11 incumbents, late rep's son win NJ House seats

Democrat Bill Pascrell won in northern New Jersey's 9th District over Republican Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, who is best known as Michael Jackson's former spiritual adviser and the author of such books as "Kosher Sex" and the reality TV show "Shalom in the Home."

"I got the people's back," Pascrell said in an interview. "I'm anxious to get back to my job."

Other Democrats to win re-election were Rob Andrews in the 1st District in the Philadelphia suburbs; Rush Holt in the 12th District and Frank Pallone in the 6th District, both in the central part of the state; and Albio Sires in northern New Jersey's 8th District.

Voters re-elected Republicans Frank LoBiondo in southern New Jersey's 2nd District; Chris Smith in the 4th District and Leonard Lance in the 7th District, both in central New Jersey; and Scott Garrett in the 5th District and Rodney Frelinghuysen in the 11th, both in the northern part of the state.

The state's districts are generally safe for incumbents, but they were redrawn last year to make them even more so — though New Jersey was squeezed out of one seat in Washington because of its slow population growth.

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Associated Press writer Katie Zezima contributed to this report.