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(CNN) –A New Jersey Senate vote on a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage in the state has been delayed, one of the bill's sponsors said
Thursday.

The Marriage Equality Act's sponsors, Democratic Sens. Loretta Weinberg
and Raymond Lesniak, asked for the delay on Wednesday in hopes that the Assembly would begin considering it, Weinberg said.

She also said the delay would allow the public and lawmakers to study amendments to the bill that she said protect religious institutions.

Senate President Richard Codey agreed to delay to the vote, which was originally scheduled for Thursday.

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A gay marriage bill that's up for a crucial vote Thursday in New Jersey has the backing of 'the Boss.'

(CNN) – A gay marriage bill that's up for a crucial vote Thursday in New Jersey has the backing of "the Boss."

Rock legend Bruce Springsteen say he supports the legislation, which would legalize same sex marriages in the Garden State. On his Web site, the New Jersey born Springsteen says he's "always spoken out for the rights of same-sex couples," adding that he urges "those who support equal treatment for our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters to let their voices be heard now."

The New Jersey state Senate is expected to vote on the bill Thursday. It passed through the state Senate's Judiciary Committee earlier this week by one vote. Democrats concede the measure may fall short of the 21 votes needed to pass the state Senate. The state Assembly hasn't considered the bill yet.

The timing is important since Republican Gov.-elect Chris Christie, who takes office next month, says he would veto the bill. The man Christie beat in last month's election, out-going Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine, says he would sign the bill if it reaches his desk before he leaves office.

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(CNN) - A same-sex marriage bill has cleared a hurdle in New Jersey and is now headed for a full state Senate vote on Thursday.

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A bill that could legalize same-sex marriage comes up for debate in a New Jersey Senate committee Monday.

(CNN) - The battle over gay marriage moves to New Jersey Monday.

A bill that would legalize same-sex marriages comes up for debate in the state's Senate Judiciary Committee. If the legislation passes through the panel, it could be voted on by the full state Senate by the end of the week. The state Assembly hasn't considered the bill yet.

The timing is important since Republican Gov.-elect Chris Christie, who takes office next month, says he would veto the bill. The man Christie beat in last month's election, out-going Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine, says he would sign the bill if it reaches his desk before he leaves office.

Last week, New York's state Senate defeated a bill that would legalize same-sex marriages. The legislation had already passed the state Assembly. New York Gov. David Paterson said he would have immediately signed the bill if it had made it to his office.

Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont and Iowa are currently the only states that legally allow same-sex marriages. Earlier this year, lawmakers in Maine approved legalized gay marriages. But voters in Maine last month passed a referendum to overturn the new law. A vote last week by the District of Columbia's city council moved Washington, D.C. one step closer to legalizing same sex marriages.

Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn

Palin wasn't exactly a welcome presence in Virginia and New Jersey during both governor's races.

CEDAR CREEK, Texas (CNN) – Chris Christie and Bob McDonnell, the soon-to-be-governors of New Jersey and Virginia, both deflected questions Wednesday about why Sarah Palin did not appear with the two Republicans during their respective campaigns.

Christie said he only had three GOP heavyweights visit New Jersey during his campaign - Rudy Giuliani, Tim Pawlenty and Mitt Romney - and each came for a specific reason.

“I had a long standing relationship with Mayor Giuliani,” Christie explained. “Gov. Pawlenty and Gov. Romney both faced the same type of crises financially in their state when they took over that we did.”

McDonnell said his campaign had reached out to Palin nearly a year ago to campaign in Virginia, but said she was overwhelmed with requests at the time. When she stepped down as governor of Alaska in July, McDonnell said, their visitor lineup had already been set - a full four months before election day in Virginia.

“We thought she was a good leader for the party as the governor of Alaska and had some good reforms in the state, but she was in such incredible demand frankly for the longest time we were not able to work out anything for her to come in,” he said. “And then after she decided to leave office we had pretty much already arranged all of the folks that we had for the home stretch for fundraisers, including several current and former governors, and so we pretty much had our strategy set at that point.”

