New Jersey's Former Republican Governor Blasts 'Extreme' GOP Candidate
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Former two-term New Jersey Republican Governor Christine Todd Whitman has endorsed Democratic Representative Mikie Sherrill in the state's upcoming gubernatorial election, calling her Republican opponent Jack Ciattarelli too "extreme" for the position.
Newsweek reached out to Whitman and the Sherrill and Ciattarelli campaigns via email for comment.
Why It Matters
The New Jersey gubernatorial race could be a bellwether for how Democrats navigate Donald Trump's presidency and galvanize local voters ahead of pivotal elections that lead into the 2026 midterms. Trump lost to former Vice President Kamala Harris in New Jersey by about 6 percentage points in the 2024 election.
Numerous polls in recent months have all favored Sherrill, who has represented New Jersey's 11th congressional district since 2019, by margins ranging from 5 to 20 percentage points. Ciattarelli, the former New Jersey state representative who is running for governor for the third time, has waffled on embracing Trump, with pundits saying he has moved much closer towards the president since his first gubernatorial foray in 2017.
What To Know
Whitman, who served as President George W. Bush's administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), said she endorsed Sherrill due to her appeal towards moderates, while Ciattarelli is too aligned with Trump.
"Jack Ciattarelli has changed so much from the person that I knew before," Whitman told CBS News New York. "He would never be this all-in on Trump, and he has said there's nothing with which he would disagree with what the president has done.
"We're not a state of people who hate each other. We're built on diversity that I had as a motto when I was governor, 'Many faces, one family.' We should celebrate that and clearly the president does not."
Former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman visits SiriusXM Studios on June 18, 2019, in New York City.
Former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman visits SiriusXM Studios on June 18, 2019, in New York City.Whitman, co-founder and co-chair of the States United Democracy Center, also touted Sherrill's ability to get legislation passed by working with lawmakers across the aisle when necessary, adding that it's "what we need" in Washington and elsewhere.
"You gotta be tough in New Jersey, and she's tough," Whitman said. "She's not an extreme and that's what I like about her. She has never taken those extreme stands."
Trump and the Affordability Questions
Matthew Hale, associate professor of political science at Seton Hall University, told Newsweek that most likely, New Jersey voters are "at the beach" and not currently entranced by this gubernatorial race. But he expects enthusiasm to increase, culminating in "a really close race" in what he describes as a politically centrist state.
"Mikie Sherrill tends to poll very well," Hale said. "She's got a really sort of resume that people like. But I do think this is going to be a really close race coming down the stretch."
He said the two biggest factors that likely loom over the contest are Trump and issues relating to economics/affordability.
"I think this is a referendum on Donald Trump and he's not very popular in New Jersey," Hale said. "I think that's going to be a big factor. But the other factor is certainly things like affordability, particularly in terms of property taxes and housing. We've seen that nationally, but I think that's always a big issue in New Jersey, and it will certainly be one in this election.
"We're seeing rising energy costs and those quality of life issues, those affordability issues and those specifically New Jersey issues. I think those are going to be important. On one hand, nationalizing the race is good for Mikie Sherrill and localizing their race is good for Jack Ciattarelli. So, that's gonna be the tension."
A poll of 1,108 probable New Jersey voters conducted in July by StimSight Research shows Sherrill leading Ciattarelli by 6 percentage points, 48-42 percent, in terms of respondents who would "definitely" or "probably" vote for either candidate.
Another poll conducted by Kellyanne Conway for the pro-Ciattarelli Change NJ super PAC and published by the New Jersey Globe showed Sherrill ahead of Ciattarelli by 5 percentage points—47 percent to 42 percent, with 11 percent of voters undecided.
A separate Rutgers-Eagleton poll released in early July found Sherrill leading Ciattarelli by 20 points—51 percent to 31 percent, with 13 percent undecided.
What People Are Saying
Ashley Koning, an assistant research professor and director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, previously told Newsweek: "'Affordability' is definitely the buzzword of this election within New Jersey and I'd like to think that New Jersey has a unique brand of of politics that still has many issues at the state level that are unique to the Garden State. I think affordability is an umbrella term [for] many of these issues that New Jerseyans have perennially been concerned about, first and foremost, taxes and property taxes.
