>> Tonight on "NJ Spotlight News," your voice, your vote.

Campaigns ramp up in the final hours before election day, with all 120 legislative seats up for grabs, can the GOP flip the balance of power?

>> What Republicans will see is a victory if picking up at least a seat or two at a minimum to declare victory.

>> Also, fandom candidates.

Republicans cry foul, alleging Democrats are using fake independent candidates to siphon votes from the GOP.

>> Very significant illegal things going on that have to be examined.

>> Plus, fight for power.

School board races heat up, becoming a battleground for political groups as clashes over policies intensified.

>> Both that and statewide.

>> Pro-Palestine demonstrators disrupt Senator Cory Booker at a campaign event, demanding a Cease Fire as the Israel-Hamas war rages in Gaza.

"NJ Spotlight News" starts right now.

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From NJ PBS, this is "NJ Spotlight News with Briana Vannozzi."

Briana: Good evening, thanks for joining us this Monday night, election he.

I am Briana Vannozzi.

Tomorrow is the traditional election day, and residents casting a ballot will determine who controls the state legislature.

All 120 seats, 40 in the Senate and 80 in the assembly, are up for grabs, being decided under a newly redrawn legislative map and in what is considered an off year election, where low turnout could be the deciding factor in close races.

Democrats are trying to fend off a red wave as Republicans try to claw back a majority in at least one of the chambers, hoping to keep the momentum going after gaining seven seats just two years ago.

This is also an election where culture wars have dominated.

Candidates on both sides of the aisle are campaigning with messaging that parental rights, book fans, and abortion are all on the ballot -- book bans, and abortion are on the ballot.

I'm joined by a Democratic strategist and Republican strategist.

Julie, Bill, good to see you both.

Bill, let me start with you.

Are Republicans still capitalizing on the momentum of two years ago, or is it a victory if they hold onto, just hold onto the seven seats that they picked up in 2021?

Bill: well, I think those are two important questions.

Is this 2021 or is this 2022?

2021, nobody saw it coming, picked up a net seven seats, greatly outspent in a number of districts.

Or is it 2022, where we thought we had a chance of picking up some congressional seats and we only picked up the cane seat.

That is yet to be seen.

In terms of what Republicans will see is a victory, picking up at least a seat or two at a minimum to declare victory.

Briana: Julie, it's interesting, and talking to a couple of other veteran Democratic strategists in the last couple of weeks who felt like Democrats didn't necessarily seize the opportunity to campaign on really progressive issues.

Have Democrats missed any opportunities here from what you see?

Julie: First of all, I think Democrats have done a pretty poor job messaging the cycle and let the Republicans determine the messaging.

They could've talked about LGBTQ students but allowed Republicans to define that issue as a parental choice issue, which is not helpful to Democrats.

The electorate was very clear to his ago and I'm glad Democrats got the message.

They wanted to hear about affordability.

From that perspective I think it is important for Democrats to be laser focused on those issues, because how many more warning signs do we need to get from the electorate?

As Bill pointed out, we have lost seats the last few cycles because we did not laser focus on those issues.

The other side is laser focused on that this year.

Republicans are running on parental choice, obviously social issue.

Democrats are running on abortion, also a social issue although I would argue it is an economic issue as well.

I'm not sure either side is talking about the cost of property taxes or, frankly, just the cost of getting a tank of gas in New Jersey, the way they should be to do well this cycle.

Briana: That is interesting, Bill, and if Julie is right in that this will be determined by these so-called culture wars, is there one that tips the scale, or just more importantly, drives turnout?

We know these off year elections are generally pretty low.

Bill: First of all, I disagree on how Julie framed it.

Republicans this year are running as pro-cop, pro-parent, pro-border security, and as always, pro-taxpayer.

That is the Republican mantra, pro-cop, pro-parent, pro-taxpayer, pro-border security it comes down to the money the Democrats have on their site and the messaging of Republicans.

One thing is change in the contribution limits this year.

Earlier this year the legislature double the amount you can give to a legislative candidate significantly increasing the amount to leadership committees, at the Democrats have used to those really, really well to their advantage because they don't have the message matrix in their favor.

Briana: Very quickly, because we don't have much time left, you can't negate the fact that these competitive districts, Bill, they have a Democratic advantage, and Republicans have not necessarily been able to get voters in on this advanced voting that is available from early in person, vote by mail.

