New Jersey’s gubernatorial contest between Democrat Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli has narrowed to single digits, and the winner will appoint the state’s next attorney general — a key figure in enforcing and defending New Jersey’s strict gun laws. Former President Donald Trump has endorsed Ciattarelli and boosted him via telerallies, while largely avoiding in‑person events in the state.
New Jersey voters headed to the polls Tuesday in a closely fought race between Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli, with recent surveys showing a single‑digit gap in the heavily Democratic state. Multiple late‑October and early‑November polls — including Quinnipiac University and Emerson College/PIX11/The Hill — found Sherrill holding a modest edge, with some results within the margin of error.
At stake is not only control of the governor’s office but also the appointment of New Jersey’s attorney general, who is chosen by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate. The next attorney general will steer the state’s legal posture amid high‑profile Second Amendment cases now pending in federal courts and continued challenges to New Jersey’s firearms regulations.
Incumbent Attorney General Matthew Platkin, nominated by Gov. Phil Murphy in 2022 and later confirmed by the Senate, has prioritized gun‑violence prevention. Over the past year he has joined multistate efforts defending assault‑weapons and large‑capacity magazine bans in other jurisdictions and, in December 2024, New Jersey sued Glock alongside Minnesota, alleging the company’s pistols can be readily converted into illegal machine guns. Platkin has also defended New Jersey’s own laws in court — including the state’s sensitive‑places restrictions on public carry, which a federal appeals court largely upheld this fall — while challenges to the state’s assault‑weapons and 10‑round magazine limits are now before the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Gun policy has become a bright dividing line in the race. Ciattarelli has said he would appoint a new attorney general on Day One who aligns with his priorities and would revisit the state’s litigation strategy, while portraying himself as supportive of Second Amendment rights. Sherrill, endorsed by Everytown for Gun Safety and other gun‑violence prevention groups, has pledged to pursue measures including a federal assault‑weapons ban and universal background checks.
The legal terrain remains fluid. After a district court ruling in 2024 that struck down New Jersey’s ban as applied to one AR‑15 model while leaving the 10‑round magazine limit intact, an en banc Third Circuit heard arguments in October. The U.S. Justice Department under President Trump has sided with gun‑rights challengers in that case, arguing that categorical bans on commonly owned rifles and on magazines over 10 rounds are unconstitutional, according to filings and contemporaneous reporting. Separately, a Third Circuit panel in September upheld most of New Jersey’s restrictions on carrying firearms in designated sensitive places, while blocking the law’s insurance mandate and several fee provisions.
Trump’s role has been carefully calibrated. He endorsed Ciattarelli in May and has since amplified his support through remote appearances — including an October telerally and an election‑eve call — while maintaining a relatively light footprint in the state. Democrats, for their part, have highlighted Ciattarelli’s alignment with Trump, pointing to the Republican’s recent debate remark giving the president an “A” for his second term.
Beyond gun policy, both campaigns are pressing broader messages on affordability and public safety in the race’s closing days. But with appellate rulings pending and multi‑state fights over assault‑weapons and magazine bans continuing, New Jersey’s choice of governor — and by extension, attorney general — could reshape how aggressively the state defends or reframes its firearms laws in the months ahead.
