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NEWARK -- Phil Murphy, a former banking executive and U.S. ambassador to Germany who has poured millions from his own fortune into the race for New Jersey governor and vows to reinvigorate the state's economy, fought off five rivals Tuesday night to win the Democratic nomination in the battle to succeed Chris Christie. The Associated Press called the race for Murphy about an hour after the polls closed.

WEST LONG BRANCH -- Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, who has spent the last eight years as Gov. Chris Christie's second-in-command and now vows to slash the state's notoriously high property taxes, defeated four opponents Tuesday to secure the Republican nomination to succeed Christie as New Jersey's governor. The Associated Press called it for Guadagno about an hour and 20 minutes after the polls closed. Now, Guadagno, a 58-year-old Monmouth Beach resident, will battle former U.S. ambassador to Germany Phil Murphy in the Nov. 7 general election. Murphy bested five rivals to emerge the winner of Tuesday's Democratic primary.

What happens if a state with a population roughly equal to that of Kentucky and Louisiana combined held a major election and no one noticed? That seems to be occurring in New Jersey, which is electing a new governor this year. It may be the Democrats’ biggest gubernatorial win in the state in over 40 years. A Democratic romp in a state Hillary Clinton won easily might not seem like a surprising result. But New Jersey usually features competitive governor’s races. Over the past 40 years, Democrats have won the governor’s mansion four times to Republicans’ six. New Jersey’s current...

A man was beaten to death while walking his dog in New Jersey, prosecutors said. Viktor Yashchyshyk, 51, was walking his dog and talking to his girlfriend in Old Bridge about a block from his home when he was knocked unconscious, police said. His skull was fractured, jaw broken and he was missing teeth, Middlesex County prosecutors said. Police say Earl Allayne Jr, a twenty-year-old black male, attacked Yashchyshyn at random and critically injured him.

TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie touted New Jersey employment gains on Monday during a Statehouse news conference at which he also warned voters to choose his successor carefully or risk undoing the economic progress made during his nearly eight-year tenure. The hourlong news conference was Christie's last in the governor's outer office, as he and his staff are expected to move to temporary offices nearby on State Street while the executive branch of the Statehouse undergoes about $300 million in renovations.

TRENTON -- Former "Saturday Night Live" star Joe Piscopo will not run for governor of New Jersey, and will instead endorse the Republican front-runner, Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno. "We are going to support Kim," Piscopo told NJ Advance Media on Wednesday shortly before going on his morning radio show on 970-AM to make the announcement. Guadagno had made a pilgrimage to Piscopo's home on Saturday and asked for a sit-down, promising to address his concerns in her campaign if he would agree not to divide the party, Piscopo said.

In homes in Montclair and across North Jersey, residents are breaking bread with Syrian refugees, sharing food and conversation. These dinners, aimed at fostering understanding and communication, are being organized by the Syria Supper Club, a group firmly rooted in the township. NJ 11th For Change, an organization founded by Montclair residents, continues to host protests at the New Jersey offices of Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-11, pressuring him to hold town hall meetings. Houses of worship, residents and some shops in the township have put up signs with the same message — “No matter where you are from, we’re glad...

WHEN asked what they like best about living in South Orange, residents almost invariably cite three attributes: the rich and varied architecture, the demographic diversity, and the easy commute into Manhattan. The latter two have a lot to do with the fact that New York City is the point of origin for a high percentage of South Orange’s residents. “It’s like getting a city, with a backyard,” said Cherre Schwartz of Weichert Realtors in Maplewood, noting that most of her clients come from New York or the more urban parts of North Jersey, and that many work in the

SOUTH ORANGE -- Police plan to boost patrols after officers from several departments were needed to disperse at least 300 young people who gathered in downtown South Orange late Saturday, sparking fights and blocking traffic. South Orange Police Chief Kyle Kroll said Tuesday the crowd contained a mix of village teens and others from nearby communities, including Newark, East Orange and Irvington residents, who apparently arrived by public transportation. The unruly crowd formed around 8 p.m. and kept officers busy until around midnight, according to police. Kroll said he requested assistance from the Essex County Sheriff's Office, Maplewood and Orange...

New Jersey millennials may be sad to hear that the Garden State isn’t the best place to be. A new Wallethub study found that New Jersey is ranked 40 out of 51 states for quality of life among millennials. When asked why New Jersey was ranked so low, Wallethub stated that housing difficulties were a key factor. “Forty-five percent of millennials are still living with their parents, that is what really dragged New Jersey down,” said Jill Gonzalez, a analyst for Wallethub.