Julie, let me throw this to you, then.

Will that make the difference this election cycle?

Julie: Just to respond to something Bill said, the issues you mentioned, only one of them is about affordability and the rest of them are social issues that Republicans don't do well on in New Jersey.

Nevertheless, look, Democrats have done a good job with vote by mail.

The problem with Republicans is that Donald Trump has instilled in them that early voting is something taboo and subbing you should not worry about a thing about, so they better get a good turnout at the polls Tuesday, tomorrow, because I'm not sure it will survive without that.

Briana: Very quickly, Bill, final thought.

Bill: Julie is right about dystrophy, but the rest of the district have I'm talking to feel really good about the modeling based on vote by mail and early voting numbers.

They are feeling good.

Nothing is done until it is over, but Republicans feel pretty good about the great effort they have put in on the vote by mail and early voting so far.

Briana: It ain't over till it's over.

Thank you so much.

Julie: Take care.

Briana: In South Jersey, where two of the most competitive races are playing out, a fight over alleged phantom candidates reached a boiling point after a Superior Court judge on Friday froze the bank accounts of a dark many group, urging Republican voters to cast a ballot for independent conservative candidates.

Opponents say it was an effort to siphon votes from the GOP.

As senior political correspondent David Cruz reports, it is one of those only-in-jersey election controversies.

David: It is the kind of inside baseball the details of which generally fly over voters' heads, and to be sure, this will not be the first time someone was preparing to run for office as a spoiler, as is being alleged by Republicans particularly in the second and fourth districts where they say, phantom allegedly conservative candidates are attempting to siphon votes away from their candidates.

Friday, a judge just handed them some "I told you so" material.

On the day Republicans went to court last week, the GOP chairperson warned cynics about dismissing all this is just business as usual.

>> nothing illegal about it -- >>, that's not true there is a legal things going on.

You cannot have a fake candidate out there taking money from the outside.

That is coordination when you don't run a campaign.

There is potentially very significant he legal things going on that have to be examined.

David: For instance, what is Jersey Freedom, and who is Eric Peterson, its chairman and treasurer?

That is what lawyers for Republicans want to know.

They say forms filed with the law enforcement commission are bogus... since the GOP... >> They require you to put the process in New Jersey because if you are making political communications in New Jersey you are subject to jurisdiction in New Jersey and New Jersey law.

They want to be able to contact you if they have a problem with what you were doing.

Mr. Peterson disclosed a Queens, New York, address on that application.

The Queens, New York, address doesn't exist either.

David: Since no one showed up in court to argue otherwise, the judge ordered the group to stop all political activity and froze its accounts, which showed only debt because the mailers and TV ads they ran have been bought and paid for.

All this proves what in your mind?

>> They certainly violated a lot in making the expenditures they made and the disclosures they made to the public, essentially nothing.

Under the statute, candidate has the right to go to court and ask the court to enjoin a group from engaging illegal expenditures.

>> What is extra dark about this group is that you don't know either who is giving the money, you don't know a lot about the candidates themselves.

These are candidates who have -- you are not really out there.

They've been put up to this task of drawing votes away from the Republicans.

It's a dark money group with dark candidates they are supporting for some David: Who would do such a thing?

Technically no one really knows, although there might be some clarity after the election went elect requires further clarification on donors, etc.

That begs the question, if they like to open the accounts, what can you really -- lied to open the accounts, what can you really expect after the election?

The Kansas is this is a scheme by South Jersey Democrats, who have not been above such tactics in the past.

The state party chairman waived all of this off as pre-election patter.

>> I read some of the articles on the blogs.

Look, I'm focused on winning at the close of November 7.

Thesis --these sidebar issues don't resonate the voters anyway.

David: Which is probably true, except they don't call it dark money for nothing.

If you don't know who is really who on the ballot and who is actually behind them, voters will be in the dark and could end up making ballot choices for all the wrong reasons.

I'm David Cruz, "NJ Spotlight News."

Briana: For all the clashes over local school board races on the ballot could bring more voters to the polls this year, the normally sleepy election has turned highly politicized as candidates spent the cycle sparring over so-called culture wars, issues like parental rights and protections for transgender students.

Senior correspondent Joanna Gagis reports those topics have the potential to fuel or eclipse the legislative races.

