Sen. O'Scanlon, Republicans Are Projected Winners In NJ 13 Race

MONMOUTH COUNTY, NJ — The AP has projected the Republican incumbents as the winner in the NJ 13 Monmouth County Statehouse race.

The Republicans are Senator Declan O'Scanlon, Assemblyman Gerry Scharfenberger and Vicky Flynn.

They were challenged by Democrats Vincent Solomeno, Allison Friedman and Erin Howard.

New Jersey's 13th District includes the towns of Aberdeen, Atlantic Highlands, Fair Haven, Hazlet, Highlands, Holmdel, Keansburg, Keyport, Little Silver, Marlboro, Middletown, Monmouth Beach, Oceanport, Sea Bright, Rumson and Union Beach.

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No vote tallies are official until they are certified and also counting mail-in ballots will take a few days.

State Senate:

O'Scanlon: 45,927 (projected winner by AP)

Solomeno: 26,746

Assembly (choose two):

Scharfenberger: 45,508

Flynn: 45,079

Friedman: 26,588

Howard: 26,558

Democrat Solomeno ran on a platform of changing Monmouth County's ADP property tax system, and his team was endorsed by two police and fire unions.

But O'Scanlon accused Solomeno of "pandering" to the unions over how their pensions and healthcare would be funded.

"The police and fire unions are being as shortsighted as ever," said O'Scanlon, who has voted for pension reforms in Trenton in the past. "Unions frequently behave myopically. They refuse to accept that if we don't fix the way their pensions and health systems are funded now then they will fall apart later."

Abortion and sex-ed even became hot topics in this election, with pro-Trump conservative Scharfenberger endorsed by this group that wants to end new sex-ed and LGBTQ curriculum currently being taught in New Jersey public schools.

"Are you asking if I am against teaching anal sex to elementary school students? Of course I am," he told Patch. "These are topics better left to the parents. The place for discussions like this is between a parent and a child."

In this op-ed, Friedman said Scharfenberger is an "extremist" who is "anti-LGBTQ, anti-reproductive rights and even anti-education."

Republicans Vs. Democrats In Battle For NJ 13 Statehouse Seats

Scharfenberger Endorsed By Group Fighting LGBTQ/Sex Ed In Schools

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