Christie Cruised in Middlesex as Buono Failed to Muster Support at Home

In her concession speech Tuesday night following her loss to Gov. Chris Christie, Barbara Buono called New Jersey one of the last state’s where the “good-old-boy network” still existed.

She called out Democratic Party bosses who showed support the Republican governor rather than their own party’s candidate.

She could make the same speech about her home county and her hometown.

When the final votes were tallied, Middlesex County voted overwhelmingly to re-elect Christie. According to the Middlesex County Clerk’s Office, Christie defeated Buono 100,895 votes to 69,609 in her home county. Voter turnout was 36.98 percent, as 176,002 of the 475,887 registered voters in the county came out Tuesday night.

Her hometown was more supportive than the county as a whole, but she still fell to the governor in Metuchen by 76 votes, 2,391 ballots to 2,315. Only four of the town’s 13 districts supported the hometown candidate. 

The much discussed “Christie Coattails” were virtually non-existent, as Democrats maintained control of the Legislature overall.

Democrats won four of the six races involving Middlesex County voters, including:

District 18: Peter Barnes captured the Senate Seat left vacant when Buono entered the gubernatorial race; Democrats Patrick Diegnan and Nancy Pinkin captured Assembly seats;

District 17: Democratic incumbents Sen. Bob Smith and Assemblymen Joseph Egan and Updendra Chivukula cruised to victory;

District 19: Democratic incumbents Sen. Joseph Vitale and Assemblymen Craig Coughlin and John Wisniewski cruised; and

District 14: Democratic Sen. Linda Greenstein and Assemblymen Daniel Benson and Wayne DeAngelo edged their Republican challengers in one of the night's tightest races.

Only Districts 12 and 16 went in favor of the Republicans. In each district, the Republican incumbent downed their Democratic challengers.

Democrats also maintained control of the Board of Chosen Freeholders, and Democrat Mildred Scott was re-elected as Middlesex County Sheriff.