Joanna: She is running for reelection to the school board in Middletown, where she served for three years.

She is a self-proclaimed parental-rights candidate and help draft the policy to notify parents when a student is publicly transitioning their gender identity.

She defends the policy.

>> This policy is only triggered when the student is making public social transition.

The student is ready to have the entire school district be aware they are changing gender and that they have a different gender identity.

This policy then becomes a conversation between the superintendent, the counselors, and the student, to be student- driven on went to notify a parent, or when not to notify parents.

Joanna: The only time they don't notify parent is when there is proven evidence of abuse in the home.

>> Sure, maybe there has been no signs of abuse before, but this is a big step in a young man or woman's life that they are taking and acknowledging.

Why would we ever want to put any undue pressure on them to come forward to parents immediately?

But in the end, if you are forming those relationships with their children, you shouldn't have any concerns.

Joanna: That policy and the overall approach to handling issues like this inspired him to run against her for the board position.

>> I think there is a permitted level of intolerance -- tremendous level of intolerance that is going on inside our town.

Joanna: Debates like this have gone on in school boards around the state, hot button issue that is driving conservative candidates and progressive opponents to run for open seats.

Organizations like the New Jersey project are supporting parents' rights candidates.

>> Parents are the best people to raise their children and take medical and psychological decisions for the children.

We need to have more parents involved in the schools and on the Board of Education.

Joanna: As to whether she supports the idea of a more political and by extension polarizing school environment, she says -- >> We tried to pretend that the Board of Education is not partisan.

It's always been Pollard's -- always been partisan.

Joanna: This group says it is nonpartisan and that hot button topics like parental rights are being used intentionally this election season.

>> Among Republicans running for the state legislature have recognized that if you make people angry and afraid, they tend to turn out and vote.

There is a lot of misinformation about the health curriculum, the sex ed curriculum, about what it means to discuss gender in school full-time Joanna: District for democracy says it only supports nine political candidates.

>> What we do look at is do you believe that public schools should have a variety of viewpoints.

Do you believe that it should be banned?

If that is the sense you are running on, that is probably not someone we want to support.

>> If you talk about taking the politics out, it feels like we are moving forward with adding politics in.

It is just which side are you one.

>> When you start to look at the actual policies being promoted by more extreme candidates, harder-right candidates, these are not popular with the majority of people in our state, with the majority of parents with kids in school, the majority of people in our communities for the we will -- Joanna: We will see tomorrow how majorities will vote.

Briana: State legislative races are the headliners this election, but voters have local races and questions to decide.

One of the most hotly contested issues is in the small city of Salem, one of the poorest towns in the state, where residents will decide whether to sell the municipally owned drinking water and sewer utility to New Jersey American water.

The company spent roughly $100,000 on the election.

Local leaders say cashing out of the utility business is the smart move for city finances, but opponents argue the sale will raise their water rates and cost jobs.

Ted Goldberg reports.

Ted: On election day in Salem, water is on the ballot.

Voters will decide if the city's water and wastewater utility will be sold off to New Jersey American Water, a publicly traded company.

>> We can bring solutions and people can finally have clean, safe, reliable, and affordable water.

>> Raise rates, loss of local jobs, loss of control over the water systems.

Ted: State law allows municipalities to sell off water utilities without public input if they meet certain conditions.

According to New Jersey, Salem meets them, and Salem tried an emergency sale.

Local activists started by getting enough signatures within 45 days to put this issue on the ballot.

>> Why would they be doing this?

Why would they want to, like, not include the community?

Ted: Salem's water has been tested and found to have high level of forever chemicals.

Local leaders say they can't afford to upgrade the city's water infrastructure, and they struggled to collect revenue people owe them.

>> They've openly admitted they only collect 68% of the rates owed to them.

They've not collected the money due, they not been doing that for three years.

>> One lady at the corner of my street, she's in her 80's.

Her son has an apartment in the same building and he is blind.

They have no water and no sanitation now.

>> There is only two days to collected them.

You can shut off someone's water, or you can sell the Li Na tax sale and turn the water back on.

When the city did that, there were complaints because we shut off people's water.

Ted: The mayor has made her thoughts pretty clear.

>> I don't see any benefit to keeping the system.

Ted: New Jersey American Water's offer includes $50 million over 10 used to improve the city's water infrastructure and $80 million upfront.

