UPDATE: November 4, 8 p.m.
Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli says he's not conceding in the race for New Jersey's governor.
He said he's waiting to either give a victory speech or concede to incumbent Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy until "all legal votes are counted."
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Original story follows
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy has won reelection over Republican Jack Ciattarelli.
Murphy eked out a victory that spared Democrats the loss of a second gubernatorial seat, though Ciattarelli had not conceded as of 11 p.m. Wednesday.
"Tonight, I renew my promise to you, whether you voted for me or not, to work every single day of the next four years to keep moving us forward, forward with renewed optimism to ensure greater opportunities for all 9.3 million who call the Garden State their home," said the state's first Democratic governor to get a second straight term in 44 years.
"In short, forward, living up to our Jersey values."
Murphy defeated Ciattarelli, a former Assembly member. Ciattarelli waged a formidable campaign in heavily Democratic New Jersey, with his spending nearly equaling the governor.
Vote counting in the race is stretching into Thursday, showing an extremely thin margin between the candidates.
With more than 90% of the expected votes counted by 11 p.m., Gov. Phil Murphy had a 29,000 vote lead.
Many of the votes that had yet to be counted Wednesday were coming from two counties that lean blue, Camden County and Essex County, where Newark is located.
Workers were still counting not only provisional ballots, but mail-in ballots that can arrive up until Monday.
There is no automatic recount law in New Jersey but candidates may ask for one within 17 days of the election.
Murphy did not get the victory party Tuesday night that many people expected, and this race was a lot closer than some of the experts predicted.
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"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," Murphy told supporters.
"Although it was not my intention, we have sent the message to the entire country," Ciattarelli said. "But this is what I love about this state, if you study its history. Every single time it's gone too far off track, the people of this state have pushed, pulled and prodded it right back to where it needs to be."
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Ciattarelli's campaign communications director criticized the calling of the race.
Regardless of the outcome of the governor’s race, a red shift emerged in the legislative races.
In what would be a stunning defeat, Democratic Senate President Steve Sweeney trailed relatively unknown Republican Edward Durr by 2,000 votes late Wednesday afternoon with nearly all of the votes in.
Durr is a truck driver who reportedly spent $153 on his campaign.
In the third assembly district in Gloucester, Cumberland and Salem counties, incumbent Democrats John Burzichelli and Adam Taliaferro also were trailing by more than two thousand votes to GOP challengers Beth Sawyer and Bethanne McCarthy Patrick.
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It's looking like Republicans will win in the second legislative district in Atlantic County, and Democrats are also losing in the eighth district in Burlington County, where state Sen. Don Diego, who switched from Republican to Democrat, is now trailing Republican challenger Jean Stanfield.
Democrats should retain a majority in both houses of the state legislature, but that edge is shrinking. Democrats have a million-voter registration advantage in New Jersey. It's making a lot of Democrats worried about what's to come.
Stay with KYW Newsradio for continuing updates.
KYW Staff contributed to this report.
