Skeptical of polling and alert to a flat feeling in his home city, state Senator Ronald L. Rice (D-28) cautioned fellow party members about premature endzone dancing ahead of Election Day.

“We are working as hard as we can,” said the Newark West Ward lawmaker.

“The weather is a little bit of a concern, as this will come down to turnout,” he added, looking at the forecast, which shows rain.

Rice said he’s not aware of raise-the-roof energy in Newark at the moment, an atmosphere conceivably dampened by the air war run by Republican Senate candidate Bob Hugin, who kitchen sinked embattled incumbent U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ).

Rice backs Menendez, and wants him to win, he said.

But Newark, he frets, is not animated.

There’s also the inhibiting sense that Essex is getting along with itself at the moment, said Rice, who doesn’t feel the usual individual angles of egos driving to better position themselves. Democrats should be on guard about concluding anything significant from the organization-rented banquet halls inhabited by fellow establishment players.

“But we’re out there, banging on doors,” he added.

He acknowledged anger toward President Donald J. Trump but worries about the combined impact of foul weather and the cynicism deepened by Hugin’s ads.

The presence of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka ally Alturrick Kenney on the ballot hardly creates an up-swell, in Rice’s view.

“Nobody knows who the surrogate is, or what it is,” said Rice.