The mayor says that would go a long way to addressing Salem's problems.

>> Youth crime, address the abandoned housing issues.

For a port city -- poor city, that revenue would be a big deal.

>> With the challenges many systems face, those investments are needed.

The advantage that New Jersey American has is that we utilize the entire footprint of our customers to spread the cost.

Ted: New Jersey American water serves 190 committees around the garden state.

Large customer base spreads around any on expected costs that come up, which some say is a bad thing.

>> Salem people will pay for the next transition -- I mean the next transaction, X acquisition.

It will pay for the acquisition after that.

Ted: She leads the Association of environmental authorities, a trade association for government-owned utilities.

She says Salem could've avoided all of this if they apply for low interest loans from the state, or any from the bipartisan infrastructure law.

>> They are selling at a time when there is more money available and there is been for decades.

>> Grants are slow in coming, and yes, we could chip away at it a piece at a time.

But grants do not pay debt.

And right now the debt payment alone is $640,000 a year.

Then you have to add on the operational expenses, which come to another 500 and change.

Ted: She had that if the sale is rejected, the city will have to raise water rates 68% to breakeven.

New Jersey American Water says if the voters approved, rates will stay the same the first and second year.

Activist are worried about what will happen in the future or if rates jump before the sale is finalized.

In Salem, I'm Ted Goldberg, "NJ Spotlight News."

Briana: For more reporting on all of the campaign issues, which candidate is running in your district, and where you can vote, head to n jSpotlightnews.org.

And make sure you join us right here tomorrow night for our live election night coverage, beginning with David Cruz at 8:00 p.m. That I will take over with a team of reporters and analysts starting at 9:00 p.m. Calls for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war cried out from the foot of Lady liberty today, where hundreds of protesters affiliated with the group Jewish Voice for Peace rallied at the national monument, a simple of democracy and freedom in the U.S.

The demonstrators were all black with the words "Cease Fire now" across their shirts, as Israel's ground invasion in Gaza this week and essentially cut the strip in two, blocking off Gaza city the rest of the enclave, worsening the humanitarian crisis for Palestinians and mounting the death toll to 10,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry.

The U.N. Secretary-General says that Gaza is "becoming a graveyard for children," citing the 4000 children killed in the war since it broke out October 7, following an attack by Hamas that killed 1400 Israelis.

The conflict is drawing international criticism, but there is little support for a cease-fire in Congress.

Tension over that policy stance is spilling into the upcoming election here in New Jersey.

At a campaign event in South Brunswick this weekend, Senator Cory Booker's speech was shut down by protesters who interrupted him with a chants demanding a cease-fire, holding up their hands with symbolic blood on them.

In our "spotlight on business" report, the heavily trafficked Northeast corridor is getting a funding boost from the Biden administration.

Roughly 4.5 going dollars for $4.5 billion for the mass transit project is coming to the region.

Senator Cory Booker joined leaders in Newark to tell the federal money, which will go to five key projects here.

The bulk of it, nearly $4 billion supporting the Hudson River tunnel, a critical part of the Gateway program that has taken decades to get off the ground.

About $300 million will go towards rehabbing the 90-year-old dock bridge that crosses the Passaic River between Newark and Harrison, also part of Gateway.

The rest is going to New Jersey transit for passenger improvements at Newark Penn Station -- good news for them -- along with the Delco project in New Brunswick, a railcar storage and inspections facility.

There is also money to replace Amtrak's sawtooth bridges in Kearny and for studying ways to reduce rail travel time between New York City and Washington, D.C. Cory Booker today said that the grants are part of a larger pot of $16 billion awarded by the Federal Railroad Administration.

Sen. Booker: the economy of this region depends on the northeast corridor.

It is like the jugular vein in the body politic of the Northeast.

This project is of such a scale and significance that it is not only a day to rejoice as taxpayers for having such a massive infusion of federal funds, but it is also going to affect the lives of thousands of people in this region because it is creating thousands of jobs.

Briana: Turning to Wall Street, stocks edged higher today after logging the best week of the year.

Here is how the markets closed.

Briana: That's going to do it for us tonight, but don't forget to download the "NJ Spotlight News" podcast so you can listen anytime.

I am Briana Vannozzi.

For the entire "NJ Spotlight News" team, thanks for being with us.

We will see you right back here for election day, and don't forget to vote.

Have a great night.

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