the polls Tuesday, Murphy took to the airwaves, making media appearances to reach the masses. But Ciattarelli kept things low-key and local. He spent Monday and Tuesday stopping into the state’s diners (including the beloved Tick Tock in Clifton), a move he relied on throughout the campaign, too, (even if some in the booths were ready to tell him they didn’t support him).
N.J. ELECTION 2021: Local and state results
“All up and down the state, we do at least five or six of these a day, and the crowds have been enormous, energy has been great, momentum is great, and our message is resonating, so I’m looking forward to the outcome of Tuesday,” Ciattarelli said as he left the Reo Diner in Woodbridge last week.
If Democrats didn’t believe him, they’re likely changing their minds. Ciattarelli, who was pretty much unknown statewide earlier this year, hasn’t served in the state Assembly since 2018. He was trailing Murphy by about 62,000 votes, less than 3 percentage points, as of late Friday. The Associated Press officially called the race for Murphy Wednesday evening.
Most polls had Murphy winning by high single digits or by more than 10 points. Even if Ciattarelli’s grassroots campaign didn’t get him into office, it did make him a national name for the election, and could reshape how Democrats govern in the next few years.
“I thought it was kind of a masterful stroke of genius from his end to engage more in grassroots efforts and stir up his base, because we saw a lot of momentum,” said Ariel Alvarez, a professor of political science and law at Montclair State University.
“What tends to develop is, you have the people who already support you became even more loyal supporters. They tend to bring in more people, and convince other people. And then momentum rises, and momentum is more impactful than influence sometimes.”
Each candidate had to use their best resources: for Murphy, that meant calling on big names to energize voters, which could have bolstered his numbers.
Some experts wonder if an official visit from Biden touting infrastructure improvements shortly before the election may have hurt Murphy. Infighting among the Democrats in Washington has led public opinion to sour, and may have stunted Democrat turnout while spurring Republicans at the polls.
Ciattarelli didn’t have those clear options among Republicans — former President Donald Trump is not the most favorable figure in New Jersey, and former Gov. Chris Christie, who ended his eight-year stint as the state’s most unpopular governor, did not make appearances supporting Ciattarelli. The biggest name to lend him support was United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley.
Instead, Ciattarelli met voters where they were. According to his campaign, the Republican logged 10,000 miles in October and stopped in 100 towns around the state.
“There’s a real advantage to be seen as authentically New Jersey,” said Kristoffer Shields, a historian and program manager of the Eagleton Center on the American Governor. “Making that personal connection allows you to be seen that way. That’s a classic New Jersey thing: To be seen as comfortable in a diner with a group of New Jersey residents helps give you the aura of New Jersey.”
Shields said Republicans do well in the state when they focus on economic issues like taxes and school funding. Having those one-on-one conversations in a no-frills diner allows the delivery to match the messaging.
Murphy engaged with voters, too, and had the benefit of interacting with citizens through his position as governor. He also made many national and local TV appearances over the past year to talk about the state’s coronavirus response, becoming a familiar face to even less-politically engaged New Jerseyans.
And both candidates flooded the airwaves with ads, with Murphy’s side saying Ciattarelli parrots Trump and the Republican hammering Murphy on taxes. That allows them to beam their messages right into someone’s home, whether they planned to engage with a candidate or not.
But it’s no substitute for the meet and greets, experts said. A candidate may not reach as many voters in person, but they do make a lasting impact.
“It gives you broad reach,” Shields said of television ads. But “there’s nothing like looking someone in the eye and shaking their hand and introducing yourself.”
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Amanda Hoover can be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj.
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Murphy had Obama, Ciattarelli had diners. Why those different approaches led to a close race. - NJ.com
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