Democrat Malinowski Unseats Republican Incumbent Lance In NJ 7th

Democrat Tom Malinowski continued his party's dominance in New Jersey on Tuesday, defeating Republican five-time incumbent Leonard Lance for the House of Representatives District 7 seat in New Jersey, according to news projections.

The Washington Post and The Associated Press called the race at 11:30 p.m. Malinowski had 136,993, or 50.3 percent, to 48.2 percent for Lance, who had 131,149 with 96 percent of the precincts reporting.

Heading into the election, Politico rated the race as a "toss-up." The district went from a seat Mitt Romney won by 6 points in 2012, to a 1-point Hillary Clinton district in 2016, accoridng to Politico. Indeed, CNN rated the contest as one of the top ones to watch as Democrats seek control of the House of Representatives for the first time in 8 years.

Lance defeated Lindsay C. Brown and Raafat Barsoom 75 percent to 14 percent for Brown and 10 percent for Barsoom in the Republican primary in June 5. He faces a tough challenge from a Democrat who has tied him to President Trump, even though Lance has opposed the president's efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act and the passage of tax reform.

Malinowski also came out on top against Peter Jacob and Goutam Jois with 68 percent of the vote over Jacob with 20 percent and Jois with 10 percent. Lance has portrayed Malinowski as a tax-and-spend liberal whose policies will fail America.

• RELATED: 2018 Election Results: Vote A Referendum On 'Trump's GOP

Lance is a lifelong Hunterdon County resident and currently lives in Clinton Township with his wife, son and dog. He has served for 10 years in congress and is seeking another two-year term. You can read Lance's full bio by clicking here.

Malinowski grew up outside of the district in Princeton, before moving into District 7 in Rocky Hill last year. He considers himself "not a career politician" but a "career public servant." You can read Malinowski's full bio by clicking here.

• See Related: 5 Questions For Your District 7 Congressional Election Candidates
• See Related: WATCH: NJ-7 Candidates Lance, Malinowski Debating Wednesday Night

The 7th Congressional District includes all of Hunterdon County, and parts of Essex, Morris, Somerset, Union, and Warren counties.

(Image via Shutterstock)

Have a news tip? Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com.

Get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our new app. Download here.