It's official: Phil Murphy vs. Kim Guadagno to succeed Christie

Polls across New Jersey officially closed at 8 p.m. Tuesday in a crowded primary election that determined which Democrat and Republican will be on the November ballot for governor.

It was a packed field, with six Democrats and five Republicans each trying to secure a bid to represent their political party and succeed Gov. Chris Christie, who is serving the final year of his second -- and final -- term in office.

The Democratic frontrunner, Phil Murphy, is a former Goldman Sachs banking executive who has spent more than $18 million on his campaign -- nearly four times as much as all the other major-party candidates combined. The Republican leader, Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, has held double-digit leads over her closest rivals in recent election polls.

Both Murphy and Guadagno had their frontrunner status solidified Tuesday night as they were declared winners in their party's primary voting less than an hour and a half after the polls closed and with scores of votes not yet counted.

Read more: http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/06/election_results_nj_governor_primary_2017.html