Sherrill Clinches New Jersey Governor’s Race in Key Democratic Victory

Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) is projected to defeat former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli (R) in the New Jersey governor’s race, marking a significant win for Democrats in their first election cycle since the start of President Trump’s second term, according to Decision Desk HQ.

Sherrill, a fourth-term congresswoman representing northern New Jersey, overcame a strong challenge from Ciattarelli, who sought the governorship for a third time after narrowly losing to Gov. Phil Murphy (D) in 2021. Murphy, now term-limited, was ineligible to run.

The contest grew increasingly competitive in recent weeks, with some polls showing the race as a toss-up, as both candidates navigated overlapping political challenges.

For Democrats, the state had not elected a governor from the same party three consecutive times since 1961. Sherrill’s win marks the first time in six decades that New Jersey has kept the same party in power for three straight gubernatorial races, even as the party faced voter frustration over an affordability crisis while controlling both the governor’s office and state legislature.

Republicans, on the other hand, had to contend with President Trump’s unpopularity in New Jersey, despite GOP gains in recent elections. Murphy narrowly won four years ago, and Vice President Harris defeated Trump in the state by six points last year. Still, Trump’s current 51 percent disapproval rating, according to a recent Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill survey, forced Ciattarelli to balance embracing the former president while maintaining some distance.

Trump publicly backed Ciattarelli during the campaign and reached out to the state’s Jewish community. In a post on Truth Social, he said: “I just heard that 32,000 Orthodox Jews around Lakewood and Jackson, New Jersey, have showed up BIG for Jack Ciattarelli. My friends in this Great Community know how important this Election is to New Jersey, and to our Country. There is still time to vote! I am asking ALL PATRIOTIC CITIZENS OF THE GREAT STATE OF NEW JERSEY, including all Kollel and Yeshiva students who haven’t voted yet, to please GET OUT AND VOTE FOR JACK CIATTARELLI. You can win this Election for Jack! VOTE FOR JACK, WHO HAS MY COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT. Polls close at 8 P.M., and every vote counts. IF YOU ARE IN LINE BY 8 P.M., STAY IN LINE, AND THEY MUST LET YOU VOTE!”

Sherrill presented a plan to address antisemitism and by calling for a ceasefire in international conflicts earlier than many other politicians, though she did not accuse Israel of “genocide” or the like. Meanwhile, while Ciattarelli has publicly stated that he would opt in to the Trump Administration’s federal private school tax credit program, Sherrill declined to express a view on the matter.

Democrats aimed to frame the election as a referendum on Trump and his administration, linking Ciattarelli to the former president, while Republicans focused on portraying the race as a referendum on Democratic leadership in New Jersey.

The final stretch of the campaign turned personal, with both candidates targeting each other’s histories. Ciattarelli criticized Sherrill over her time at the U.S. Naval Academy after reports revealed she did not walk during her 1994 commencement ceremony.

Sherrill, in turn, attacked Ciattarelli after an ally obtained a largely unredacted copy of her military records containing personal information about her and her family. Ciattarelli denied any wrongdoing, and the National Archives assumed responsibility for the incident.

Sherrill also accused Ciattarelli and his medical publishing firm of contributing to the opioid crisis, a claim the GOP candidate rejected.

New Jersey was one of two closely watched governor’s races on Tuesday; in Virginia, Democrat Abigail Spanberger ran against Republican Winsome Earle-Sears to succeed term-limited Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R).