Democrats pick up N.J. Assembly seats

New Jersey Democrats appeared poised Tuesday to expand their majority in the state Assembly, though election results were still unclear in a few districts.

Democrats seemed likely to pick up three seats from Republicans, which would give them their biggest elected majority since 1977, according to a Democratic campaign spokesman.

"Working families of our state needed - and now they have - more voices in the people's house to fight to expand opportunities for the middle class," state Democratic Party Chairman John Currie said in a statement Tuesday night.

Democrats held a 47-32 edge in the lower chamber heading into Tuesday's election, with one vacancy. They also control the Senate. Democratic incumbents representing Camden, Burlington and Gloucester Counties cruised to reelection.

Gov. Christie, a Republican, suggested Monday that legislative redistricting in 2011 would make it difficult for his party to pick up seats.

"This is an unfair map," he told reporters.

Political analysts had predicted record-low turnout, with Assembly elections topping the ballot for the first time since 1999. That year, 31 percent of registered voters cast ballots.

The current low mark came in October 2013, when former Newark Mayor Cory Booker, a Democrat, was elected to the U.S. Senate in a special election. Just 25 percent of registered voters cast ballots in that election.

Locally, turnout ranged from 19 percent to 24 percent, according to unofficial returns.

Two of the most competitive races were in South Jersey's First and Second Districts on the Shore, where Democrats won three of four seats, according to unofficial results.

A Democratic super PAC had spent more than $2 million on the election in Atlantic County's Second District through October, according to filings with state regulators, and nearly $1.8 million in the First, which includes parts of Atlantic, Cape May, and Cumberland Counties.

The group, General Majority PAC, raised most of its money from a super PAC allied with the state's largest teachers' union.

The Democratic campaigns also outspent their GOP counterparts.

In the Second District, incumbents Chris A. Brown, a Republican, and Vince Mazzeo, a Democrat, prevailed.

"This was the toughest race I ever faced because of all the negativity," Mazzeo said at the Atlantic City Country Club in Northfield. "I'm glad I'm still standing."

Mazzeo, a former mayor of Northfield who operates a family-owned grocery store there, first won election in 2013 by 51 votes after a monthlong recount.

Much of this year's campaign in the Second District focused on the possibility that the state would try to amend its constitution to expand casino gaming beyond Atlantic City to North Jersey. All candidates said they opposed the idea, but outside groups sought to play up the issue anyway.

Candidates also grappled with how to boost Atlantic County's economy, which has suffered from casino closures and the layoff of thousands of people. Atlantic City's finances have been crippled by tax appeals by casinos.

Election Day began with a hitch in Atlantic County, as provisional ballots were not distributed to voting precincts. Officials said the problem was eventually fixed, though it's possible some voters were unable to cast ballots.

In the First District, Democrat Bob Andrzejczak retained his seat, and running mate Bruce Land ousted incumbent Republican Sam Fiocchi.

Democrats also appeared to score an upset in Monmouth County's 11th District, currently represented by two Republicans. With all precincts reporting, one Democrat led the pack by 440 votes, with another leading the closest Republican by more than 150, out of nearly 54,000 cast in total. Provisional ballots had not yet been counted.

The Republicans' campaign manager there did not respond to a message seeking comment. Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick (R., Union), who led the GOP election effort, also did not return a message.

General Majority PAC had spent $172,000 in the district, much of it on attack ads, through Oct. 30, according to campaign-finance records.

There were no surprises in local races.

In the Third District, which includes parts of Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland Counties, incumbent Democrats John Burzichelli, a former Paulsboro mayor, and Adam Taliaferro, a former freeholder, won reelection.

Democrats Paul Moriarty and Gabriela Mosquera won reelection in the Fourth District, which spans parts of Camden and Gloucester Counties.

Also winning reelection were Democrats Louis D. Greenwald, the majority leader, and Pamela Lampitt, of the Sixth District, which represents municipalities in Camden and Burlington Counties, as well as Troy Singleton and Herb Conaway in Burlington's Seventh District.

The only open election locally was in the Fifth District, which spans parts of Camden and Gloucester Counties. The district's lone incumbent, Gilbert "Whip" Wilson, did not seek reelection and instead ran successfully for Camden County sheriff. Another legislator, Angel Fuentes, resigned from his seat earlier this year and took a job with Camden County.

Democrats Arthur Barclay, a Camden City councilman, and Patricia Jones, a former Camden County surrogate, defeated Republicans Kevin Ehret and Keith Walker.

State Sen. Nilsa Cruz-Perez, a Democrat who represents the same district, ran unopposed and won in a special election to complete a four-year Senate term that ends in 2017. She was appointed last year to the seat after Donald Norcross resigned from the Senate and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Republican incumbent Maria Rodriguez-Gregg and running mate Joe Howarth ran unopposed and won election in the Eighth District, which spans parts of Atlantic, Burlington, and Camden Counties.

aseidman@phillynews.com

856-779-3846 @AndrewSeidman

Staff writers Jacqueline L. Urgo and Maddie Hanna contributed to this article.