Skip to main content
2024 Annual Public Policy Forum, December 4, 2024 REGISTER

Republican Kim Guadagno and Democrat Phil Murphy will square off against each other in the general election for Governor after solid wins in their respective parties’ primaries Tuesday night.

Murphy, a former U.S. Ambassador and Wall Street executive, garnered 48 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary, outpacing his main challengers, attorney Jim Johnson and Assemblyman John Wisniewski, who had 22 percent each.

Guadagno, the state’s first lieutenant governor, won 47 percent of the vote to beat her main rival, Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, who had 31 percent.

The two nominees will now vie to succeed Gov. Chris Christie and become the state’s first new chief executive in eight years. The two winners have been invited to a joint appearance as their parties’ nominees this coming Tuesday night at NJBIA’s State ELC Gubernatorial Reception.

After thanking their supporters and their opponents on primary night, both candidates turned their attention to the future.

“From Edison to Einstein, New Jersey has helped invent the future,” Murphy said.  “It is time to invent it again. It is time again to think big.”

Guadagno also spoke of the task ahead.

“Let’s move forward with hope that tomorrow will indeed be better than today with a sense of possibilities,” Guadagno said.  “Let’s choose to have a better future for our children.”

NJBIA President and CEO Michele Siekerka offered her congratulations to Guadagno and Murphy and urged them to remember the importance of economic growth as the general election campaign takes shape.

“This will be a historic election that will determine which direction New Jersey will go,” Siekerka said. “As the candidates begin making their case to the voters, we want to make sure the economy is front and center in their campaigns. The next Governor will have a lot to do with determining whether or not we have a state that supports small business and produces good-paying jobs.”

Guadagno and Murphy will run with candidates for all 40 State Senate seats and 80 General Assembly seats.

Several of the legislative districts had contested primaries. Probably the biggest race was in the 40th Legislative District, where Kristin Corrado beat County Chairman Paul DiGaetano to be the Republican nominee for state Senate.

Here are the vote totals as reported by the news website NJ Spotlight this morning. Results are unofficial. Percentages may not add up to 100 percent due to rounding.

 

Republican Primary for Governor

Candidate Votes %
Kim Guadagno 112,377 47%
Jack Ciattarelli 74,665 31%
Hirsh Singh 23,524 10%
Joseph Rudy Rullo 15,654 6.5%
Steve Rogers 14,031 6%

 

Democratic Primary for Governor

Candidate Votes %
Phil Murphy 237,949 48%
James Johnson 108,222 22%
John Wisniewski 107,107 22%
Raymond Lesniak 23,899 5%
William Brennan 11,052 2%
Mark Zinna 4,383 1%

 

Legislative Races

Voters chose one Senate candidate and two Assembly candidates. *Denotes incumbent.

 

District 12 Senate—Republican Primary

Candidate Votes %
Samuel D. Thompson * 3,977 58%
Art Haney 2,871 42%

 

District 12 Assembly—Republican Primary

Candidate Votes %
Ronald S. Dancer * 4,411 31%
Robert D. Clifton * 4,191 30%
Alex Robotin 2,328 17%
Eleanor “Debbie” Walker 2,710 19%
John Franklin Sheard 445 3%

 

District 24 Senate—Republican Primary

Candidate Votes %
Steven V. Oroho * 10,773 74%
William J. Hayden 3,723 26%

 

District 24 Assembly—Republican Primary

Candidate Votes %
F. Parker Space * 11,097 40%
Harold J. Wirths 9,797 35%
Nathan Orr 3,769 14%
David Atwood 2,969 11%

 

District 26 Assembly—Republican Primary

Candidate Votes %
BettyLou DeCroce * 7,226 28%
Jay Webber * 8,557 33%
John Cesaro 4,856 19%
William “Hank” Lyon 5,336 20%

 

District 40 Senate—Republican Primary

 

Candidate Votes %
Kristin M. Corrado 7,680 62%
Paul DiGaetano 3,695 30%
Edward Buttimore 993 8%

 

District 40 Assembly—Republican Primary

Candidate Votes %
Kevin J. Rooney * 8,120 36%
Christopher P. DePhillips 7,533 33%
Norman M. Robertson 3,480 15%
Joseph L. Bubba Jr. 3,465 15%