Well, election season is in full swing and Republicans are looking to pick up a number of legislative seats this fall.

One battleground is erupting in district 11 along the Jersey Shore, where the incumbent is the only remaining Democrat representing the area.

And culture war issues have the potential to upend the entire race.

Senior correspondent Brenda Flanagan reports.

The hot district on this fall's legislative campaign marquee is in Monmouth County, where Republican challenger Steve Dnistrian, a relative newcomer from Colts Neck, is vying to unseat incumbent Senate Democrat Vin Gopal.

It's a race roiled by culture wars over issues like parental rights and offshore wind.

And with no big races topping the ballot in this off year, election analysts predict a rumble.

It's going to be a knockdown, drag out.

Everybody's going to be trying to get every vote that they can to turnout in these low turnout elections.

And it's a real toss up.

It's a real question at this point.

So who is steeped in history?

His opponents call him an extremist.

I'm a wonderfully radical centrist, but when it comes down to it.

He's originally a Democrat but didn't history and says he switched parties over IRS intrusions.

He's a devout Catholic but won't say where he stands on abortion since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade.

You won't tell me where you stand on abortion?

No.

I'm going to let my constituents tell me where they stand because I'm supposed to represent them.

That's what representative democracy is all about.

Dnistrian also won't say whether he'd support a Donald Trump candidacy even on controversial issues like offshore wind.

Dnistrian tweeted about possible links to whale deaths, questioned the cost to ratepayers and called for a moratorium until lawmakers get clearer answers.

But he also profited from representing a company that wanted a piece of offshore wind business.

I'm not opposed to offshore wind, but given the number of deaths of dolphins and whales washing up on our shores correlated with the increase of the sonar mapping of the ocean, the responsible thing to do here is just to tap the brakes.

Federal researchers blame whale deaths on climate change and ship strikes.

Gopal's bluntly critical.

Last thing Trenton needs is just another hypocritical politician.

And I don't understand how you cannot disclose that you worked for the industry that you're now railing against.

On the parental rights movement, which seeks to inform parents about students gender transitions Dnistrian's sympathetic and says parents should lead the discussion in each district.

It's now a court battle.

But Gopal says he doesn't think the attorney general should be suing over local school policies.

I don't want anything hidden from any parent, and until they can show me where that's actually happening, this is a manufactured political message to try to confuse misleading parents, to hope that they come out and vote and vote through fear.

Gopal won reelection with about 3000 votes in 2021 when both his assembly running mates lost to Republicans.

This time, he's facing a very different race in a district redrawn to include 14,000 more registered Democrats.

But most voters here remain unaffiliated.

The trick for both candidates is getting them to the polls.

I'm Brenda Flanagan, NJ.

Spotlight News.