"We have the highest property taxes in the country, and New Jerseyans have been telling us in our 50-plus years of polling that that's typically their No. 1 problem. In our most recent poll, taxes were followed by cost of living and affordability."
Representative Mikie Sherrill on X on August 1: "@Jack4NJ just doesn't get it — he's 100% supporting Trump's tariffs as they raise prices for NJ families and destroy thousands of jobs in the Garden State. And then he has the nerve to say that New Jerseyans don't understand the implications?"
Former Representative Jack Ciattarelli on X on August 3: "No more sanctuary cities. No more politics tying your hands. I'll have your back—protecting your pensions, restoring COLA, fixing broken systems, and making sure you can do your job without fear or interference."
What Happens Next
The New Jersey gubernatorial election will be held on November 4. Both campaigns are expected to intensify voter outreach and messaging on key economic issues as Election Day approaches. A significant undecided voter bloc and the influence of national politics will continue to drive developments in the final months of the campaign.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
3 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Ontario premier says he doesn't trust Trump and warns the US president could reopen trade pact
The new tariff, which took effect on Friday after the two countries failed to hit an Aug. 1 deadline to secure a new trade agreement, applies only to goods not covered by the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement that Trump negotiated during his first term. Advertisement Trump previously hailed the agreement as 'the fairest, most balanced and beneficial trade agreement we have ever signed. ' Carney has said about 85% of trade with the U.S. remains tariff-free because of USMCA. Ford said Trump likely won't wait for the scheduled review of the agreement next year. 'He's not waiting until 2026. At any given time, President Trump — not that he even follows the rules — he can pull the carpet out from underneath us,' Ford told reporters in Toronto Wednesday. 'I'm going to ask the people, do you trust President Trump? I don't.' Carney told a press conference on Tuesday that he has not talked to Trump in recent days but would speak with him 'when it makes sense.' Sector-specific tariffs on Canada, like the 50% duty on steel, aluminum and copper, remain in place. Advertisement Carney also suggested he may lift counter-tariffs if that helps Canada in the ongoing trade dispute.
CBS News
4 minutes ago
- CBS News
Higher U.S. tariffs officially in effect on dozens of nations
Washington — President Trump officially began levying higher import taxes on dozens of countries Thursday, just as the economic fallout of his months-long tariff threats was beginning to create visible damage to the U.S. economy. The White House said that starting just after midnight EDT, goods from more than 60 countries and the European Union began facing tariff rates of 10% or higher. Products from the European Union, Japan and South Korea are being taxed at 15%, while imports from Taiwan, Vietnam and Bangladesh are being taxed at 20%. Mr. Trump also expects places such as the EU, Japan and South Korea to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in the U.S. He immediately took to his Truth Social platform to hail the levies, saying, "IT'S MIDNIGHT!!! BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN TARIFFS ARE NOW FLOWING INTO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!" About an hour before that, he posted, "RECIPROCAL TARIFFS TAKE EFFECT AT MIDNIGHT TONIGHT! BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, LARGELY FROM COUNTRIES THAT HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THE UNITED STATES FOR MANY YEARS, LAUGHING ALL THE WAY, WILL START FLOWING INTO THE USA. THE ONLY THING THAT CAN STOP AMERICA'S GREATNESS WOULD BE A RADICAL LEFT COURT THAT WANTS TO SEE OUR COUNTRY FAIL!" "I think the growth is going to be unprecedented," Trump said Wednesday afternoon. He added that the U.S. was "taking in hundreds of billions of dollars in tariffs," but he couldn't provide a specific figure for revenues because "we don't even know what the final number is" regarding tariff rates. Despite the uncertainty, the Trump White House is confident that the onset of his broad tariffs will provide clarity about the path of the world's largest economy. Now that companies understand the direction the U.S. is headed, the administration believes they can ramp up new investments and jump-start hiring in ways that can rebalance the U.S. economy as a manufacturing power. But so far, there are signs of self-inflicted wounds to America as companies and consumers alike brace for the impact of new taxes. What the data has shown is a U.S. economy that changed in April with Trump's initial rollout of tariffs, an event that led to market drama, a negotiating period and Trump's ultimate decision to start his universal tariffs on Thursday. After April, economic reports show that hiring began to stall, inflationary pressures crept upward and home values in key markets started to decline, said John Silvia, CEO of Dynamic Economic Strategy. "A less productive economy requires fewer workers," Silvia said in an analysis note. "But there is more, the higher tariff prices