Sen. Robert Menendez ongoing corruption case could upend the New Jersey Democrat’s reelection bid in 2018, with the longtime politician scheduled to go to court this fall. The Supreme Court delivered another blow this week to the embattled senator when it refused to dismiss the case. The trial is scheduled to begin about a year before the midterm elections. Federal prosecutors charged Menendez, who has pleaded not guilty, in April 2015 on 14 criminal counts, including conspiracy to commit bribery. Menendez is expected to head to trial on Sept. 6,facing a potential criminal conviction even as he would normally be...

Which are the worst three states for exercising your right to keep and bear arms? There are several contenders for that dubious distinction. The worst states can be found with the answers to a couple of questions. First: Do you have to ask government permission to purchase a firearm? Some states require that you obtain permission before purchasing handguns. A smaller subset require that you obtain permission before purchasing any gun. That infringement is a must have for the worst states.  There are twelve states that have the requirement for all guns.  They are California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii,...

Frank Fleming, New Jersey feels your pain, and shares your fury. You may not know him, but Fleming this week became the voice of New Jersey after a simple derailment at Penn Station knocked our fragile rail system on its butt for the entire week. Fleming was heading to Citi Field for the Mets' opening game on Monday, when he fell into a pit of hell at Secaucus Junction, along with many thousands of others. The trip from his home in Belleville took five hours. Five more to get home.

Jersey City is mourning the deaths of Russell Maffei and Marie Tauro, two longtime fixtures on the local political scene who were killed in North Bergen last night. Maffei, 57, the chair of the Jersey City Republican Party, and Tauro, 80, were struck and killed as they walked across Paterson Plank Road outside the Coach House diner at about 8 p.m Sunday, friends of the two told The Jersey Journal. The driver of the SUV that struck the two fled the scene, according to media reports. The two were meeting up at the Coach House with other local Republicans to...

CEDAR KNOLLS -- Gov. Chris Christie announced Thursday that New Jersey added almost 13,000 new private sector jobs in February, building on last week's announcement that 2016 marked the largest annual gain in employment in sixteen years. New Jersey's unemployment rate fell from 4.6 percent in January to 4.4 percent last month, making it the lowest it's been since October 2007. The national unemployment rate for February was 4.7 percent. "Over the past year, New Jersey's private sector employers have added 77,000 new jobs," said Christie.

TRENTON -- "Saturday Night Live" alum Joe Piscopo has decided he will not run for New Jersey governor as a Republican and instead is planning to declare he will jump into the race to succeed Gov. Chris Christie as an independent candidate, NJ Advance Media has learned. Piscopo made his decision because he did not begin the process of running early enough to run as a Republican, according to two sources close to the performer who requested anonymity because they did not want to publicly discuss an official announcement that could trigger state election laws on fundraising.

PolitickerNJ has learned that Comedian-Actor-Radio Host Joe Piscopo summoned Tony Perry to his residence in Hunterdon County last weekend. Perry is the Chief of Staff to State Senator Joe Kyrillos (R-Middletown). Piscopo, the morning drive time host on AM970, became highly associated with the Garden State via his Paulie Herman character (“I’m from Jersey”) and Frank Sinatra impressions on Saturday Night Live. He has been frequently mentioned as a possible candidate for governor this year, either as a Republican or Independent. According to a source in Monmouth County Republican politics, no specific political roles were discussed at the meeting, which...

NEPTUNE — Congressman Frank Pallone called President Trump a “racist” during a Black History Month event on Saturday. Encouraging the audience at the Monmouth County Democrats Black American Caucus to be active and aware of racism like Martin Luther King, Pallone said, “the guy in the White House – he’s a racist. He also doesn’t believe there’s any role in government other than his own ideology,” according to the Asbury Park Press. The 6th district Democrat has been outspoken against Trump on his Twitter feed, calling for disciplinary action against Kellyanne Conway after she asked people to buy Ivanka Trump’s...

U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance (R-7th Dist.) is extremely popular this week. The five-term congressman has filled a more than 900-seat auditorium and an overflow room at Raritan Valley Community College for a town hall meeting on Feb. 22. A second meeting was added for Feb. 25, and constituents who tried to register for that meeting said Friday they were told that session was also filled. Lance's spokesman John Byers, however, said the Feb. 25 event had open seats as of Friday afternoon.

NEWARK -- Along parts of Ferry Street on Thursday, doors remained shuttered, chairs were stacked and newspapers left uncollected on doorsteps at restaurants and businesses. Some had a message for passers-by: They were closed to support "A Day Without Immigrants," a national boycott meant to highlight the impact immigrants have on the economy. Storefronts posted signs in English, Spanish and Portuguese that read "Nos unimos a un dia sin immigrantes, CLOSED!" or "We are joining the day without immigrants, CLOSED!"