
New Jersey governor's race heats up: What one political expert is watching in Tuesday's primary
New Jerseyans will pick a new governor in 2025 to replace the term-limited Democrat Phil Murphy. That process starts Tuesday with the state's primary election, when voters from both parties sift through crowded fields to nominate their candidates.
We spoke with Professor Kristoffer Shields, director of the Eagleton Center on the American Governor at Rutgers University, to find out what he's watching in this primary election.
Democratic primary race is 'unique'
The field of candidates on both sides of this race is jam-packed. Six Democrats and five Republicans are vying for the governor's seat. But while both sides have crowded races, Shields said there's something in the Democratic primary that stands out.
"The number of candidates who have a really legitimate chance of winning on Tuesday make this stand out more so than any primary since maybe going back to 1981," Shields said.
The race for the Democratic nomination features two members of Congress (Rep. Josh Gottheimer and Rep. Mikie Sherrill), mayors of two of the largest cities in the state (Ras Baraka of Newark, Steve Fulop of Jersey City), the head of one of the most powerful unions in the state (Sean Spiller of the New Jersey Education Association), and the longest-tenured state Senate president in New Jersey history (former Sen. Steve Sweeney).
"I would not call it a surprise for any of the six to win on Tuesday night," Shields said.
READ MORE: Where do you vote for New Jersey's 2025 primary election? Find your polling location
The candidates range the political spectrum from moderate to liberal, and they have spent the past few months courting various groups of voters. Shields says while Sherrill has led in the sparse polling available, it hasn't been by much, and everyone else appears to be within striking distance.
It's a race where landing 30% of the vote might take it, and one in which Shields said the winner will likely be the one who actually gets their supporters to the polls.
"Whoever does that most efficiently and effectively probably wins amongst the Democrats," Shields said.
There's a frontrunner in the GOP, but not a lock
Garden State Republicans also have a crowded field to choose from, with five candidates vying for the party nomination. But unlike the Democrats', Shields believes there's a frontrunner here in Jack Ciattarelli.
"I do think that if he were to ultimately lose on Tuesday night, it would be considered a surprise at this point," Shields said.
Ciattarelli is making his third run for the governor's seat, having won the GOP nomination in 2021 and coming within 3.5% of incumbent Democrat Phil Murphy. The former state assemblyman also landed the endorsement of President Trump in May.
But Shields wouldn't go as far as to say it's Ciattarelli's race to lose.
Three of the other Republicans in the race (contractor Justin Barbera, former Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario Kranjac, and radio host Bill Spadea) have been closely aligned with Mr. Trump, and the last (state Sen. Jon Bramnick) has positioned himself as a moderate in the group.
Shields says another one of the candidates could take advantage of a possible low-turnout race in which small changes among voters could lead to big changes in results.
"It's a little bit easier for someone who's behind to catch up," Shields said.
How many people will actually show up?
Primary election turnout, in general, is usually on the lower side. For reference, Philadelphia held its primary last month with the Democratic race for district attorney on the line. Turnout for the May 20 primary reached just over 16%.
But in New Jersey, primary numbers can get even lower. In the 2021 primary race, turnout was just 12%. Four years earlier, in 2017, turnout was 15%.
Shields says timing is also a tough sell for voters. New Jersey's election happens in an off-year and the primaries are in June, a time when many people are more worried about summer trips than polling places.
But Shields said this year could be different.
"It's one of the things I'm most interested in," Shields said.
The Rutgers professor notes this is many people's first chance to vote since a contentious 2024 presidential race. What's happening in Washington remains of high interest to voters, and Shields believes that could push more people to the polls this year.
"Whether it's to show support for the presidential administration or whether it's to show resistance to it, I think we will see more people exercising that right here in the primary," Shields said.
And speaking of the president …
Trump will come up, but another issue will matter more
Trump's presence will certainly loom in this race. He's already made an endorsement, and national pundits will likely watch the Garden State race closely as a first test of the president's influence (New Jersey and Virginia are the only gubernatorial races in the U.S. in 2025).
But while Shields said Trump and his administration's policies on things like immigration will undoubtedly be part of the campaign, he doesn't think it'll be what matters most.
"Ultimately, this election is going to be defined by affordability issues in New Jersey," Shields said.
This is not a new fight in New Jersey, but it is one that's taken center stage in the 2025 race. Almost every candidate in this race, regardless of party, has some sort of policy related to affordability in the Garden State. Shields says that affordability umbrella will include property taxes and high housing costs to funding for things like NJ Transit and more.