Christie and McDonnell made the comments at a news conference held during the Republican Governors Association's annual meeting near Austin.

Washington (CNN) - Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour used the GOP's weekly address Saturday to argue that Tuesday's GOP victories in New Jersey and Virginia show that voters are more concerned about the economy and the jobs outlook than about health care reform.

Read Barbour's full address after the jump.

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Kaine downplays Democratic losses in Virginia and New Jersey.

RICHMOND, Virginia (CNN) - Assessing the national political landscape on the morning after his party lost two closely-watched gubernatorial elections, Democratic National Committee chairman Tim Kaine said Wednesday that voters shouldn't draw too many conclusions from the two Republican victories as they look ahead to the 2010 midterms.

"There isn't really any historical connection between off-cycle elections in New Jersey and Virginia and next year's midterm elections," Kaine said during a press conference at the State Capitol complex in Richmond, where he serves as Virginia governor.

Kaine said he had several conversations with the White House about the races since last night, but he has not spoken directly with the president.

The governor suggested that both races hinged on local rather than national issues and that the president "was not really a factor" in either contest. While a majority of voters in both states said the president did not influence their choice for governor, exit polls indicated that national issues like the economy and health care weighed heavily on voters' minds.

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White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs called Tuesday's races in New Jersey and Virginia 'local elections.'

WASHINGTON (CNN) – White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs dismissed Democratic electoral defeats in New Jersey and Virginia as "two very local elections" that say nothing about President Barack Obama's standing with the American people right now.

"It's hard to pick national trends out of local elections," Gibbs told reporters at a Wednesday briefing just hours after incumbent Gov. Jon Corzine was knocked out despite Obama's two appearances in New Jersey on Sunday. Obama also had campaigned for Creigh Deeds, the Democratic candidate for governor in Virginia, who lost as well.

Gibbs noted that exit polls showed the number two issue in New Jersey was local property taxes, and claimed that and other data shows the gubernatorial races were decided on local issues "that did not involve the president."

But Gibbs was eager to tout Democrat Bill Owens' victory in the hotly contested House special election to represent New York's 23rd Congressional District. The press secretary noted that GOP officials "purged" the Republican candidate in the race to make way for Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman.
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(CNN) – Independents appear to be playing an important role in the country's two off-year gubernatorial races and in both states, and they are voting Republican.

In Virginia, where 30 percent of voters identify themselves as independent, 65 percent cast their ballots for CNN's projected winner, Republican Bob McDonnell. That's according to early CNN Exit Poll data. Democrat Creigh Deeds earned the votes of 34 percent of independents.

In New Jersey, the projected winner, Republican Chris Christie, took 60 percent of the independent vote while incumbent Governor Jon Corzine, a Democrat, got only 30 percent. The candidate running as an official Independent, Chris Daggett, got just 9 percent of the independent vote. Independents made up 28 percent of the voters in New Jersey race.

Updated 10:42 pm ET

(CNN) - Republican Chris Christie defeated incumbent Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine Tuesday, giving the GOP a rare Northeast win and a sweep of the night's gubernatorial races.

The former New Jersey attorney general became the first Republican governor of the state since 1997, and the first challenger to defeat an incumbent governor since Christie Todd Whitman defeated Democrat Jim Florio in 1993.

Corzine, who trailed Christie by double digits in several summer surveys, battled his way back to a statistical tie with his GOP challenger for much of the race's final weeks.

Despite Corzine's dismal poll numbers, he came into the race with a solid structural advantage. The former swing state has turned blue in recent years, with a majority-Democratic congressional delegation, two Democratic senators, and a Democratic hold on the governor's mansion for more than a decade.

President Obama, who won the state by a double-digit margin last fall and remains popular in the Garden State, visited several times to campaign on the governor's behalf.

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WASHINGTON (CNN) - CNN projects that Republican Chris Christie has defeated Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine in the New Jersey gubernatorial race.

(CNN) - CNN senior political analyst Gloria Borger says Democratic Governor Jon Corzine's projected loss tonight could spell trouble for the White House.

