Zwicker, Freiman, Jaffer Lead In NJ 16th District: Election 2021

(This story was updated at 11:55 p.m.)

PRINCETON, NJ — Polls have closed and vote totals are being tabulated in Tuesday’s elections. Check back with Patch for updated results of the race for New Jersey’s 16th Congressional District. Results will remain unofficial pending certification.

Get the latest election news delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe to Patch: https://patch.com/subscribe

Senate:

Assemblyman Andrew Zwicker of South Brunswick is running for Senate and will take on Republican candidate Michael Pappas. With 81 percent of precincts reporting, Zwicker is leading the race.

11:50 p.m., Nov. 2 count:

• Zwicker (D): 28,789
• Pappas (R): 26,495

Zwicker is a scientist and teacher who was elected to the assembly in 2015. "A lifelong New Jersey resident, Andrew is head of Communications and Public Outreach at Princeton University’s Plasma Physics Laboratory, a world leader in developing an advanced form of energy," says his reelection website. If elected he could become the first Democrat to represent the district in the Senate.

Pappas, a Township Administrator in Bridgewater is facing Zwicker. He also served as Congressman from 1997 to 1999. Pappas defeated Jeffrey E. Grant for the GOP nomination.

Assembly:

Democrats Sadaf Jaffer and Roy Freiman will face Republicans Vincent T. Panico and Joseph A. Lukac III for assembly seats.

11: 50 p.m., Nov. 2 count:

• Jaffer (D): 27,104
• Freiman (D): 28,202
• Panico (R): 26,650
• Lukac (R): 26,147

Jaffer teaches at Princeton University and has served two terms as Mayor of Montgomery Township, becoming the first South Asian American Woman elected Mayor in New Jersey. " Using her local expertise, Sadaf will work to amplify the voices of LD16 residents, especially underrepresented communities," says her candidate website.

Incumbent Freiman is from Hillsborough. "As we emerge from a global pandemic that literally stopped the world in its tracks and adapt to our “new normal,” it is more important now than ever to put aside partisan ideology and work towards a better future for all New Jersey residents," he said in his reelection platform.

Panico is a Readington resident and president of the Hunterdon Central Regional Board of Education. He is currently an MBA candidate at Auburn University (Montgomery). He wants to prioritize small business, open space, critical infrastructure, environmental policy and education.

Lukac is a U.S. Army veteran and Manville councilman.

District 16 spans 4 counties - Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset.