In a major setback for New Jersey's Republican Party, they missed out on a significant opportunity to regain control of the state capitol, as reported by POLITICO. The party had high hopes of making gains in the state legislative majorities on Tuesday, but instead ended up losing five seats in the Assembly and failing to make any gains in the state Senate.

One of the contributing factors to the Republicans' defeat was their failure to fully embrace vote-by-mail, as they bought into the vote-by-mail conspiracy theories propagated by former President Donald Trump and his conservative followers. This narrative did not bode well for the Republicans in a state where Trump himself owns property. As a result, New Jersey Democrats were able to expand their legislative majorities, capitalizing on a night of wins for the party across the country.

New Jersey Democrats had been actively working on their vote-by-mail programs for years. They passed laws in 2018 and 2019 that automatically sent vote-by-mail ballots to everyone who had signed up for one in the previous election cycles. This strategy resulted in a significant number of voters – mostly Democrats – who would typically only participate in high-profile elections now receiving mail-in ballots for off-year state legislative elections.

On the other hand, the conservatives, including Trump, cast doubt on the integrity of the vote-by-mail system, further deepening the divide between the two parties. The Republican State Leadership Committee tried to counter this by investing nearly $1 million in promoting mail-in voting in New Jersey. The Republican State Committee also made efforts to encourage their supporters to participate in vote-by-mail. However, their efforts were overshadowed by the Democrats' already substantial voter advantage of nearly a million registered voters.

While it is true that instances of voter fraud may exist, it is crucial for Republicans to move past the belief in widespread fraud and false claims of stolen elections. The party must acknowledge the importance of vote-by-mail as a legitimate and efficient voting method. Otherwise, they risk losing future elections.

Furthermore, Republicans faced relentless attacks from Democrats on the issue of abortion, capitalizing on the U.S. Supreme Court's repeal of Roe v. Wade in the previous year. Democrats spent millions on ads suggesting that Republicans would limit access to abortion if they gained power, using controversial comments made by state Sen. Ed Durr as ammunition against the party. Republicans defended themselves by asserting that they would not overturn abortion laws in a state with strong protections for the procedure. However, this message seemed insufficient, as abortion continues to resonate deeply with voters.

Overall, the Republicans' failure to embrace vote-by-mail and effectively counter the Democratic narrative on abortion played a significant role in their losses in the recent New Jersey state races. While the party made efforts to promote mail-in voting, they were unable to catch up to the Democrats' established programs. Moreover, the Republican brand also suffered a blow due to its association with former President Trump and his polarizing influence. Moving forward, the GOP must address these challenges to regain the trust of voters and effectively compete in future elections.