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(L) Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli speaks during a news conference, in Raritan, N.J., on Friday, Nov. 12, 2021. (R) Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) speaks during an event in the Rayburn Room at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Sept. 28, 2021. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images; Mary Altaffer/ AP
WASHINGTON—U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) and former state Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli (R-Somerville) won the Democratic and Republican primary contests in the New Jersey gubernatorial election on June 10 and will advance to the general election.
Ciattarelli easily beat out his Republican opponents, leading with 66.3 percent of the vote with 28 percent counted. The Associated Press called the race for him at 8:17 p.m. ET. Sherrill was declared the winner of her race at 8:39 p.m.
The governor of New Jersey is elected every four years in an “off cycle” election, which—unlike most states—does not align with the quadrennial presidential election or biennial congressional election cycles. The incumbent, Gov. Phil Murphy (D-N.J.), is term-limited and only narrowly defeated Ciattarelli, the party’s previous gubernatorial nominee, in the 2021 election.
This primary contest was the first iteration without the “county line” system, in which each party’s county committee could endorse a candidate and give them a favorable place on the primary ballot. That system was ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge in 2024 as part of a lawsuit brought by then-Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.), who was elected as a U.S. senator later that year. Murphy later signed into law a reform that abolished the “county line” system.
Ciattarelli was endorsed by President Donald Trump and easily defeated four candidates to win the GOP nomination with a clear majority, more than 60 percent of the vote, with 73 percent reporting. Sherill, by contrast, won the six-way Democratic Primary with a plurality of 34 percent of the vote, with 80 percent reporting, edging out several prominent Democrats.
“As governor, I’m going to get to work rebuilding crumbling infrastructure and creating new funding streams for mass transit, including transit-oriented development,” Sherrill wrote on social media one day before the primary contest, addressing a major issue in New Jersey, which is home to many professionals who work in New York City across the Hudson River.
Ciattarelli wrote on social media, “I’m honored to have President [Trump]’s unwavering support as we close out this primary. Together, we’re fighting to fix what’s broken in New Jersey.”
Trump’s endorsement, historically, has been the decisive factor in Republican primary contests across the country. Trump frequently visits the Garden State during the summer months and stays at his company’s golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
Opinion polls before the election showed both Sherrill and Ciattarelli ahead of their opponents by double-digits. Sherrill beat out her colleague, Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), Mayors Ras Baraka of Newark and Steven Fulop of Jersey City, and former state Senate President Steve Sweeney, to win the Democratic Primary.
Apart from transit issues involving the New Jersey Transit Corporation, the top issue in the campaign for both candidates has been the cost of living in the state, which is 20 percent above the national average, according to the New Jersey Real Estate Network. Property taxes are also double the national average.
Ciattarelli has promised to impose a cap on property taxes and to cut several taxes, including income taxes. He has also promised a minimum 30 percent cut to the state’s budget. Moreover, he has proposed a new scheme to keep college graduates in the state, by refunding students who pay out-of-state tuition with the difference between their tuition and in-state tuition if they work in the state for three years.
Sherrill has promised to increase loans and tax credits for building more affordable housing and to expand tax holidays for parents with school-age children.
Sherrill remains a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and, if she loses the gubernatorial election, will be able to run for reelection to the House in 2026.
The general election is scheduled for Nov. 4. Likely, a debate will be held between Sherrill and Ciattarelli in the next stage of the race.
Arjun Singh was a reporter for The Epoch Times. He covered national politics, legal controversies, immigration, the U.S. Congress, and the Supreme Court of the United States.
