Updated Unofficial NJ 16th District Election Results

PRINCETON, NJ — As of Thursday morning, the race in New Jersey's District 16 saw another change, as the Democrats took the lead once again from their Republican opponents.

On Election Day, with 81 percent votes counted, Assemblyman Andrew Zwicker who's running for Senate, Incumbent Assemblyman Roy Freiman, and newcomer Sadaf Jaffer were leading the race. But as more votes came in, Republican candidate for senate Michael Pappas, and assembly candidates Vincent T. Panico and Joseph A. Lukac III took the lead.

But on Thursday morning, the Democrats were back in the lead.

In many counties, the board of elections continued to count vote-by-mail ballots on Wednesday that came in last night, and that will come in over the next five days, provided they were postmarked by Nov. 2.

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It remains unclear how many ballots were still outstanding in Mercer County.

The results will remain unofficial pending certification.

Here's the current count:

Senate

• Pappas (R): 34,879
• Zwicker (D): 37, 451

Assembly

• Freiman (D): 36,737
• Jaffer (D): 35,348
• Panico (R): 35,091
• Lukac (R): 34,447

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.

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.

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.

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.

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