Sometimes it’s better just to stick with the party that got you to the dance.

There are exceptions, of course.

But if the team that takes you has its own bloody hands, the sinner that coddled you probably should remain that matriarchal force.

Such was a lesson that came with primal and painful force into the political life of incumbent Democratic state Senator Dawn Addiego (D-8), long growled at for switching uniforms in mid-stream.

Assemblywoman Jean Stanfield (R-8) tonight appeared on pace to defeat Addiego in the most watched battleground district of the season.

REP – JEAN STANFIELD 30,334 50.90%
DEM – DAWN MARIE ADDIEGO 29,232 49.05%
Personal Choice 34 0.06%
Total … 59,600 100.00%

A former sheriff with a strong record of service in Burlington County, who withstood a landslide of mud shoved in her direction by Democrats trying to turn her into the second coming of Donald Trump, Stanfield wrenched the senate seat from her former Republican colleague.

Addeigo had changed from Republican to Democrat in the roil of the Trump years and aftermath of U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-2) changing his own party affiliation from Democrat to Republican.

From the beginning of her clash with Stanfield, Addiego lugged the encumbrance of having ditched the GOP as BurlCo cascaded into Democratic hands.

It gave her a home in the short term, but reanimated those adversaries who saw her as a traitor to her party.

Stanfield, meanwhile, put together a credible record in tough weather.

In 2019, amid considerable Democratic Party resources attempting to blast her out of contention, the sheriff ran on a legislative ticket with Assemblyman Ryan Peters and withstood New Jersey’s well financed Democratic ticket in LD8.

Peters decided not to run again this year, as Stanfield resolved to remove Addiego from office.

She did, holding back a tide of independent expenditure money to oust her Democratic rival in a win that also somewhat dented Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-3).

Sweeney wanted to win both LD2 and LD8.

But he appeared tonight to have lost both.

Early unofficial numbers from Burlington: