Gov. Phil Murphy (D) and state Senator (D-32)/North Bergen Mayor Nick Sacco took aim at GOP U.S. Senate challenger Bob Hugin after President Donald Trump (R) endorsed him earlier today.
“The mayor and I have been saying, we’ve all been saying, that Trump is on the ballot -whether you admit it or not – and Hugin is in bed with the president. And everyone was denying it, he said ‘I’m a different kind of Republican.’ Turns out we were right,” Murphy said outside of a polling location at North Bergen High School.
“And Donald Trump said it himself and that’s what’s at stake. You either get Bob Menendez, Hudson County’s own by the way – who has a 40-plus year track record of standing up for those he represents and does it extraordinarily well – or you’ve got a guy who will do what Donald Trump will tell him to do.”
Around 1 p.m., Trump tweeted his support for Hugin after almost completely ignoring the race for months.
Bob Hugin, successful all of his life, would be a Great Senator from New Jersey. He has my complete and total Endorsement! Get out and Vote for Bob.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 6, 2018
Throughout the county, officials have expressed great surprise over incredibly high voter turnout, with Sacco noting that numbers had already surpassed the totals for last year’s gubernatorial contest, as of 4 p.m. at certain North Bergen districts.
Sacco also expressed great confidence in U.S. Senator Bob Menendez’s (D-NJ) track record and seemed to feel good about his chances of being re-elected to a third term.
“What we have is our own home grown U.S. Senator and he’s done a great job for us at every level of government he’s served. And I think Donald Trump did us a great service today by endorsing Hugin: he’s helping us out a great deal – maybe he’ll drive more votes out tonight for us,” he exclaimed.
Murphy later stated that whether or not the weather turns around or not, voters need to hit the polls and make their voices heard, stressing that “we still have to play the fourth quarter.”
The governor traveled around the state today, including stops in Red Bank, Bricktown, Newark, Paramus, Englewood, Union City, and Hoboken – with Jersey City pegged as the last stop – as part of one final get out the vote push for Menendez.
Most public polls had Menendez leading his aggressive challenger, who has questioned his ethics in a multi-million dollar advertising campaign that has been running since shortly after the primary, by seven or eight points.
However, a Quinnipiac University Poll released yesterday suddenly had the incumbent up by a stunning 15 points.
Polls are open throughout the state until 8 p.m.
