The race for President remains undecided as results in key electoral states remain undecided. Key states where Joe Biden is leading but the vote is still being counted include Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Nevada and Georgia. President Donald Trump declared he won the election one election night, an assertion considered premature as both candidates maintain possible paths to victory. In declared winners, Biden currently leads 227-213 in the electoral college in the race to 270. The Wall Street Journal
New Jersey solidifies its deep blue state status on election night as both Joe Biden and Sen. Cory Booker were declared winners early on election night. Reps. Josh Gottheimer and Mikie Sherrill appeared to have successfully been re-elected to the House of Representatives along with three veterans of the North Jersey delegation—Reps. Donald Payne, Jr., Albio Sires and Bill Pascrell. North-JerseyNews.com
In House races outside of North Jersey, incumbents appear to have held onto their seats in three competitive races. Rep. Tom Malinowski has won a second term in the U.S. House, defeating state Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean Jr. in the 7th Congressional District, Rep. Andy Kim looks to have defeated a challenge from former business executive David Richter in the 3rd Congressional District and Rep. Jeff Van Drew declared victory over Amy Kennedy, who has yet to concede, in the 1st Congressional District.
The special legislative elections in the 25th district were too close to call as most ballots in Morris remain uncounted. Democrat Rupande Mehta leads State Sen. Anthony M. Bucco by 861 votes, while Darcy Draeger, the Democratic candidate for Bucco’s unexpired Assembly term, leads Assemblywoman Aura Dunn by 2,289. New Jersey Globe
Republicans will retain their majority in the U.S. Senate. While Democrats picked up must-win seats in Colorado and Arizona, they suffered a setback in Alabama, and Republicans held their own in South Carolina, Iowa, Texas, Kansas and Montana, dramatically limiting the places where Democrats hoped to make inroads. PoliticoNJ
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) could not meet a federal judge’s order to sweep processing centers for undelivered mail-in ballots on Nov. 3. U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan ordered USPS to search 27 facilities in several battleground areas as postal data showed roughly 300,000 mail-in ballots in several states had not received scans showing they had been delivered. NJ.com
New Jersey’s health commissioner estimates the peak of the second wave will hit New Jersey during the first three months of 2021.“Taking very, very preliminary predictive modeling puts it in the first quarter of next year,” said Judith Persichilli, head of the New Jersey Department of Health, at a press briefing Nov. 2. “It changes every day as we look at new cases and hospitalizations. We look at it every week, we try to make some predictions but it’s really very preliminary. We’re going to be vigilant from now through March.” North-JerseyNews.com
New Jersey will release more than 2,000 inmates Nov. 4 as part of one of the largest-ever single-day reductions of any state’s prison population. More than 1,000 additional prisoners will be released in the coming weeks and months after earning early-release credits for time served during the health crisis — resulting in a roughly 35% reduction in New Jersey’s prison population since the pandemic began ravaging Northeast states in March. The New York Times
The State Senate unanimously approved a bipartisan bill to allow the American flag on New Jersey’s main roadways. The measure would ensure the right to display the American flag over the highway overpasses on the roadways operated by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) and South Jersey Transportation Authority (SJTA). The proposed law comes in response to the two authorities removing U.S. flags in the day leading up to the anniversary of 9/11 this year. North-JerseyNews.com
Rockaway Township Councilman Tucker Kelley filed a lawsuit against Council President Joseph Jackson for not allowing him to speak during meetings. Kelley claims Jackson is not letting him speak during meetings in violation of the Open Public Meetings Act and his civil rights. The lawsuit follows the council this Summer passing a resolution censuring Kelley for intentionally and repeatedly disrupted meetings, including deriding and criticizing the job performances of other members of the governing body and those who work for the township. The Record
Monmouth University will make nearly all courses virtual after Thanksgiving. Additionally, the school is strongly encouraging students to stay home after break if they are traveling to one of the 41 states on New Jersey’s 14-day quarantine list. NJ.com
The Secaucus Town Council is supporting the proposed Essex-Hudson Greenway. The Old Boonton rail line would be converted into a linear park that would serve as a “shared-use path” for people walking, hiking, riding a bicycle, running, or just relaxing. The greenway would be over nine miles long and 100 feet wide, creating more than 135 acres of new green space when completed passing through Montclair, Glen Ridge, Bloomfield, Belleville, Newark, Kearny, Secaucus, and Jersey City. Hudson Reporter
And finally… Streamers and studios are flocking to Broadway to meet the insatiable demand for content. The New York Times
