Labor Day marks the traditional kickoff of election season.

And this year all 120 legislators are on the ballot.

Campaigning in some districts is well underway as candidates run in newly drawn legislative maps that are leaving many Republicans feeling pretty good about their chances of picking up seats and perhaps even gaining control of one house in the legislature for the first time in decades.

Senior writer Colleen O'Dea is here with all the latest on the fall races.

Colleen.

Here we are.

Another election season is upon us that seems to creep up faster and faster every year.

What are the races to watch?

Because all 120 legislators, as we know, are on the ballot in November.

So definitely there are two districts that we're looking at, the 11th in Monmouth County, and the 16th is what is now known as Central Jersey, stretches from Hunterdon County down to Princeton.

Those are both districts that there's a Democratic.

There are more Democrats than Republicans registered.

But the you know, the areas have have been shifted in because we have a new map as of last year.

It's the first time that men and women are running in that map.

The Monmouth County area does have a lot of Republican and, you know, support and so does Hunterdon County.

And the 16th District, which is the Andrew Zwicker district, also has a lot of Republican support in the 11th.

It's Vin Gopal is the senator.

So does it look like despite having more registered Democratic voters, these districts may lean that way because Republicans are really looking to pick up seats here in the legislature for the first time in a long time.

How much of a battle do they have ahead of them?

You know, so I think the question is going to be what winds up landing with voters?

There's kind of been a flip.

You know, it seems like in the past, Republicans were always talking about pocketbook issues.

This time around, they're talking about some more social issues or different issues.

You've got parental rights.

You've got wind, offshore wind.

You've also got concerns about energy, you know, getting rid of or not being able to purchase a new gas-powered car in New Jersey in about a decade.

The Democrats now are really pushing all of the tax relief that they've given this StayNJ program, which really doesn't take effect until 2026 way after this election.

But there is the Anchor property-tax relief program.

And there's, you know, a whole lot of spending that the administration has done, mostly in Democratic districts to try to provide some relief.

Parental rights, I mean, has certainly become front and center an issue what looks to be will be a main issue this election season.

So are the parties unified in their stances and in sort of putting these particular issues forward?

As what they want to be sort of their banner of what they stand behind heading into November?

You know, certainly it seems like the vast majority of Republicans are.

On the Democratic side.

It's a little bit different.

The Democrats who are in definitely safe districts, you know, places in Essex County, Hudson County, really have the luxury of of being able to say what they want.

But, you know, we have seen people like of like a Vin Gopal pulling back on support for wind energy, not completely but but at least, you know, saying maybe we should take a step back and look a little further because he's got to be careful.

He's he's in a district where he's already got two Republican Assembly women.

So it is definitely a district that could switch, you know, could flip.

Yeah.

Are you anticipating any surprises?

I mean, I've already seen campaign ads out on TV.

I've gotten a couple of mailers, very few.

I live in a what we would call a safe district for the lawmakers who are in office there.

But any surprises you're anticipating.

It is early to see these things, right?

It's just right after Labor Day.

You know, I think that we don't know what we're going to see.

Who who could have predicted that Steve Sweeney two years ago and his running mates would have lost their seats in the third district.

So the fourth district, which is which is right next door, it's very Democratic has has a you know, a pretty good, solid Democratic majority.

It's in South Jersey.

And, you know, the Republicans are pushing hard there.

So who knows if that might flip.

There's there's just we won't know until after all.

Until we know.

Yes, exactly.

All right, Colleen O'Dea for us.

Thanks, Colleen.

Thank you very much, Bri.