Democrats Stand Fast in Senate, Lose Two Seats in Lower Chamber

The Christie tidal wave, as one Democratic leader called it, did not wash away the Democrats’ legislative majorities.

It appears the party lost only two seats in the Assembly -- one in the 1st district in South Jersey and the other in the 38th in the North -- and none in the Senate. That’s a far cry from the 14-seat gain the Republicans made in 1985, when Gov. Thomas H. Kean won re-election in what remains the largest landslide in modern state history.

Last night’s results still leave the Democrats with majorities of 24-16 in the Senate and 46-34 in the Assembly. But as with the past four years, that does not mean gridlock, since this same Democratic majority passed much of Gov. Chris Christie’s political program, such as pension and health benefit reforms. But despite Christie’s commanding win, the Democrats also pushed through this year’s ballot measure, a hike of the minimum wage.

"This was certainly a tremendous personal victory for Chris Christie, but it didn't translate into a victory for the Republican Party," said Ben Dworkin, director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University and a professor there.

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