4 days ago
New Jersey voters go to polls in crowded primaries for governor
New Jersey's Rep. Mikie Sherill vied Tuesday with five fellow Democrats in a competitive primary race to replace Gov. Phil Murphy while President Trump's pick dominates the Republican race to lead the Garden State.
Sherill has led most polls in the unpredictable Democratic contest against Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Rep. Josh Gottheimer and south Jersey powerbroker Steve Sweeney.
On the GOP side, Jack Ciattarelli, who mounted a strong challenge to Murphy in 2021, is considered a strong favorite to ride Trump's endorsement to victory over Bill Spadea and three others.
The open race for the governor's mansion in Jersey, a blue-leaning state that swung sharply to the right in 2024, could offer powerful signals about the public's reaction to Trump's controversial second term in the White House and how Democrats should push back.
Murphy is barred from term limits from running again, opening the door to an unusually large field of viable candidates.
New Jersey and Virginia are the only two states with governors' races this year, putting additional national attention to the race.
The Democratic primary victor will likely head into the November general election as a strong favorite, although Trump's strong performance last year has given the jitters to some Democrats.
Turnout is expected to be somewhat anemic, meaning the most reliable voters may swing the races.
Polls say Sherill, a four-term lawmaker from Montclair, is the modest favorite on the Democratic side.
But Fulop may have an enthusiasm edge. He is associated with the ascendant anti-machine wing of the New Jersey Democratic Party, which has celebrated some big wins over the establishment in recent years like the victory of Sen. Andy Kim to replace disgraced ex-Sen. Robert Menendez.
Baraka is not widely known outside the state's largest city, but won plenty of news coverage with his involvement in a controversial protest against Trump's immigration crackdown that led to the arrest of Newark Rep. LaMonica McIver.
Gottheimer is considered a major leader of the national party's moderate wing but has run a disappointing race in his home state, while Sweeney may benefit from being the only candidate in the crowded field hailing from south of Interstate 195 that splits the state in half.
Ciattarelli and Spadea have long sparred over who is the most loyal to Trump and his MAGA movement. Ciattarelli was once a critic of Trump but has come around to support the president like most Republicans.
Both parties will look to build their general election campaigns on widespread voter frustration. For Democrats, that means focusing on the parts of Trump's aggressive second-term agenda that are unpopular. Republicans, meanwhile, are casting blame for economic hardships on Democrats who've run state government for the last eight years.
