Latest news with #governorRace
Washington Post
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Trump, pizza and helicopters: A guide to the New Jersey governor's race
TRENTON, N.J. — That perfect slice of Jersey pizza. Garden State puns about putting down roots. A whirlwind lesson on Navy helicopters. And diners, lots of diners. If you're paying attention to New Jersey's race for governor between Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli and looking for signs about the national mood on President Donald Trump 's agenda and how voters are reacting to Democrats' messaging, getting to know the candidates might help decode things for you.
New York Times
16 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Republicans Prep for an All-Out Race to Flip New Jersey, With Trump's Help
Democrats have held majority control of New Jersey's Legislature for 23 years. The state has had a Democratic governor since 2018. And Democrats enjoy an 800,000-voter registration advantage. So when Republicans talk about November's race for governor, they acknowledge that their sense of growing optimism can feel a bit unfamiliar. 'It's viewed, nationally, as not impossible,' said William Palatucci, one of New Jersey's two representatives on the Republican National Committee. 'And there's a lot of interest for that reason.' On Tuesday, Jack Ciattarelli, a former state assemblyman, won the Republican nomination by a resounding 3-to-1 margin, further ratcheting up confidence among party leaders intent on making the most of an atmosphere that they believe offers the best shot for a win in years. He will run against Representative Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat who beat five opponents, decisively, after a bruising and expensive contest. 'It's the best opportunity, maybe, in a generation,' said Mike DuHaime, a political strategist who helped to run campaigns for former Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican who left office in 2018. Several factors are expected to boost Mr. Ciattarelli's odds. After competing for governor in 2017 and 2021, he has a sturdy level of name recognition and a deep understanding of the policy issues that are likeliest to motivate voters. He also has the world's biggest cheerleader — President Trump — in his corner and history on his side. Not since 1961 has either party managed to hold on to the governor's office for three consecutive terms, and Gov. Philip D. Murphy, a Democrat, has had the job for two. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Washington Post
a day ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Takeaways from New Jersey election: Trump looms large and signs of Democratic enthusiasm
NORTH BERGEN, N.J. — New Jersey primary voters chose their nominees — and President Donald Trump notched a win in his endorsement belt — in one of two high-stakes governor's races being held this year. While officials from both parties say November's general election will hinge on local, pocketbook issues, the outcome will also be closely watched as a harbinger of how both parties might fare in next year's midterm elections, and as a test of both Democratic enthusiasm and how the GOP fares without Trump on the ballot. Here are five takeaways from Tuesday's primary results: 2025's off-year elections have been rough for Republicans and Trump. The president went all in on Wisconsin's state Supreme Court race this spring, backing conservative Brad Schimel, even as polls showed Schimel lagging his Democratic-backed rival. Schimel went on to lose by a whopping 10 points , even after billionaire Elon Musk and groups he backed poured $21 million into the race. This time, Trump's chosen candidate, Republican front-runner Jack Ciattarelli, easily won the nomination. 'Jack Ciattarelli is a WINNER, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement – HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN,' Trump wrote in a social media post announcing his endorsement last month. 'MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, ELECT JACK CIATTARELLI!' After losing in 2021 to term-limited Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy by the slimmest of margins, Ciattarelli is hoping his third try for the office will be the charm. The endorsement was a blow, in particular, to Ciattarelli rival Bill Spadea, a conservative radio host who ran by vowing to enthusiastically back the president's agenda. Ciattarelli, he complained in one ad, 'did more than disagree with the president. He disrespected him. Me? I've been a supporter of President Trump since he came down the escalator.' He said voters should feel free to flout Trump's advice: 'I've disagreed with him in the past. It's ok for you to disagree with him now.' Trump, who spends many summer weekends in the state at his Bedminister golf club, alluded to the name dropping during a tele-rally he held on Ciattarelli's behalf . 'Other people are going around saying I endorsed them. That's not true,' he said. Candidates on both sides of the aisle vowed to tackle pocketbook issues, from high property taxes to grocery prices, to housing and health care costs. But Trump loomed large. On the GOP side, most of the candidates professed their allegiances to the president. Ciattarelli said in ads that he would work with Trump and end New Jersey's status as a sanctuary state 'on Day One.' (Currently, the state's attorney general has directed local law enforcement not to assist federal agents in civil immigration matters.) He also pledged to direct his attorney general to end lawsuits filed against the Trump administration, including one challenging Trump's effort to end birthright citizenship . Democrats featured him heavily, too. In one ad, Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill — who won the Democratic primary Tuesday and will take on Ciattarelli in November — featured an armada of pickup trucks waving giant Trump flags and warned that, 'Trump's coming for New Jersey with Trump-endorsed Republican Jack Ciattarelli.' 'We've gotta stop them,' it said. In another, she tells viewers, 'I know the world feels like it is on fire right now,' and vows to 'stand up to Trump and Musk with all I've got.' Back in 2015, Ciattarelli labeled then-candidate Trump a 'charlatan' who was unfit for the office of the presidency and an embarrassment to the nation. 'Instead of providing the kind of leadership that appeals to the better angels of our nature in calling us to meaningful and just action, Mr. Trump preys upon our worst instincts and fears,' he wrote. When Ciattarelli ran in 2021, he distanced himself from Trump, without the outward insults. Trump nonetheless complained about the treatment on Spadea's radio show last year, saying Ciattarelli 'made some very big mistakes' and would have won had he sought Trump's support. But like Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and so many others, past insults gave way to alliance. Trump offered his enthusiastic backing in a tele-rally, and in his endorsement, said that, 'after getting to know and understand MAGA,' Ciattarelli 'has gone ALL IN, and is now 100% (PLUS!).' November's presidential election offered warning signs for Democrats in the state. While Trump lost to Democrat Kamala Harris, he did so by only 6 points — a significantly smaller margin than in 2020, when President Joe Biden won by 16 points. 