Gov. Phil Murphy Refuses to Concede Tight Race: ‘Every Vote Will Be Counted’

Gov. Phil Murphy (D-NJ) said Tuesday night that he would not concede the election as he trails Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli in a race that is too close to call.

Murphy told his supporters in Ashbury Park, New Jersey, “While, we’re gonna have to wait a little while longer than we had hoped, we’re gonna wait for every vote to be counted. And that’s how our democracy works.”

At the time the governor spoke, he was losing by 19,013 ballots. Murphy had 1,068,991 votes compared to Ciattarelli’s 1,086,700.

In his remarks, Murphy discussed his platform and told the crowd, “these are the values we’ll put to work. We’re leading with compassion and empathy, not anger and despair. We’re following science and facts, not the political winds.” He also thanked his campaign staff, wife, and four children.

Gov. Murphy is speaking to supporters in Asbury Park. Watch it live. https://t.co/G7dtzKIjzt

— njdotcom (@njdotcom) November 3, 2021

Murphy’s statement echoed Virginia Democrat Terry McAuliffe, who told his supporters Tuesday night, “not everything is counted and we’re still waiting for a lot of votes to come in” in his race against Republican Glenn Youngkin.

Folks, not everything is counted and we’re still waiting for a lot of votes to come in. And we want to ensure every Virginians’ voice is heard.

— Terry McAuliffe (@TerryMcAuliffe) November 3, 2021

Murphy ended his remarks apologetically, telling the crowd, “We’re all sorry that tonight could not yet be the celebration we wanted it to be.” “But as I said, when every vote is counted — and every vote will be counted — we hope to have a celebration,” Murphy concluded.