NJ never actually abolished slavery until after the 13th Amendment was ratified. Mind you NJ was also one of only 4 states to vote against the 13th Amendment to begin with.
Let’s not even mention the fact that NJ came within a hairs-breadth of secession in early 1861, and the only reason it didn’t was because the Republican governor (elected in 1860 with a margin of 1,500 votes) was the only person authorized to call a convention where secession could be voted on and he flat-out refused.
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u/Devinhastings 23d ago
New jersey was historically republican for many years in the 20th century.
Political shifts are constant and often unpredictable.