Voters in Mercer and Middlesex counties have rejected a New Jersey Senate bid by the father of the girl who inspired Megan's Law.

Republican Richard Kanka was defeated by incumbent Sen. Linda Greenstein in the 14th District.

Greenstein had the support of organized labor. Kanka's own Plumbers and Pipefitters local endorsed her.

The 61-year-old has been in the Legislature a dozen years. She sponsored a telemarketing bill to limit intrusive calls to residences.

Kanka is a Hamilton Township school board member.

He and his wife worked with lawmakers to pass state and federal versions of Megan's Law requiring the whereabouts of registered sex offenders to be released.

The laws are named after Kanka's 7-year-old daughter, who was molested and killed by a convicted sex offender in 1994.

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