lower workers' real wages. The economy has become less productive, and firms cannot pay the same real wages as before. Actions have consequences." Even then, the ultimate transformations of the tariffs are unknown and could play out over months, if not years. Many economists say the risk is that the American economy is steadily eroded rather than collapsing instantly. "We all want it to be made for television where it's this explosion - it's not like that," said Brad Jensen, a professor at Georgetown University. "It's going to be fine sand in the gears and slow things down." Trump has promoted the tariffs as a way to reduce the persistent trade deficit. But importers sought to avoid the taxes by importing more goods before the taxes went into effect. As a result, the $582.7 billion trade imbalance for the first half of the year was 38% higher than in 2024. Total construction spending has dropped 2.9% over the past year, and the factory jobs promised by Trump have so far resulted in job losses. The lead-up to Thursday fit the slapdash nature of Trump's tariffs, which have been variously rolled out, walked back, delayed, increased, imposed by letter and frantically renegotiated. The process has been so muddled that officials for key trade partners were unclear at the start of the week whether the tariffs would begin Thursday or Friday. The language of the July 31 order to delay the start of tariffs from Aug. 1 said the higher tax rates would start in seven days. On Wednesday morning, Kevin Hassett, director of the White House National Economic Council, was asked if the new tariffs began at midnight Thursday, and he said reporters should check with the U.S. Trade Representative's Office. Trump on Wednesday announced additional 25% tariffs to be imposed on India for its buying of Russian oil, bringing their total import taxes to 50%. He has said that import taxes are still coming on pharmaceutical drugs and announced 100% tariffs on computer chips, meaning the U.S. economy could remain in a place of suspended animation as it awaits the impact. The president's use of a 1977 law to declare an economic emergency to impose the tariffs is also under challenge. The impending ruling from last week's hearing before a U.S. appeals court could cause Trump to find other legal justifications if judges say he exceeded his authority. Even people who worked with Trump during his first term are skeptical that things will go smoothly for the economy, such as Paul Ryan, the former Republican House speaker, who has emerged as a Trump critic. "There's no sort of rationale for this other than the president wanting to raise tariffs based upon his whims, his opinions," Ryan told CNBC on Wednesday. "I think choppy waters are ahead because I think they're going to have some legal challenges." Still, the stock market has been solid during the recent tariff drama, with the S&P 500 index climbing more than 25% from its April low. The market's rebound and the income tax cuts in Trump's tax and spending measures signed into law on July 4 have given the White House confidence that economic growth is bound to accelerate in the coming months. As of now, Trump still foresees an economic boom while the rest of the world and American voters wait nervously. "There's one person who can afford to be cavalier about the uncertainty that he's creating, and that's Donald Trump," said Rachel West, a senior fellow at The Century Foundation who worked in the Biden White House on labor policy. "The rest of Americans are already paying the price for that uncertainty." (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.) 8/7/2025 12:02:21 AM (GMT -4:00)
New York Times
4 minutes ago
- New York Times
China's Exports Surged Again in July, but Not to America
China's exports surged even more than expected in July, as Chinese companies raced to ship goods to Southeast Asia and other regions, often for onward shipment to the United States, before President Trump could raise tariffs on imports. China's overall exports were up 7.2 percent in July from the same month last year, while imports were up 4.1 percent. Its exports to Southeast Asia and Africa, key regions for reshipment to the United States, rose more than twice as fast as its overall exports. China's exports to the European Union, its main alternative to the American market, were also up very strongly. By contrast, China's exports directly to the United States were down by more than a fifth in July, as buyers in the United States appeared wary of paying Mr. Trump's extra 30 percent tariffs. China's economy relies heavily on exports, in part because a steep fall in apartment prices in recent years has ruined the personal finances of millions of households, leaving them unable to afford the vast quantities of goods pouring out of China's factories. China's trade surplus reached almost $1 trillion last year, with its surplus in manufactured goods equal to a tenth of the country's entire economic output. Ever since senior American and Chinese officials reached a truce on tariffs in Geneva in mid-May, the United States has been charging an extra 30 percent tariff on imports from China. That is in addition to existing tariffs, notably the 25 percent tariff that Mr. Trump had imposed on roughly a third of American imports from China in his first term. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
