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The race for two seats on the Garwood Borough Council is too close to call, with a Republican newcomer just four votes down and a GOP incumbent running fourth.

Democratic Councilman Sean Keagan Foley (1,237) is in the top spot; his running mate, Chris Padusniak (1,212), leads Republican Laura Spina Thompson (1,208) by just four votes.  Republican Councilwoman Kimberly Salmon (1,194) is just 18 votes out of second place and 43 out of first.

Garwood has a Democratic mayor and a 5-1 Democratic council majority.

Democrats are on the verge of breaking of the all-Republican hold on the New Providence Borough Council.  GOP Councilman Matthew Cumiskey (3,397) is the top vote-getter, but Democrat Kathleen Dolan (3,370) leads Republican John Sponauer (3,244) by 126 votes; Democrat Alan Lerner (3,173) is in fourth place.  A Republican councilman, Peter DeSarno, did not seek re-election.

In Summit, where Republicans staged a stunning sweep of the mayor race and common council seats in 2023, Democrats held two open seats in 2024.  In the 1st Ward, Michelle Kalmanson defeated Donald Nelson, 53%-47%, and in the 2nd Ward, Claire Toth won, 53%-47%, against Mark Gundersen.

Republicans Joseph Finistrella (2,168) was re-elected to the Kenilworth Borough Council, with his running mate, Douglas Piper (2,060), capturing the seat of departing GOP Councilman John Zimmerman, Jr.  They defeated Democrats Mark David (1,642) and Kay Anne Ceceri (1,636).

Two Democratic councilmen in Roselle Park – Joseph Petrosky in the 2nd Ward and Jay Robaina in the 5th Ward, won easily.  So did the Democratic mayor of Scotch Plains, Joshua Losardo, and Democratic Councilwoman Ellen Zimmerman.

In Linden, Republican Victor Kaminski came within 122 votes of ousting Democratic incumbent Alfred Rodriguez in a race for the 9th Ward seat on the Linden City Council.

Republicans easily held two seats on the Mountainside Borough Council.   Democrats Chris Weber and Alex Keiser had no trouble dispatching GOP opponents for the Springfield Township Committee.  Democrats won in Union Township in a landslide.

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As the 2024 presidential race wraps up, New Jersey voters are most focused on economic concerns, according to a recent Rutgers-Eagleton poll. 

Economic and fiscal issues were the primary voting issue for 22% of respondents. That was followed by immigration (13%), candidate character (11%) and reproductive rights (9%).

“It’s no surprise that New Jersey voters are echoing what have been considered this election’s biggest issues nationally,” said Ashley Koning, director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers University. “Time and time again, the economy is top of mind for voters in the Garden State, regardless of election cycle.” 

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Concerns over rising costs remain high across essential expenses, with more than half of the 1,018 voters citing difficulty affording education costs (65%), rent or mortgage payments (54%), and groceries (54%). Utility and transportation costs are also a challenge for many, with 46% saying they struggle with these expenses.

Overall views on the economy are generally negative: 50% feel it has worsened over the past year, and only 26% describe the national economy as “good” or better. On a more personal level, 47% of voters report they are “holding steady financially,” while 42% feel they are “falling behind.”

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“Republicans, as compared with independents and especially Democrats, generally feel more negatively about the state of the economy, both nationally and statewide,” said David Martin, a research assistant at Eagleton. “Republicans are more likely to rate economic conditions negatively and believe the economy is worse off today than it was a year ago. It’s unsurprising, then, that this voting bloc puts the economy right at the top of issues important to their vote in the 2024 election.”

Beyond the economy, issues like healthcare, violent crime and immigration also register strongly. About nine in 10 voters polled in mid-October rate foreign policy and violent crime as important to their vote. A similar number of voters favor enhanced border security, though the poll found New Jerseyans tend to support more progressive measures, like pathways to citizenship for undocumented residents who meet certain conditions.

On abortion, a combined 77% of New Jersey voters favor its legality in either all or most cases, with 66% preferring a federal law guaranteeing a right to abortion nationwide rather than leaving the decision to individual states. 

Support for LGBTQ+ rights is also generally high, with 81% of voters expressing some level of support. However, opinions are more divided on transgender acceptance. Regarding society’s level of acceptance of transgender individuals, 28% of voters feel it has not gone far enough, while 32% believe it has gone too far.