**New Jersey Voters Head to the Polls in High-Stakes Governor’s Race**

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey voters are casting their ballots Tuesday to elect the state’s next governor in a closely watched race that may reveal whether Democrats can maintain control of a state that has traditionally been reliably blue, but has shown signs of shifting toward Republicans in recent years.

Jack Ciattarelli, a former state legislator endorsed by former President Donald Trump, is seeking to become New Jersey’s first Republican governor since 2018. He faces U.S. Representative Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat in her fourth term in Congress, who would become the state’s second female governor if elected.

The outcome of the election could serve as a gauge of how the electorate is responding to Trump’s policies and whether key groups of Democratic voters still have confidence in the party’s leadership.

Ciattarelli, 63, is running for governor for the third time. He lost a Republican primary in 2017, then narrowly lost the general election in 2021 to Democratic Governor Phil Murphy, who is now term-limited. This campaign, Ciattarelli frames the race as an opportunity for voters to remove Democrats who have controlled both the governor’s office and the state Legislature for nearly eight years.

He has emphasized his background as a business owner with deep roots in New Jersey, along with his experience as a state and local elected official. Ciattarelli has touted his close relationship with Trump, saying it will benefit the state.

“Make no mistake. We cannot afford another four years of Phil Murphy’s failed policies,” Ciattarelli said during a rally earlier in the campaign.

Sherrill, 53, has centered her campaign around pushing back against Trump’s influence. She has recently highlighted the Trump administration’s sudden freeze on funding for a multibillion-dollar project to replace the aging rail tunnels that connect New Jersey to New York City beneath the Hudson River.

“This is what we’re fighting for in this country—to make sure that we have a president who has to follow the law,” Sherrill said.

Sherrill’s biography includes service as a U.S. Navy officer and helicopter pilot as well as work as a prosecutor. She has painted Ciattarelli as a candidate who would align with Trump’s actions regardless of the consequences.

If elected, Sherrill would join Christine Todd Whitman—who served from 1994 to 2001—as New Jersey’s only female governors.

In the 2024 presidential election, former Vice President Kamala Harris won New Jersey, but Trump narrowed his margin of loss significantly by shifting Hispanic voters toward the Republican side. Additionally, Democrats’ voter registration advantage has been eroding in recent years.

Ciattarelli has walked a fine line on Trump, praising him and giving the former president an “A” grade, while simultaneously seeking to appeal to Hispanic voters. Although he supports Trump’s effort to end birthright citizenship, Ciattarelli has also spoken about creating a “pathway to recognition,” which would involve providing driver’s licenses and Social Security numbers to undocumented immigrants without criminal records—a stance at odds with current Trump administration policies.

However, Ciattarelli has not clarified the specifics of what he means by a “pathway to recognition.” It is worth noting that New Jersey already issues driver’s licenses to some undocumented immigrants, and the federal government issues Social Security numbers.

With a tight race anticipated, the U.S. Department of Justice announced plans to monitor polling sites in Passaic County, a former Democratic stronghold that Trump won in 2024. New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin, a Democrat, criticized the monitoring program as “highly inappropriate,” noting it was requested by the state Republican Party.

Sherrill and Ciattarelli have debated twice and continue to campaign across the state, meeting voters at diners and relying on surrogates to spread their messages.

Prominent Democratic governors Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, and Wes Moore of Maryland, along with former President Barack Obama, have all rallied in New Jersey to support Sherrill.

Meanwhile, Trump has campaigned for Ciattarelli through telephone rallies, urging voters to back the Republican candidate. He has pledged that Ciattarelli would “rapidly” reduce energy and other costs, though details have not been specified.

In addition to the governor’s race, all 80 seats in the New Jersey State Assembly are on the ballot. Currently, Democrats hold a 52-28 majority.
https://ktar.com/national-news/trumps-policies-and-inflation-drive-governors-race-in-new-jersey-where-gop-has-been-making-gains/5770102/