U. community weighs in on upcoming state elections

This upcoming Tuesday will be election day in New Jersey, and residents statewide will get to vote in the State Senate and State General Assembly elections. All 80 seats in the state's General Assembly will be up for election, in addition to all 40 in the state's Senate.

Ashley Koning, director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling, said the Democrats currently hold a majority in both chambers, making this election unusually contested as Republicans grow closer to taking control.

"The big story this cycle is that the (Republicans) GOP has been chipping away seats from the Democrats over the past few election cycles, and there is perhaps the slightest possibility they could take one or both chambers in the state legislature," she said. "Given the math behind that, it seems improbable, but never say never."

Koning said a big obstacle for both parties is low voter turnout, as the New Jersey constitution deliberately holds legislative elections in years without federal elections to minimize the influence of national politics on the state.

"These types of elections with the state legislature at the top of the ticket have been low-turnout, low-interest endeavors. Just over a quarter of the voting population voted the last time the State Senate and Assembly topped the ballot in 2011," Koning said.

On-campus political organizations, Rutgers Republicans and Rutgers Democrats, have been working to mobilize voters.

Jeremy Li, a Rutgers Business School junior and president of the Rutgers Republicans, said his organization has been knocking on doors and phone banking for Mike Pappas (R-N.J.), a former congressman looking to unseat Sen. Andrew Zwicker (D-16).

Li said he believes the economy could swing some voters toward the GOP, especially students and young people.

"Rutgers has been hiking tuition, recklessly spending money on things that students don't need, and footing the bill to us," he said. "Right now, a huge issue that we're facing as a community, (as) young Republicans, and (as) college students, in general, is affordability in the state of New Jersey."

Despite this, Li admitted he is unsure that Republicans can take control of either the Assembly or Senate.

"I do hope, obviously, and I'm optimistic that Republicans can gain seats, but just because of how many factors have changed over the last few years, I'm very, very uneasy as to what I should really expect," he said.

Joe Gindi, a School of Arts and Sciences sophomore and communications director for the Rutgers Democrats, said his organization recently knocked on doors for Sen. Vin Gopal (D-11) and Zwicker.

He also said he is optimistic about his party's chances this November, citing the GOP's stance on abortion and LGBTQ+ rights.

"People are afraid that their rights are going to be taken away. I think that's the biggest driving factor that pushes people to get involved in politics," Gindi said.

This sentiment was echoed among some students. Alessandra Tangreti, a School of Arts and Sciences sophomore, is a first-time voter who said that abortion is an important issue for her.

"I'm really passionate about reproductive rights," she said. "It is a huge, huge thing for kids our age, and anyone really, (including) future generations. It affects everyone."

Despite enthusiasm from some students, others, like School of Engineering sophomore Darryl Chu, are not interested in voting.

"I didn't even know there was an election happening. I don't know who the candidates are, and I don't know what they're running for," he said.

Arjun Tomar, a School of Arts and Sciences sophomore, also said they did not know about the elections. He said he would possibly vote but needed more information first.

The results of this election will likely be modest but can serve as a litmus test for future elections, according to Koning.

"I think we are going to see yet another low turnout year, but what will be interesting to watch is how a lot of the nationalized culture wars issues that have sprouted up in campaigns across the state will play out on Election Day," she said. "Even if Republicans do not reclaim a chamber, a few surprise wins could make for an interesting story arch leading into (the) presidential and (the) gubernatorial (elections) in the next two years."