'New Jersey's ready to pop out of that blue horror show,' Trump said in the tele-rally held for Ciattarelli last week. Trump also made stunning gains in several longtime Democratic strongholds, including New Jersey's heavily Latino Passaic County. He carried the city of Passaic and significantly increased his support in Paterson, which is majority Latino and also has a large Muslim community. Indeed, 43% of Latino voters in the state supported Trump, up from 28% in 2020, according to AP VoteCast. November's election will serve as a crucial test for Democrats and whether they can regain Latino support — both in the state and nationally. In the primary, strategists, unions, organizers and candidates pivoted away from immigration and focused on pocketbook concerns in their appeals. 'At the end of the day, if you're worried about paying your bills and being safe at night, everything else is secondary,' Rep. Josh Gottheimer , one of the Democratic candidates, told the AP. 'I think that is front and center in the Latino community.' One exception was Newark Mayor Ras Baraka , who was arrested while trying to join an oversight tour of a 1,000-bed immigrant detention center. A trespass charge was later dropped, but he sued interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba over the dropped prosecution. In one of his final campaign ads in Spanish, he used footage from the arrest to cast himself as a reluctant warrior, with text saying he is 'El Único,' Spanish for 'the only one,' who confronts Trump. Sherrill emerged from a crowded field that included two members of Congress, Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop , teacher's union president and former Montclair Mayor Sean Spiller and former state Senate President Steve Sweeney . Sherrill leaned heavily on her biography as a former Navy helicopter pilot, federal prosecutor and a mother of four, using images of herself in uniform in her ads. Her campaign logo features a mini helicopter. Democrats hope November's general election — along with a gubernatorial election in Virginia — will draw a swell of angry voters eager to show their disdain for Trump's sweeping second-term agenda, foreshadowing Democratic gains in next year's midterms. There were signs of strong Democratic enthusiasm in early voting numbers. As of the last day of early in-person voting Sunday, more than 330,000 Democratic ballots had been cast, well outpacing the number of votes cast prior to last year's Democratic presidential primary. That compares to just 130,000 ballots cast by Republicans during the same time — a number that also tops early votes cast in last year's Republican presidential primary and reflects the broader trend of Democrats being far more likely to vote early than Republicans, who tend to turn out in far greater numbers on Election Day.
CBS News
2 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Where do you vote for New Jersey's 2025 primary election? Find your polling location
Voters sound of on New Jersey governor's race in Monmouth County Voters sound of on New Jersey governor's race in Monmouth County Voters sound of on New Jersey governor's race in Monmouth County Polls open Tuesday for New Jersey's 2025 primary election. If you didn't take advantage of early voting, here's how to find out where to cast your ballot. Where do I vote in New Jersey? Polling locations for New Jersey residents can be found using the state's online search tool. Users will need to enter their street address and ZIP code. Residents can also find their polling place information on sample ballots sent out by their county. Polling locations will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. Do I need an ID to vote in New Jersey? New Jersey residents will only be asked to show ID when registering to vote or the first time they vote in person or by mail. In those cases, acceptable IDs include a passport, student ID, driver's license, government-issued ID or a document, such as a bank statement or government check, that includes a name and address. Can I drop off a mail-in ballot on Election Day? Vote-by-mail ballots cannot be returned to your Election Day polling location. If you want to drop off a vote-by-mail ballot in person, it can be placed in your county's secure ballot drop box or delivered to your county's Board of Elections Office on Election Day. Ballots must be dropped off by 8 p.m. Click here to find your county's secure ballot drop box locations, and click here to find your county's Board of Elections Office. Vote-by-mail ballots returned by mail must be postmarked on or before 8 p.m. on Election Day and received by your county's Board of Elections on or before June 16. Does your polling place change automatically if you move? No. If you move, you must update your voter registration information before Election Day. You can do so HERE.
CBS News
03-06-2025
- General
- CBS News
How and when to vote early in New Jersey 2025 primary election
New Jersey residents are getting ready to vote for a new governor in the June 2025 primary elections. Today is the first day of early voting ahead of election day. Here's everything to know about when and where to vote early in the Garden State. Early voting in New Jersey New Jersey is holding six days of early voting, from Tuesday, June 3 through Sunday, June 8. Polls open at 10 a.m. every day and will close at 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and at 6 p.m. on Sunday. Early voting sites can be different from Election Day locations, so be sure to find yours ahead of time online here. Election Day is Tuesday, June 10. Whoever wins the democratic and republican primaries will go on to the general election in November. Who's running for governor of New Jersey? As Murphy's time in office comes to a close, several candidates are running to replace him. The democratic candidates include Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, Rep. Josh Gottheimer, Rep. Mikie Sherrill, New Jersey Education Association President Sean Spiller and former State Senate President Stephen Sweeney. The republican side includes state Sen. Jon Bramnick, businessman Justin Barbera, former state Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, former Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario Kranjac and former radio and TV host Bill Spadea. Both primaries will be held on June 10, followed by the general election on Nov. 4. Stick with CBS News New York and Political Reporter Marcia Kramer for the latest developments and expert analysis in the race.
