Democrats Joann Downey and Eric Houghtaling defeated Republican Assemblywomen Mary Pat Angelini and Caroline Casagrande, according to the Associated Press
TRENTON -- In maybe the biggest upset of Tuesday's legislative elections, Democratic challengers have ousted both Republican incumbents representing the Shore's 11th District in the state Assembly.
Democrats Joann Downey and Eric Houghtaling defeated Republican Assemblywomen Mary Pat Angelini and Caroline Casagrande, according to the Associated Press.
It will mark the first time since 1991 that Democrats will hold Assembly seats in the district, which includes parts of Monmouth County.
MORE: Full N.J. Assembly election results
Ben Dworkin, a political science professor at Rider University, said the district was "gerrymandered to be more favorable to Democrats."
"But it has been historically very Republican," Dworkin said.
Still, Democrats -- who were seeking to extend their control of the Assembly -- mounted an aggressive challenge, spending thousands of dollars on the race.
Downey is a former deputy state attorney general from Freehold. Houghtaling is the mayor of Neptune.
MORE: Complete election results from across N.J.
"When you are combating hundreds of thousands of dollars in superfund money, it takes a village," Casagrande, who has served in the Assembly since 2012, said at Jumping Brook County Club in Neptune on Tuesday night. "And so many people in this room gave us so many hours, and we are so grateful from the bottom of our hearts -- for your elbow grease, for your work, for your hours on the phones, for everything you did to make sure we had votes today."
Angelini, an Assemblywoman since 2008, said "this is a lesson for the Republican Party that money can potentially take away two seats that have worked so hard for our district."
"We are on the right side of the issues," she said, "and I don't give a darn how much money they throw at us. We are on the right side."
NJ Advance Media staff writer Alex Napoliello contributed to this report.
Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.