Decision Desk HQ has projected Democrat Mikie Sherrill the winner over Republican Jack Ciattarelli in New Jersey’s hotly contested governor’s race, ending one of 2025’s marquee political battles.
Per The Hill:
Sherrill, a fourth-term congresswoman representing a district in northern New Jersey, fended off a competitive challenge from Ciattarelli, who ran for governor for a third time after narrowly losing to New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) in 2021. Murphy is term-limited and couldn’t run again.
The race turned increasingly competitive in recent weeks, with some polling showing the election a toss-up, as both candidates grappled with crisscrossing political headwinds.
For Democrats, the state hadn’t elected a governor of the same party three times in a row since 1961, and its party was grappling with frustrations from voters over an affordability crisis at a time when Democrats controlled both the governor’s mansion and state legislature.
Republicans, meanwhile, were forced to contend with President Trump’s unpopularity in the state, even as the party has made gains in recent elections there. Murphy narrowly won four years ago, and Vice President Harris only defeated President Trump in New Jersey by 6 points last year. Still, the current president has a disapproval rating of 51 percent, according to a recent survey from Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill. His low favorability forced Ciattarelli to walk a tightrope as the gubernatorial candidate sought to embrace the president while also seeking distance from him.
Over the past month, Ciattarelli appeared to steadily narrow the gap against Sherrill — a trend reflected in multiple polls. Early in the race, a Quinnipiac University survey showed Sherrill leading by eight points (49% to 41%). But later polling suggested a much tighter contest: an Emerson College survey found the two virtually tied at 49% to 48%.
According to an aggregate from RealClearPolitics, Sherrill’s lead stood at just +3.3 points at 48.9 % to Ciattarelli’s 45.6 %. Ciattarelli’s gains coincided with heightened concern among voters over economic issues such as taxes and housing, where he has focused his message, and with a higher level of enthusiasm among his supporters compared to earlier in the campaign.
On Monday, Ciattarelli was left speechless when his son, an Army Captain, traveled from his deployment in the Middle East to join him on the campaign trail.
Watch the heart-warming moment below:
While speaking at a Fox News town hall with Sean Hannity in New Jersey, Ciattarelli vowed that his first executive order as governor would end New Jersey’s status as a sanctuary state.
“Executive order number one, on day one, no town in this state will be a sanctuary city, we will not be a sanctuary state,” Ciattarelli declared to roaring applause. He argued that current policies encourage illegal immigration and limit local law enforcement.
In recent weeks, Democrats have marshaled high-profile support behind Mikie Sherrill in the 2025 New Jersey gubernatorial election, bringing in heavyweight figures such as Barack Obama to rally voters. Obama formally endorsed Sherrill and appeared in digital ads backing her campaign. He also committed to in-person campaigning in New Jersey for her in the closing stretch of the race.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
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New Jersey can (will) go to hell.