It’s official. Phil Murphy and Kim Guadagno will face off this November in a race to determine who will be New Jersey’s next governor.

Phil Murphy, the former U.S. ambassador to Germany under President Obama, won a highly anticipated victory to become the Democratic nominee for governor. In total, six candidates sought the Party’s nomination, including state Senator Raymond Lesniak, former federal prosecutor Jim Johnson, and state Assemblyman John Wisniewski. Ultimately, Murphy’s backing of all 21 Democratic county organizations, along with a well-organized team made up of some of New Jersey’s best political operatives, proved decisive.

On the Republican side, Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno won the Republican Party’s top spot, beating her closest competitor, state Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, by a decisive margin. In a hard-fought battle, Guadagno was one of five candidates seeking the Party’s nomination. Currently serving in her second term as New Jersey’s first lieutenant governor, Guadagno has spent the last eight years traveling the state, leading New Jersey’s economic development efforts.

Murphy and Guadagno will face off this November. In a state with 800,000 more registered Democrats, most observers give Murphy the edge. Nevertheless, Guadagno is a fierce campaigner and will prove to be a true competitor in the coming months.

We wish nothing but the best to both candidates and look forward to watching a hard-fought general election. The voters of New Jersey deserve nothing less.