Staff Reports
New Jersey has officially been upgraded from a deep blue fortress to swing state territory, at least in terms of how close former President Donald Trump came to snagging the Garden State in the last election. While the state still fluttered its Democratic flag with 51.5 percent of the vote going to Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump managed to jump to a respectable 46.5 percent, a feat not seen for a Republican candidate since George H.W. Bush’s near-miss in 1992.
The latest election results show a significant evolution in New Jersey’s political landscape. Trump’s numbers were noticeably better than his previous showings in 2016 and 2020, when Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton mopped the floor with him. In 2020, Biden cruised to victory with 57.1 percent to Trump’s disappointing 41.3 percent. Back in 2016, Clinton’s victory was similarly decisive, pulling in 55.5 percent while Trump barely managed 41.4 percent. The recent five-point narrowing of the gap has sparked a flicker of hope for New Jersey Republicans, especially with the state being seen as a softening bastion of Democratic dominance.
Breaking🚨 Deep Blue New Jersey is officially a Swing State Now!
This is huge! I’m So Glad I Voted Today Here In New Jersey For Trump! Every Vote Truly Matters. #NewJersey #swingstate #election #Trump #Electoral #map pic.twitter.com/NjkjzdXsow
— Robert Earl White | Order Of Light (@WATDOOL) November 5, 2024
Jose Arango, the Chairman of the Republican Party in Hudson County—an area described as leaning heavily Democratic—has put the blame squarely on the liberal agenda’s failure to help the working class. With a substantial Hispanic population facing “high rent and high prices,” this once-overlooked demographic is now being acknowledged for their importance in future elections. Liberties taken by the Democratic Party, which promises affordable housing while maintaining a segregated community, have not gone unnoticed. Rather than lifting people up, they seem to be keeping the working class right where they are, struggling and priced out of their own neighborhoods.
The numbers tell a story of their own. In 2020, Trump garnered around 26 percent support in Hudson County—a figure that has since risen to approximately 35 percent. This signals a growing awareness among voters and perhaps a shift in political allegiances, especially given the county’s demographics and economic hardships. The more affordable housing crisis becomes, the more citizens might start connecting the dots to the policies that have led to their predicament.
Trump has his eyes set firmly on New Jersey and other traditionally blue states for future campaigns. A daring strategy could pay off in unexpected ways, much like this recent election has begun to show. With increasing shifts in voter sentiment, and fingers crossed that the Democrats keep muddling their message, it’s possible that the Garden State might just bloom a little red in the coming elections. The landscape is changing, and the difference might just be a matter of affordability, with voters waking up to the reality that empty promises simply won’t cut it anymore.
