New Jersey Senate race 2026: Murphy vs. Booker

RThe Ledger's profile

Justin Murphy

Navy veteran, attorney and former Tabernacle deputy mayor, 2026 Republican nominee for U.S. Senate from New Jersey against Cory Booker: the documented record.

Read the documented profile of Justin Murphy

Also on the ballot

Cory Booker

American politician; mayor of Newark, New Jersey (2006–2013); U.S. senator from New Jersey since 2013; 2026 Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate from New Jersey

The general-election field as the board records it: Justin Murphy (R) vs. Cory Booker (D)

The race at a glance

Board data as of Sep 15, 2026. Ratings are the raters' own current calls; polls are the newest public ones with their field dates; money is what the committees reported. Nothing here is a forecast.

Seat

Sen. Cory Booker (D), incumbent

Ratings

Cook Solid D; Sabato Safe D; Inside Elections Solid Democratic (as read Sep 15, 2026)

Newest public polling

Newest public poll: Booker +6.0 (StimSight Research, Sep 12, 2026); 3 general-election polls tracked

Reported money

FEC: Murphy cash on hand $123 (as read Sep 15, 2026)

Notable

Measured on the Ledger's Senate battleground board, Sep 15, 2026.

Key dates in New Jersey

Read from the New Jersey Department of State, Division of Elections. The full guide, with the official tools, is on the New Jersey page.

• Voter registration deadlineOctober 13, 2026 (21 days before the election) is the voter registration deadline for the November 3, 2026 general election. The Division of Elections prints a single deadline: it gives no separate dates for online and paper applications and no time of day. Register online through the state's voter registration system, or mail or deliver a paper Voter Registration Application to the County Commissioner of Registration or Superintendent of Elections for your county. nj.gov
• In-person early voting beginsOctober 24, 2026: in-person early voting begins for the general election. Every county designates in-person early voting locations; hours are Monday–Saturday, 10:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m., and Sunday, 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. No appointment is necessary. nj.gov
• Deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot by mailOctober 27, 2026 (not less than 7 days before the election): deadline to apply by mail for a mail-in ballot. The application goes to your County Clerk, and the Voters' Bill of Rights says a mailed application “needs to get there at least 7 days before the election.” After that date a voter may still apply in person at the County Clerk's office until 3:00 p.m. on November 2, 2026. nj.gov
• Deadline to return a mail-in ballotNovember 3, 2026 (Election Day), 8:00 p.m. By mail: the ballot must be postmarked on or before 8:00 p.m. on November 3 and be received by your county's Board of Elections on or before November 9, 2026. In one of your county's secure ballot drop boxes, or in person at your county's Board of Elections office: by 8:00 p.m. on November 3. Mail-in ballots cannot be returned to an early voting site or a polling place. nj.gov
• Election DayTuesday, November 3, 2026: General Election Day. nj.gov
• Poll hours on Election DayPolls are open from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, November 3, 2026. If you are in line to vote at the time the polls close, you must be allowed to vote. nj.gov

Voting in New Jersey: dates, rules and official tools

Questions and answers