"If you want to be the next governor of New Jersey," Shields said, "you have to be credible on those issues, and you have to have a plan people will buy into."
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CBS News
30 minutes ago
- CBS News
Downtown L.A. curfew goes into effect after California Gov. Gavin Newsom addresses ICE protests
California Gov. Gavin Newsom delivered a statewide address on Tuesday in the wake of immigration operations that sparked days of protest in Los Angeles and the deployment of hundreds of National Guard and U.S. Marines troops to the area by President Trump. "Trump, without consulting California leaders, commandeered 2,000 of our state's National Guard members to deploy on our streets illegally and for no reason," Newsom said. "This brazen abuse of power by a sitting president enflamed a combustible situation, putting our people, our officers and even our National Guard at risk." The speech came on the heels of Mayor Karen Bass' decision to implement a curfew in downtown Los Angeles after five nights of unrest in the city center, and an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order filed by the state in its lawsuit to block further deployment of troops. That curfew resulted in dozens of arrests on Tuesday, with law enforcement swarming the impacted area as soon as it went into effect. Sporadic arrests followed. It was unclear how many were made in all. Since Friday, when the first operations took place in several downtown locations, protesters have taken to the streets to denounce the arrest of dozens of people. In some instances, protests have escalated into violent clashes that left an aftermath of destruction, including graffiti, looting, vandalism and debris. The next night, Mr. Trump declared that the National Guard would be deployed to Los Angeles to help quell the turmoil, despite opposition from California politicians who said it was largely unnecessary. That order was then followed by the deployment of 2,000 more National Guard troops and 700 U.S. Marines to the area as the protests continued, something Newsom called "fanning the flames even harder." "The President, he did it on purpose. As the news spread throughout L.A., anxiety for family and friends ramped up and protests started again. By night, several dozen lawbreakers became violent and destructive, they vandalized property, they tried to assault police officers," Newsom said. "This situation was winding down and was concentrated in just a few square blocks downtown. But that, that's not what Donald Trump wanted." "What we're witnessing is not law enforcement — it's authoritarianism. What Donald Trump wants most is your fealty, your silence, to be complicit in this moment," Newsom said. "Do not give into him." Los Angeles police and protestors face off in Downtown L.A. on Tuesday, June 10, 2025 in Los Angeles, CA. Jason Armond Curfew issued During an evening press conference, Bass said that since demonstrations have continued to escalate into violence, resulting in dozens of arrests and more than 20 businesses looted, she would impose a curfew. "The curfew will be in place tonight from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.," she said. "We certainly expect for it to last for several days." It runs for one-square mile in the downtown area from the 5 Freeway to the 110 Freeway and from the 10 Freeway to where the 110 Freeway and 5 Freeway merge. "The city of Los Angeles is a massive area, 502 square miles," Bass said. "The area of downtown, where the curfew will take place, is one square mile ... Some of the imagery of the protest, of the violence gives the appearance as though this is a citywide crisis and it is not." Protesters gather in front of California National Guard soldiers and LAPD officers guarding the Edward R. Roybal Federal building as protests continue in Los Angeles on June 10, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. / Getty Images Demonstrations continue Tuesday Dozens gathered once again Tuesday, but police were quick to close in on the growing crowd near the Metropolitan Detention Center. With the CBS Los Angeles helicopter overhead, multiple people were seen being detained and loaded onto buses by officers. At around 4 p.m. a small crowd moved towards the 101 Freeway, briefly entering southbound lanes before they were met by the California Highway Patrol. Some officers stopped traffic as others formed a skirmish line to prevent the pedestrians from moving further into the road. Despite law enforcement blocking offramps and onramps for the thoroughfare, the crowd was able to gain entry through a hole that had been cut in a chainlink fence. On Sunday, hundreds of demonstrators flooded the same stretch of freeway, where they clashed with CHP officers. At around 7:30 p.m. CBS News Los Angeles reporters said that tensions again escalated outside of the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building, where people in the crowd began hurling projectiles towards a line of National Guard troops stationed out front. When the curfew went active 30 minutes later, dozens of LAPD officers arrived outside of the building, which prompted much of the crowd to begin leaving the area. Still, dozens of people attempted to hang around, resulting in their arrests. It's unclear exactly how many people were taken into custody. With the CBS News helicopter overhead, a group of dozens were seen still moving through the area, some stopping to tag the side of buildings and Metro buses. By 11 p.m. most of the people who had previously gathered downtown appeared to have left the area. A crowd of protesters outside of the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building in downtown Los Angeles on June 10, 2025. KCAL News How it started The protests began Friday night after several immigration raids took place in the Westlake District, downtown and South LA. The CBS News Los Angeles helicopter flew over the locations where crowds quickly formed, and protesters attempted to prevent federal agents from placing individuals into vans. One of the 45 people arrested that day was local union leader David Huerta. The protests that took place over the weekend were declared unlawful assemblies and people were ordered to disperse and clear the area. In each case there were small pockets of the demonstrations that turned chaotic, which included hundreds of people converging on the 101 Freeway to block traffic on Sunday afternoon. That same day, several Waymo vehicles were torched to the ground by one group of people. The day prior, hundreds of demonstrators clashed with law enforcement in Paramount and Compton. Reporters on the ground saw as law enforcement and troops dressed in riot gear attempted to clear crowds by using tear gas, beanbag rounds and flash bangs into crowds to try and disperse people. