WHIPPANY – Some 36 hours before voting begins, GOP gubernatorial candidate Kim Guadagno tonight challenged Morris County Republicans to prove the polls wrong and propel her to victory on Tuesday.

“It’s your job to make sure Phil Murphy does not win this thing,” Guadagno said at a campaign rally at the Birchwood Manor in Whippany.

With only one full day of campaigning left, Guadagno said loyal Republicans must get on the phones, talk to their neighbors and convince people that Democratic candidate Murphy would be bad for New Jersey.

The choice, she said, could not be clearer.

Guadagno referred to her own version of “Murphy’s Law,” saying that, “any tax that can be raised,” will be increased by Murphy.

Guadagno has been on a bus tour throughout the state in a proclaimed effort to visit Main Street, not Wall Street. The line is a not too subtle dig at Murphy who made millions of dollars as an executive with Goldman Sachs. Guadagno’s stop in Whippany was the fifth of seven stops she had on Sunday.

She said that Murphy’s affluence is such that, “He does not live in the world we live in.”

Guadagno again criticized Murphy for saying he wants New Jersey to be a “sanctuary state.” Generally speaking, this means that local police would not enforce federal immigration law.

While every public poll shows Murphy with a double digit lead, Republicans hope the Democrat’s backing of a “sanctuary state” will attract independents. Supporters held up signs reading, “No Sanctuary State, No Phil Murphy.”

Guadagno certainly was on safe ground.

Morris County long has been very dependable GOP territory. Republicans control every county and state elected office. In fact, there has been only one Democratic freeholder (during the Watergate era) in more than 100 years.

Native son Chris Christie won by almost 60,000 votes in the county when he was reelected governor four years ago.  However, Donald Trump carried the county in last year’s presidential race by only 11,000 votes, an encouraging sign for Democrats.

About 150 people attended the rally, including U.S. Rep. Rodney P. Frelinghuysen (R-13). He praised Guadagno for visiting every military installation in the state in her role as lieutenant governor.

Republicans at the rally acknowledged the polls, but were still upbeat.

“I think it will be close, or at least closer,” than people think, observed Assemblyman Michael P. Carroll of Morris Township and the 25th District.