New Jersey
Democrat Mikie Sherrill beats Republican Jack Ciattarelli in the N.J. governors race
After a knock-down, drag-out fight to the finish, Democrat Mikie Sherrill defeated her main rival, Republican Jack Ciattarelli, a businessman and former Assemblyman, as well as Libertarian candidate Vic Kaplan and Socialist Worker Party candidate Joanne Kuniansky in the race for governor of New Jersey.
In a contest that drew national attention as a gauge of the Trump administration and a possible preview of next year’s midterm elections, Sherrill, who maintained a slight lead in recent polls leading up to Election Day, was declared the winner by the Associated Press at 9:23 p.m. As of 9:33 p.m., Sherrill had 57.2% of the vote, while Ciattarelli had 42.5% of the vote, according to AP.
Sherrill defeated five other candidates in the Democratic primary election, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, Congressman Josh Gottheimer, New Jersey Education Association President Sean Spiller and former state Senate President Steve Sweeney.
Beth Glennon, from Haddonfield, New Jersey, said she was thrilled Mikie Sherrill will be the next governor of the Garden State.
“I think she represents every single New Jerseyan,” she said. “She listens and she is kind and thoughtful and interested in what happens in everyday life, I think she’ll do a wonderful job.”
Meanwhile, Liz Cericolac, from Bergen County, said she was “stunned” that Ciattarelli lost, adding that he had a better campaign this year.
“He was a smarter candidate, more enthusiastic, more approachable,” Cericolac said. “He campaigned everywhere.”
Both Sherrill and Ciattarelli stressed affordability and tax relief during their first and second debates and throughout the race, which turned out to be the most expensive in state history.
This was Ciattarelli’s third try for governor’s office. His first attempt was in 2017 when he lost the Republican primary to then-Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno. Four years later, he came narrowly close to preventing Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy from winning a second term.
In June, he easily defeated four candidates in the Republican primary, including radio talk show host Bill Spadea and state Sen. John Bramnick. Ciattarelli’s election promises included affordability and addressing “loopholes” in the state’s bail reform law. Ciattarelli also said he would do away with the Immigrant Trust Directive, which limited the voluntary assistance state and local agencies can give to federal immigration enforcement.
Addressing supporters at his election watch party in Bridgewater, Ciattarelli said he was proud of the campaign he ran, noting that he visited every municipality in the state and more than 600 diners.
“It is my hope that Mikie Sherrill has heard us in terms of what we need to do to make New Jersey, that place where everybody can once again feel they can achieve their American dream,” he said. “Even though we were not successful tonight, it does not mean we were not successful in talking about the issues that matter.”
Sherrill, a former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot, federal prosecutor and a current member of Congress representing New Jersey’s 11th District, made accountability a centerpiece of her campaign.
New Jersey
Husband of slain New Jersey mom begs for help in newly released 911 call | Fox News Video
Former homicide detective Brian Foley joins ‘Fox & Friends Weekend’ to provide analysis on Conor Hanlon’s 911 call after finding his wife, Brooke, stabbed to death.
Former homicide detective Brian Foley provides expert insights into the newly released 911 call from Conor Hanlon, whose wife, New Jersey therapist Brooke Hanlon, was found stabbed to death. Foley analyzes the husband’s emotional state and the police’s approach, noting the case’s ‘suspicious’ designation 13 minutes into the call.
New Jersey
NJ firefighter dies after crash responding to fire call
A young firefighter died two weeks after being badly hurt in a crash while responding to a fire call, according to the Malaga Fire Company.
Robert (Bobby) Reider, 23, was driving north along Delsea Drive while trying to get to the scene of fire on Saturday, June 27 when his car went off the road, officials said.
When first responders got to the scene of the crash, they found Reider trapped in his car and worked to remove him.
Reider was then taken by helicopter to a nearby hospital where he was treated for severe and traumatic injuries.
Weeks later, on July 10 around 4:30 a.m., Reider died from his injuries while still in the hospital.
The Malaga Fire Company says that Reider joined their team in 2018 when he was just 16 as a junior firefighter.
He then went on to earn a certificate at Fire 1 at the Salem County Fire Academy in 2022.
New Jersey
NJ Legislators Are Considering a Bill That Could Ban Tesla Robotaxis Due to Their Tech Choice
New Jersey lawmakers are deliberating on a law that would create a three-year autonomous vehicle pilot program in the state, but Tesla might be banned from participating altogether over a technical choice made by the Texas-based carmaker for its self-driving vehicles.
The bill, officially known as S1677, would establish autonomous vehicle testing requirements with the New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT) and the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. One of these proposed requirements is that autonomous vehicle operators use camera-based technology and two additional forms of sensor tech, such as lidar or radar. Of course, Tesla’s autonomous vehicle technology is purely camera-based, meaning the brand could be banned from testing in New Jersey.
The text of the bill is fairly straightforward, requiring prospective autonomous operators to submit a “law enforcement interaction plan” and detail redundant safety systems, crash-avoidance technology, and data recording capabilities. The specific language that would ban Tesla’s system requires autonomous operators to “be equipped with crash-avoidance systems, including a camera system and two distinct sensing modalities that are capable of detecting and tracking obstacles in the event of failure of the camera system.” The bill also favors keeping traditional steering wheel and pedal controls available. While initial testing would be completed with human safety operators, the bill would allow fully autonomous operation once certain metrics, such as 50,000 crash-free miles, are met.
The decision to require both camera- and sensor-based technology is not a coincidence, according to The Verge. “This is not anti-Tesla. I’m pro-New Jersey safety,” Democratic state senator Andrew Zwicker, the bill’s primary sponsor and a physicist by trade, said to The Verge. “At this point, I don’t think the evidence is sufficient that a single sensor with software can handle situations that humans can.”
Tesla is, unsurprisingly, upset about this development, and the company is fighting back. The automaker’s public policy platform, Engage Tesla, features a call to action for Tesla owners to contact members of the New Jersey Legislature to oppose the bill, with the plea claiming the autonomous vehicle testing program is the opposite of progress, and saying that Tesla would be legally barred from testing in the Garden State. Statistics about roadway death rates in New Jersey and denying freedom of movement for elderly populations are also included.
“Rather than prioritizing real safety outcomes and performance, the bill specifically bans Tesla from the New Jersey market,” the site reads. “Every arbitrary roadblock is a delay for the people who need this life-changing technology most. Legislation that bans Tesla’s proven AV technology from the market is not caution — it’s anti-competitive favoritism that will cause New Jersey to fall behind while other states move forward.”
The bill, introduced on January 16, is currently under consideration by the New Jersey Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee. The bill’s language closely mirrors talking points from the nonprofit SAVE-US, which is lobbying for stronger oversight of autonomous vehicle testing. New Jersey is not the only state pondering additional autonomous testing regulation; New York legislators are working on similar legislation. Just yesterday, federal safety regulators called out autonomous vehicle operators like Waymo for interfering with first responders.
A New York transplant hailing from the Pacific Northwest, Emmet White has a passion for anything that goes: cars, bicycles, planes, and motorcycles. After learning to ride at 17, Emmet worked in the motorcycle industry before joining Autoweek in 2022 and Road & Track in 2024. The woes of alternate side parking have kept his fleet moderate, with a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta GLI and a BMW 318i E30 street parked in his Queens community.
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