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted on X that people who "lay a hand" on law enforcement officers will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. So far, nearly 400 people have been arrested in the series of demonstrations, Newsom said on Tuesday. Protesters gathered in downtown Los Angeles on June 10, 2025, marking the fifth consecutive day of anti-ICE protests. KCAL News National Guard and military in Los Angeles The Marines began arriving in the LA area on Tuesday morning, a defense official said, joining the thousands of National Guard troops already in the area to respond to the protests. Acting Defense Department comptroller Bryn MacDonnell testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense and said the deployment of the National Guard will cost about $134 million. On Tuesday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta asked a federal judge to provide a temporary restraining order to stop Mr. Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the U.S. Department of Defense from using the military and the National Guard to patrol the region and protect federal officers and facilities. The day before Bonta filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, arguing the orders are unlawful and exceed the federal government's authority under the Tenth Amendment. "President Trump's order calling federalized National Guard troops into Los Angeles — over the objections of the Governor and local law enforcement — is unnecessary and counterproductive. It's also deeply unfair to the members of the National Guard who are hard at work every day protecting our state, preparing for and responding to emergencies, and training so that, if called, they can fight our nation's wars," Bonta said. Bass blamed the unrest in LA on the federal government's involvement, saying that before immigration enforcement actions last week, the city was "peaceful." During a speech at Fort Bragg on Tuesday, Mr. Trump called the protests "a full-blown assault on peace, on public order and a national sovereignty. He said that if it weren't for his calling in the National Guard, L.A. would be "burning to the ground right now" and that the majority of the demonstrations were allegedly "carried out by rioters bearing foreign flags with the aim of continuing a foreign invasion of our country" and that he would "liberate" L.A. Democratic California Sen. Alex Padilla spoke with CBS News' Major Garrett on Tuesday regarding the actions of immigration enforcement and the several days of protests. He said that while the majority of the demonstrations have been peaceful, "the folks that show up after dark and are involved with the looting and the vandalism ... we denounce that." He called the ongoing situation a "crisis of Donald Trump's making." "The increasingly aggressive and cruel tactics of the immigration enforcement is what's prompting the response of people who are passionate about speaking up for our fundamental rights and due process, because the enforcement operations have gone far beyond just the violent criminals or the dangerous criminals that Donald Trump has promised," Padilla said. "It's raking in people who are otherwise innocent, hardworking women and men, children." He also denounced the deployment of military troops to the area. "The National Guard, to your point, it's not only not necessary here, it's counterproductive. Their presence is what's causing people to feel a little bit more on edge," he said. "As things have been quieting down a little bit more each day, now he's capturing that, not with a deescalation, but now potentially sending the Marines. Donald Trump is escalating the situation." Padilla, who grew up in the Pacoima area, served as president of the Los Angeles City Council and represented the San Fernando Valley in the state Senatre, says that the matter is "personal to me." "Los Angeles is my home. I am the proud son of immigrants from Mexico who worked so hard, who sacrificed so much to live their American dream. That's what the immigrant community is fighting for," he said. Protests take place across California Demonstrations have also taken place in cities across California in response to the events in Los Angeles. On Monday, a crowd of over 100 people gathered in Santa Ana outside the complex of federal buildings in the downtown area, some of which threw fireworks towards law enforcement officials who used crowd dispersal methods like smoke-filled canisters and pepper balls in return. The situation was much more peaceful on Tuesday, with a smaller group of people protesting in the same area without incident. "When a peaceful demonstration escalates into rocks, bottles, mortars, and fireworks being used against public service personnel, and property is destroyed, it is no longer a lawful assembly. It is a violation of the law," said a statement from Santa Ana Police Chief Robert Rodriguez. "We will not stand by while our City is put at risk. Santa Ana Police officers, along with our mutual aid partners, are actively working to restore order. We urge everyone to go home." Tensions grew in San Francisco Monday night when police said two small groups of individuals committed vandalism and other criminal acts. Police said multiple people were arrested and detained after refusing to comply.


