After a knockout, drag-out fight to the finish, Democrat Mikie Sherrill defeated her main rival, Republican Jack Ciattarelli, a businessman and former Assemblyman, as well as Libertarian candidate Vic Kaplan and Socialist Worker Party candidate Joanne Kuniansky in the race for governor of New Jersey.
In a contest that drew national attention as a gauge of the Trump administration and a possible preview of next year’s midterm elections, Sherrill, who maintained a slight lead in recent polls leading up to Election Day, was declared the winner by the Associated Press at 9:23 p.m. As of 9:33 p.m., Sherrill had 57.2% of the vote, while Ciattarelli had 42.5% of the vote, according to AP.
Sherrill defeated five other candidates in the Democratic primary election, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, Congressman Josh Gottheimer, New Jersey Education Association President Sean Spiller and former state Senate President Steve Sweeney.
Beth Glennon, from Haddonfield, New Jersey, said she was thrilled Mikie Sherrill will be the next governor of the Garden State.
“I think she represents every single New Jerseyan,” she said. “She listens and she is kind and thoughtful and interested in what happens in everyday life, I think she’ll do a wonderful job.”
Meanwhile, Liz Cericolac, from Bergen County, said she was “stunned” that Ciattarelli lost, adding that he had a better campaign this year.
“He was a smarter candidate, more enthusiastic, more approachable,” Cericolac said. “He campaigned everywhere.”
Both Sherrill and Ciattarelli stressed affordability and tax relief during their first and second debates and throughout the race, which turned out to be the most expensive in state history.
This was Ciattarelli’s third try for governor’s office. His first attempt was in 2017 when he lost the Republican primary to then-Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno. Four years later, he came narrowly close to preventing Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy from winning a second term.
In June, he easily defeated four candidates in the Republican primary, including radio talk show host Bill Spadea and state Sen. John Bramnick. Ciattarelli’s election promises included affordability and addressing “loopholes” in the state’s bail reform law. Ciattarelli also said he would do away with the Immigrant Trust Directive, which limited the voluntary assistance state and local agencies can give to federal immigration enforcement.
Addressing supporters at his election watch party in Bridgewater, Ciattarelli said he was proud of the campaign he ran, noting that he visited every municipality in the state and more than 600 diners.
“It is my hope that Mikie Sherrill has heard us in terms of what we need to do to make New Jersey, that place where everybody can once again feel they can achieve their American dream,” he said. “Even though we were not successful tonight, it does not mean we were not successful in talking about the issues that matter.”
Sherrill, a former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot, federal prosecutor and a current member of Congress representing New Jersey’s 11th District, made accountability a centerpiece of her campaign.
In television ads, during interviews and at rallies across the state, she told New Jerseyans her first act as governor would be to freeze utility rate hikes to hold the line on costs for families. Other top priorities Sherrill discussed during her campaign were protecting the state’s children, improving education and addressing what she described as the mental health crisis among kids. She also distanced herself from Murphy, vowing to make the state government more efficient and accountable to taxpayers, and cut bureaucratic red tape, if elected.
The governor-elect also focused on linking Ciattarelli to President Donald Trump, who endorsed the Republican candidate, throughout the campaign, telling voters she would stand up against Trump on many issues, including reproductive freedom.
This past weekend, former President Barack Obama attended a rally for Sherrill in Newark, New Jersey. His visit was linked to lingering concerns among some Democrats about Black voter support and engagement.
During the candidate’s second and final debate last month, Sherrill accused Ciattarelli of profiting from publishing “propaganda” on behalf of opioid makers, which she alleged became the leading cause of death for thousands of New Jersey residents. Four years ago, when Ciattarelli ran for governor against Murphy, it was reported that his medical publishing company received $12 million from pharmaceutical companies to publish materials promoting opioids as a low-risk treatment for chronic pain.
During that debate, Sherrill and Ciattarelli also bickered about the improper release of her military record by the National Archives and a cheating scandal at the U.S. Naval Academy.
Leading up to Election Day, a total of 1,334,571 ballots were cast during nine days of early voting and from mail-in ballots. The data shows 51% of those advance votes were cast by registered Democrats, 29% by Republicans and 20% from unaffiliated and independent voters.
Before the polls opened, several counties in North and Central Jersey received bomb threats. Officers in Bergen, Essex, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean and Passaic counties responded and determined the threats to be unfounded. State law enforcement officials have not said where the threats originated, but the FBI said they likely came from Russia.
This story will be updated.
