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Blue Wave Hits NJ: 12 Key Takeaways From 2026 Midterm Election

If the projected results hold up, New Jersey will soon have only one Republican representing the state in Washington DC.

| Updated

It's going to be a lonely two years in Congress for Chris Smith.

If the projected results of Tuesday night's election hold up, Smith (NJ-4) will soon be the only Republican from New Jersey serving in the U.S. House of Representatives or Senate.

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Democratic candidates swept all but one Congress race in the Garden State in the 2026 midterm. The results were a stark contrast to 2024, when five counties in New Jersey flipped red and Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris for the U.S. presidency.

Trump told The New York Times that he is "absolutely willing" to accept the results, adding that he is prepared to work with Democrats moving forward. The president blamed his party's Election Night losses on the fact that he was not on the ballot.

Some Republican leaders urged GOP voters to keep their heads high and look to future elections on the state level.

"Though the outcome of this year's general election was not the result New Jersey Republicans worked toward, we will not be deterred in our mission to tackle the serious issues impacting all New Jerseyans as a result of decades of failed Democrat policies in Trenton," New Jersey Republican Party chair Christine Hanlon said.

Other Republicans such as New Jersey State Sen. Jon Bramnick said this year's midterm election is proof that Garden State voters are getting tired of "Trumpism" and the MAGA movement.

Bramnick also pointed to Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli's loss to Gov. Mikie Sherrill last year.

"Hopefully my fellow New Jersey Republicans have received a strong message from the voters," he commented. "No more excuses. We must return to our traditional principles and reject the hateful politics that has no place in our state."

On the other side of the aisle, Gov. Sherrill said the Democratic Party's overall message of "driving down costs, taking care of our kids, bringing accountability to government, and standing up to Trump's chaos and corruption" paid big dividends on Election Night.

Sherrill congratulated Rebecca Bennett and Zack Mullock for flipping a pair of "critical" U.S. House seats, and Nellie Pou for her victory in a "frontline district."

"A new generation of leadership is coming, and I am ready to work alongside them," the governor said.

Here's what happened in New Jersey congressional races on Tuesday, as per projections from the Associated Press:

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