As New Jersey’s 2025 gubernatorial contest tightens, Republican Jack Ciattarelli has notched endorsements from several Democratic mayors and local officials, even as most recent independent polls still show Democrat Rep. Mikie Sherrill with a mid–single-digit lead. One Emerson survey finds the race statistically tied. Conservative activist Scott Presler says affordability concerns are energizing GOP turnout.
The New Jersey governor’s race has drawn unusual cross‑party endorsements for Republican nominee Jack Ciattarelli, including from North Bergen Mayor Nick Sacco, Dover Mayor Jim Dodd, Garfield Mayor Everett E. Garnto Jr., Branchville Mayor Anthony Frato, and former Hudson County Democratic Organization Chair and current North Bergen commissioner Anthony Vainieri. Newsweek has tallied several of the Democratic officials backing Ciattarelli; local outlets in Hudson and Bergen counties have also documented Sacco’s public backing and Garnto’s party switch. (newsweek.com)
Ciattarelli has argued the endorsements reflect voter appetite for political change. “When Democratic mayors are endorsing the Republican nominee, it tells you how badly people want change,” he said in a weekend interview, claiming support from “at least 12” Democratic mayors. That figure could not be independently confirmed in full, though multiple Democratic officials named above have publicly endorsed him. (dailywire.com)
Polling presents a mixed picture. An Emerson College/PIX11/The Hill survey reported a 43%–43% tie, while recent Quinnipiac and other independent polls show Sherrill ahead by roughly 5–8 points among likely voters. Newsweek’s poll coverage similarly shows Sherrill maintaining a narrow but persistent lead. (emersoncollegepolling.com)
Republicans have also pressed Sherrill over comments about Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist who is the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor. Sherrill says she has not endorsed Mamdani and has emphasized areas of disagreement; Ciattarelli and the GOP argue she signaled support before walking it back. (inquirer.com)
Separately, Sherrill has faced renewed scrutiny of her time at the U.S. Naval Academy after news organizations reported she did not participate in the 1994 commencement ceremony amid discipline tied to a cheating scandal. Sherrill says she graduated and was commissioned but did not walk because she declined to identify classmates, and she has criticized the improper release of largely unredacted military records — an incident now under investigation by the National Archives’ inspector general. (nbcnewyork.com)
Financial disclosures have also drawn attention. Business Insider previously reported that Sherrill paid a $400 late fee in 2021 for disclosing two stock sales past the STOCK Act deadline; her office said the transactions involved vested shares from her husband’s employer. Opponents have alleged multimillion‑dollar gains from trading; independent trackers publish estimates, but those profit figures are not official. Sherrill has said she no longer trades individual stocks and shifted to funds. (businessinsider.nl)
Education policy has become a flashpoint late in the race. The New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) — which endorsed Sherrill — will hold its annual Atlantic City convention Nov. 6–7, and conservative critics have highlighted a planned NJEA Consortium session titled “Drag is not a Crime: The Past, Present, and Future of Drag.” NJEA materials describe the Consortium as a grant‑supported effort to foreground diversity and representation in curriculum; an advocacy group posted screenshots promoting the drag session, while the NJEA convention site lists the dates and notes program information is being posted on a rolling basis. Sherrill’s campaign has not publicly engaged the program details; Ciattarelli’s team has criticized the union over priorities. (njeaconvention.njea.org)
Underlying the school debate are lagging literacy results. State leaders have cited data showing 57.6% of third graders statewide were not reading at proficiency in 2024, and reporting from Newark indicates some schools with fewer than 10% of third graders at grade level — context for Ciattarelli’s critique that “in some schools” large majorities aren’t reading on grade level. (nj.gov)
Presler, a GOP activist who runs Early Vote Action, says he is executing a “21‑county strategy” to boost Republican turnout statewide. “This is an economic election,” he told The Daily Wire, citing property and electricity costs and predicting New Jersey is “100% in play.” (dailywire.com)
Ciattarelli, a former state assemblyman and the GOP’s 2021 nominee, narrowly lost to Gov. Phil Murphy that year, 51.22% to 48.00%, before launching his 2025 bid to succeed the term‑limited Democrat. (en.wikipedia.org)
