Credit: (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

Candidates are making their final pitches to voters on the eve of Tuesday’s primary which sets the stage for November’s election to fill an open U.S. Senate seat and the matchups in all 12 House contests.

The results will also gauge the popularity of President Biden in a state he is expected to win in the fall against efforts by the Democratic Socialists of America and other organizations to get Democrats to vote for uncommitted delegates to the party’s national convention. Doing that would telegraph their opposition to the war in Gaza and the United States’ involvement in it.

Hundreds of polling sites will be open across the state from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. for those who didn’t vote early. As of Friday morning, more than 265,000 voters had submitted mail-in ballots and another 21,000 had voted early in person by machine at dozens of locations.

Though not on the primary ballot, Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez has probably had the greatest influence on this year’s federal races, and at least some county and local Democratic primaries, as well. And he could continue to play a role in the general election for the next senator if he files petitions before Tuesday’s deadline to run for reelection as an independent in November.

The federal indictment of Menendez, whose trial on corruption charges is continuing, prompted Rep. Andy Kim (D-3rd) to join the Senate race in September, followed two months later by Tammy Murphy, wife of Gov. Phil Murphy. Kim then challenged New Jersey’s unique “party line” ballot in federal court and a judge prevented the use of that design for Democratic candidates up and down the ballot, which could lead to close races in some contested primaries.

The Menendez factor

When Tammy Murphy bowed out of the race, Kim picked up most of her endorsements, but he will appear on equal footing on the ballot with labor advocate Patricia Campos-Medina and activist Larry Hamm. The three share similar views on most issues, with Kim the most moderate of the three and Hamm farthest to the left.

Sensing an opportunity for a potential win in November — although New Jersey voters have not elected a Republican to the U.S. Senate in more than a half-century — four candidates crowd the Republican Senate field. But the race is between Curtis Bashaw, a South Jersey hotelier and moderate, and Mendham Mayor Christine Serrano Glassner, who got former President Donald Trump’s endorsement.

The Vote Uncommitted New Jersey campaign is trying to pressure President Biden to end U.S. support for Israel’s offensive in Gaza.

Kim’s Senate run left an opening in his congressional district. Five Democrats are vying to replace him: State Assembly members Herb Conaway and Carol Murphy, who represent the same legislative district in Trenton, are two of the top contenders. Conaway won the party backing, but without the party line on the ballot to guide voters, the race could be close, particularly with the large field that also includes Joe Cohn, Sarah Schoengood and Brian Schkeeper. While the seat is expected to remain in Democratic hands after the general election, four Republicans are running to face off against the Democratic winner in the fall.

Menendez’s troubles may hurt his son’s chances of keeping his seat in the House. Rep. Rob Menendez (D-8th) faces a strong challenge from Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, Bhalla has charged that the elder Menendez essentially gave his son the seat two years ago and has tried to goad Rob Menendez into condemning his father. Rob Menendez has played up two six-year-old ethical lapses tied to Bhalla’s law practice and a new complaint filed just weeks before the election by a former employee that accuses Bhalla of corrupt behavior. The Democratic Party organizations in the district have endorsed Rob Menendez, but there is no party line to guide voters and the incumbent did not draw top ballot position in Hudson, Essex or Union counties. A third Democrat, Kyle Jasey, is also in the race.

The House races

There are contests for the nomination in one or both parties in every House district except the 10th, based in Newark. There, Rep. Donald Payne Jr.’s name will be on the ballot despite his death in April because he died after the deadline to withdraw. A convention of Democrats from within the district will choose a replacement candidate for the November general election. A special primary election in July will determine who will run in a special August election to fill out Payne’s term through early January.

NJ Spotlight News, in conjunction with the Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University, published a voters’ guide that has information on all the federal races and candidates, including the positions of candidates who answered questions on a number of key issues.

The presidential primary fields isn’t in doubt — that’s usually the case, given New Jersey has one of the last-in-the-nation primaries. But it’s unclear how many votes Biden might lose in the state to the “uncommitted” movement that’s seeking to pressure him to end U.S. support for Israel’s offensive in Gaza. The Vote Uncommitted New Jersey campaign got slates of delegates on ballots in 18 of 20 delegate districts and a spokesperson said the group has been canvassing and conducting phone banks as part of the effort. The group hopes to get 50,000 votes for uncommitted.

The NJ Spotlight News elections page includes links to stories about the races, as well as key information about voting, including how to check your voter registration and the locations of polling places and drop boxes.

Check NJ Spotlight News online and on air for coverage of the results Tuesday night after the polls close at 8 p.m.

The results of all federal races will be available online from The Associated Press.

NJ Spotlight News plans live updates on NJ PBS stations at 8 p.m. and 8:50 p.m., with full coverage beginning at 10 p.m.