In New Jersey, front-running Democrat Phil Murphy topped Republican Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno on Tuesday to succeed Republican Gov. Chris Christie. Murphy has led Republican Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno in the polls and fundraising. Murphy steered the campaign toward the unpopular term-limited incumbent, linking Guadagno to Christie frequently. He also tried to rouse Democrat-leaning New Jersey's dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump and vowed to block Trump on immigration policies if elected.
Guadagno has focused on lowering property taxes, which are the country's highest, but she also tacked toward Trump's messaging when she called for banning sanctuary cities.
New Jersey and Virginia are the only two states electing governors on Tuesday. The race is being analyzed for signs on how next year's midterm elections could go, and on how voters view Trump's administration.
Copyright 2017 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.