N.J. primaries once again show candidates they’re toast if party leaders say they are

Pierrepont School polling place

Voting takes place at Pierrepont School in Rutherford on Tuesday.John Jones | For NJ Advance Media

The hottest, most bitter legislative race in New Jersey’s primary elections Tuesday pitted two former state Assembly running mates against each other. Both were well known and liked by their constituents. Both had similar voting records. Both raised similar amounts of money for their campaigns.

But in the end, Assemblyman Gordon Johnson won a whopping 74% of the vote against Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle to secure the Democratic nomination for the state Senate seat being vacated by retiring Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg in Bergen County’s 37th district.

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