(The Center Square) — The wide-open race for New Jersey governor is tightening in the final weeks as the top two candidates slug it out over taxes, energy costs, immigration and the impact of the Trump administration’s policies.
Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill is running against former GOP Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli to replace outgoing Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat who is prevented from seeking reelection because of term limits.
Much of the race has focused on national partisan divisions and voter attitudes toward President Donald Trump, but also key local pocketbook issues like housing costs, property taxes, and energy prices.
A FOX News poll released earlier this week suggested the race is tightening with Sherrill ahead of Ciattarelli by five points among New Jersey likely voters, 50% to 45%, which is down from Sherrill’s eight-point lead in a previous poll in late September.
A separate poll by Quinnipiac this week gave Ciattarelli 44% of the vote compared with Sherrill’s 50%. A Quinnipiac poll last month showed Ciattarelli with 41% compared with Sherrill’s 49%, pollsters said.
Sherrill, 53, is a former Navy pilot and federal prosecutor who was first elected to Congress in 2018. She has sought to tie Ciattarelli’s platform to Trump’s agenda, warning that he would seek to replicate the president’s divisive policies in the state if elected.
“New Jersey can’t risk a governor who’s vowed to bring the MAGA agenda to New Jersey, defund Planned Parenthood, and supports an abortion ban,” Sherrill posted on X this week. “I’ll protect abortion rights and ensure the strongest possible protections for providers in our state.”
Sherrill’s campaign got a boost on Friday after former President Barack Obama endorsed her bid for the governor’s office, urging Democrats and independents to show up on election day to help her win.
“Mikie is a mom who will drive down costs for New Jersey families,” Obama said in the 30-second ad. “Mikie’s integrity, grit, and commitment to service are what we need right now in our leaders.”
Ciattarelli, 63, is a former state assemblyman who is making his second gubernatorial run. He narrowly lost a challenge to then-incumbent Murphy in the 2021 elections.
If elected, Ciattarelli says his top three priorities as governor will be to improve affordability, end state sanctuary policies and stop mandated affordable housing.
He has sought to portray Sherrill as an establishment Democrat who is “out of touch” with average New Jersey voters. He argues that she would mean higher taxes and energy costs for the state.
“While New Jersey families tighten their budgets to afford skyrocketing energy bills and the highest taxes in the nation, she used her time in Congress to triple her net worth and even got fined for it,” Ciattarelli said in a statement. “New Jersey deserves a Governor who’s focused on helping families get ahead — not enriching herself while they struggle to get by.”
The New Jersey governor’s race has garnered national attention as one of only two gubernatorial elections this year. Democrats are hoping to hold onto the governor’s office, while Republicans are hoping that the state’s suburban voters will help them return the post to GOP control for the first time since 2018, when Chris Christie stepped down.
Both campaigns are ramping up their voter outreach efforts with about two weeks until the election in an effort to sway undecided voters and get their messages out. The election is Nov. 4.
