NJ is a cesspool politically. No one should be surprised here at all. It would have taken a miracle to elect a good candidate like Lonegan. One always holds out hope, a la, the Scott Brown election in MA, but that is the exception in these failing states. The voters of these northeastern union-filled states are lost in any national election. We won’t win their electoral votes and won’t win Senate seats, barring an unusual election cycle.
NJ GOPe is also a cesspool
NJ used to be a red state. Part of the problem is that NJ over the last couple of decades has become a cheaper (not cheap, but cheaper) alternative for Manhattanites who move here and bring their politics with them. That and we do have a very serious immigration problem. The immigration problem will never get better here, but as things get more expensive and the state becomes less attractive to New Yorkers we will see things change somewhat. Note that I did say somewhat. But there is conservatism here. I mentioned before that we have people here who live conservative lives but have been groomed not to vote that way. We need to reach those people.