"Its a wake up call for the White House," she said. "This is a Democratic state, and a loss there means that independent voters are unhappy. And that's not good news for President Obama"

(CNN) – Independents appear to be playing an important role in the country's two off-year gubernatorial races and in both states, and they are voting Republican.

In Virginia, where 30 percent of voters identify themselves as independent, 65 percent cast their ballots for CNN's projected winner, Republican Bob McDonnell. That's according to early CNN Exit Poll data. Democrat Creigh Deeds earned the votes of 34 percent of independents.

In New Jersey, the projected winner, Republican Chris Christie, took 60 percent of the independent vote while incumbent Governor Jon Corzine, a Democrat, got only 30 percent. The candidate running as an official Independent, Chris Daggett, got just 9 percent of the independent vote. Independents made up 28 percent of the voters in New Jersey race.

Updated 10:42pm ET

(CNN) - What was on the minds of New Jersey voters as they voted for governor Tuesday?

More than a third of voters - 39 percent - said the quality they were looking for most in a candidate was the ability to bring change, and most of them said they had voted for the Republican Chris Christie, a former federal prosecutor, who CNN projects won the race. That's according to early CNN Exit Poll data.

32 percent of voters said the economy and jobs was the most important issue. Most of these voters said they voted for Democratic incumbent Governor Jon Corzine. Property taxes were the most important issue for 26 percent of voters. They voted in large part for Christie.

Updated 10:38pm ET

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(CNN) - With Republican victories in the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial races, two decades-long streaks continue: Since 1989, the party holding the White House has gone on to lose both the gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey. The streak goes back even further in Virginia, where the party holding the White House has gone to lose the gubernatorial race since 1977.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Republican Chris Christie has defeated Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine in New Jersey, CNN projects.

RICHMOND, Virginia (CNN) – Could Republicans be seeing some positive trends tonight in New Jersey?

Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele will fly to New Jersey on Tuesday night after Bob McDonnell's victory speech in Richmond, an RNC spokesperson tells CNN.

Exit polls: Voters divided on President Obama's performance.

(CNN) - Tuesday's two races for governor offer a snapshot on how Americans feel President Obama is handling his job.

Virginia voters are essentially split, according to early CNN Exit Poll data, with 50 percent of voters saying they do not approve of the way President Obama is doing his job. 94 percent of those respondents voted for Republican Bob McDonnell, CNN's projected winner. 49 percent of Virginia voters approve of Pres. Obama's performance and the majority of them (80 percent) voted for Democrat Creigh Deeds. President Obama won the state last year, the first time a Democratic presidential candidate won Virginia since 1964.

In New Jersey, 58 percent of voters approve of the president's performance. Incumbent Jon Corzine, a Democrat, captured three-quarters of those voters. 41 percent disapprove and 88 percent of those voted for Republican Chris Christie. Independent candidate Chris Daggett captured a small percentage of voters on both sides of the divide.

Republican New Jersey Gubernatorial hopeful Chris Christie exits the voting booth after casting his vote (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

(CNN) - With 28 percent of the vote counted in New Jersey's gubernatorial race, Republican Chris Christie leads Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine 50 percent to 44 percent. Independent candidate Christopher Daggett has 6 percent of the votes counted so far.

Divided Republicans hope for big victories in VA, NJ.

(CNN) - Voters across the country headed to the polls Tuesday for a series of elections deemed by some analysts as the first major referendum on President Obama's young presidency.

The direction of a sharply divided GOP may be at stake. Party leaders, demoralized after landslide defeats in 2006 and 2008, are hoping to win hotly contested gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey to help fuel a nationwide Republican resurgence.

At the same time, upstate New York voters will fill a Republican U.S. House seat in a race that has sparked a vicious fight between GOP conservatives and moderates. The struggle is viewed as a proxy for a national struggle between activists who say the GOP slipped by betraying conservative values and officials who warn that a rightward move would further alienate an increasingly independent-minded electorate.

The split could result in the election of a new Democratic congressman from a region that has backed Republican congressional candidates since 1872.

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