CBS News
31 minutes ago
- CBS News
Sacramento City Council approves revised $1.6 million city budget
Sacramento city leaders have reached the culmination of a months-long process, voting to pass a revised $1.6 billion city budget and close a $62 million funding gap. In the revised budget, the City of Sacramento says it will not lay off any city employees. Though funding for vacant positions was cut, the mayor says no one is out of a job. "We adopted our budget, which was the number one thing cities must do every year. We had to make some tough decisions but by and large, residents won't see any major impacts in their communities," Mayor Kevin McCarty told CBS Sacramento after the vote. " We didn't adversely cut public safety funding from police and fire. The budget also restores money for youth violence prevention funding. However, ahead of the vote, what we heard in public comment was frustration and doubt from most of the public speakers who said the budget doesn't have enough money for the community or youth. Councilmembers Lisa Kaplan and Mai Vange opposed the revised budget. "I don't think we are doing what we need to do to be readily transparent, implement our values, and show a two-year budget when we know the minute this passes, which I know this will, that we are already $60 million in the hole," Kaplan said ahead of the vote. The mayor added that the council will be back to address a deficit next year, saying that the problems aren't over.


New York Times
36 minutes ago
- New York Times
Jimmy Kimmel Calls Trump an ‘Arsonist With a Hose'
Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown of the previous night's highlights that lets you sleep — and lets us get paid to watch comedy. Here are the 50 best movies on Netflix right now. Fake News On Wednesday, Jimmy Kimmel, who's based in Los Angeles, mocked the idea that protests against immigration raids have turned the city into 'some kind of totalitarian hellscape' — a notion pushed by President Trump (and some cable news outlets) as he sent in Marines and the National Guard. 'He wants there to be a war going on here, and he doesn't care who gets hurt in it. There's no riot outside. We have more so-called 'unrest' here when one of our teams wins a championship.' — JIMMY KIMMEL 'Not only is it not an apocalypse, they're having a Disney Pixar movie premiere right now, for 'Elio,' a movie about aliens. Don't tell Trump, he'll send the Green Berets in, too.' — JIMMY KIMMEL 'You know, when we had the wildfires that devastated big chunks of our city, he did absolutely nothing. Now that we're in the middle of a nonemergency: 'Send in the National Guard!'' — JIMMY KIMMEL 'Putting out a fire you purposely start doesn't make you a firefighter, it makes you an arsonist with a hose.' — JIMMY KIMMEL 'Yes, nothing calms down a situation like a military invasion.' — DESI LYDIC 'You know, I'm beginning to wonder if Trump is intentionally trying to escalate this situation because more chaos allows him to portray blue states as centers of crime, while positioning himself as the strongman that the country needs to rally around. No, that's silly. I'm sure he's just doing what's best for everyone.' — DESI LYDIC 'Now, as we speak, Trump has sent thousands of troops into downtown L.A. to quell what historians will remember as the Battle of That Video of a Burning Waymo Car They Kept Showing on Cable News.' — STEPHEN COLBERT 'And to those of you in the National Guard who have been thrust into this: When Donald Trump orders you to do something that you know is immoral, try to get your dad's podiatrist to write a note to say you have bone spurs.' — JIMMY KIMMEL 'The president of the United States has been tougher on L.A. than on Russia. Remember that two-week deadline he gave Putin to sit down for peace talks with Ukraine? As of tomorrow, it's two weeks. But, by all means, send the Marines to The Grove.' — JIMMY KIMMEL 'Trump's terrible policy has generated a huge backlash, which he's responded to by overreacting, which is going to generate another backlash. We don't know how this is going to end, but at least we know it'll be a huge waste of money.' — DESI LYDIC 'I just want to say, thank God for President Trump and the heroes at ICE for protecting us from these bloodthirsty fruit stand vendors, spreading their dangerous pineapple chunks and mangos with a squirt of lime all over the city.' — JIMMY KIMMEL The Punchiest Punchlines (Meanwhile on Fox News Edition) Want all of The Times? Subscribe.