New Jersey was part of a nationwide Democratic wave in the November 3 midterm elections. Democrats flipped two of the three congressional seats previously held by Republicans, giving them 11 of the state’s 12 U.S. House seats, and made historic gains in county government, including in long-time Republican strongholds. Nationally, Democrats won back majorities in both the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate, giving them control of both chambers of Congress when the new Congress convenes in January.
Congressional Results
Results for each of New Jersey’s 12 congressional districts are as follows:
1st Congressional District: Long-time incumbent Donald Norcross (D) retained his seat, winning with about 70% of the vote.
2nd Congressional District: Zack Mullock (D), mayor of Cape May, defeated incumbent Jeff Van Drew (R), who switched his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican in 2019 in support of Donald Trump. Mullock won by roughly three points, about 51% to 48%, and Van Drew conceded on election night. This was the first of two seats lost by Republicans.
3rd Congressional District: Incumbent Dr. Herb Conaway (D), first elected in 2024, won with about 62% of the vote.
4th Congressional District: Chris Smith (R) was the lone survivor of the three Republican incumbents seeking reelection. He won with about 59% of the vote.
5th Congressional District: Long-time incumbent Josh Gottheimer (D), who sought the Democratic nomination for governor in 2025, won reelection with about 62% of the vote.
6th Congressional District: Frank Pallone (D), who has served in Congress since 1989, won a 20th term with about 69% of the vote. As the ranking Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Pallone announced he will seek the committee chairmanship now that Democrats have won the House majority.
7th Congressional District: Tom Kean Jr. (R) lost his seat, one of the three previously held by Republicans. Rebecca Bennett (D), a former Navy helicopter pilot and health care executive, won with about 57% of the vote to Kean’s 41%.
8th Congressional District: Rob Menendez (D) retained his seat after being challenged by three candidates, winning with about 88% of the vote.
9th Congressional District: Nellie Pou (D), a former state senator, won reelection with about 66% of the vote. This seat was held by the late Bill Pascrell Jr.
10th Congressional District: LaMonica McIver (D) was reelected with about 84% of the vote. This seat was previously held by the late Donald Payne Jr.
11th Congressional District: Analilia Mejia (D) won a full term with about 60% of the vote. She first won the seat in an April special election, after Mikie Sherrill left Congress to become Governor.
12th Congressional District: Adam Hamawy (D), a surgeon and former Army physician, won with about 70% of the vote. He will be the first Muslim to represent New Jersey in Congress. He will take office in January, succeeding Bonnie Watson Coleman, who is retiring.
U.S. Senate
As expected, Senator Cory Booker (D) solidly won reelection over Justin Murphy (R), capturing about 62% of the vote to Murphy’s 35%. Booker will begin his third full six-year term as U.S. Senator from New Jersey.
County Races
The Democratic wave also reached county government. Four traditionally Republican counties (Morris, Atlantic, Monmouth, and Salem) saw Republican candidates lose key races:
- Morris County: Chris Russo (D), a Morristown councilman, defeated Commissioner Tayfun Selen (R) for a seat on the Board of County Commissioners. He is the first Democrat to win countywide in Morris County since 1973. Republicans still hold the other six seats on the seven-member board.
- Atlantic County: Democrats won the sheriff’s and county clerk’s offices with Lisa Bender defeating incumbent County Clerk Joseph Giralo (R), and all three county commissioner seats on the ballot. The Republican majority on the nine-member board narrows from 8-1 to 5-4.
- Monmouth County: Democrats won both contested commissioner seats and the surrogate’s office, based on unofficial results, breaking the Republican hold on the previously all-Republican Board of Commissioners.
- Salem County: Democrats flipped two seats on the Board of County Commissioners, breaking the Republicans’ 5-0 hold on county government. Charles Hassler (D) defeated incumbent Ed Ramsay (R), while John “Buddy” Ayars (D) unseated Commissioner Paul Collier (R), narrowing the Republican majority to 3-2.
What Drove the Results
The election results were fueled largely by affordability concerns. New Jersey’s average price for regular gasoline is about $4.11 per gallon, more than $1.10 higher than a year ago, according to AAA. Housing costs remain a burden, as New Jersey rents rank among the highest in the nation. Tariffs on imported goods have added to price pressures on food, fuel oil, and other products shipped into the United States. The rising cost of health care was also a factor: insurers in the ACA Health Insurance Marketplace raised premiums by about 26% on average for 2026, according to Kaiser Family Foundation, while average premiums for employer-sponsored family coverage rose about 5%.
As the results continue to take shape, the Porzio Governmental Affairs team will monitor key election trends and their potential implications for New Jersey’s political, legislative, and regulatory landscape.
Note: Results are unofficial as of November 5, 2026. Mail ballots postmarked by Election Day may still be received through November 9, so percentages may shift slightly before counties certify results.