With Election Day on November 4, 2025, approaching, Democratic nominee Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli are scrambling to boost Latino turnout in Passaic County, a plurality‑Latino area that swung toward the GOP in 2024. On-the-ground organizers and local officials describe muted enthusiasm and some logistical hurdles, even as both campaigns step up outreach.
Passaic County has emerged as a proving ground for whether the GOP’s recent gains with Latino voters in New Jersey will endure without Donald Trump on the ballot. In 2024, Trump carried Passaic County for the first time in decades and won 52 percent in the city of Passaic, where roughly seven in ten residents are Latino, according to final results and census data. (newjerseymonitor.com)
Voter interest remains uneven heading into Tuesday’s gubernatorial contest. In-person early voting ran from October 25 through November 2, with polls open statewide on November 4 from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., the New Jersey Division of Elections says. (nj.gov)
On the ground, some local leaders and strategists told Politico they see a lack of visible, targeted outreach in Latino neighborhoods. “It’s not as proactive as they needed to be,” one Democratic strategist with ties to Passaic said. Politico reporters observed few campaign postings along Main Avenue in Passaic and noted access challenges at Clifton’s main library, an early-voting site undergoing construction that routed voters to a side/back entrance. “How the hell do you expect these people to vote!” a Clifton voter, Jeannette Mestre, said. (politico.com)
City and library notices confirm the construction and alternate entrance at Clifton’s Main Memorial Library during the early-voting period. (cliftonnj.org)
Early ballot patterns have fueled turnout worries. Politico reported that Democratic turnout in Passaic County stood at 13.4 percent—about six points below the statewide average—and said mail voting showed similar lags. For context, a New Jersey Globe analysis pegged statewide participation at roughly 10 percent after the opening weekend of early voting. (politico.com)
Grassroots canvassers echoed the concern. Make the Road New Jersey volunteers knocking doors in rainy Passaic told Politico they saw minimal campaign visibility; one volunteer, Lori Gonzalez, estimated that about 40 of every 60 voters contacted might stay home. Those who were decided tended to favor Sherrill, the volunteers said, while many others were undecided or disengaged. (politico.com)
At a Sherrill rally in Paterson on Sunday, October 26, Passaic Mayor Hector Lora urged supporters, “Please, do not stay home,” and Councilmember Christine Tiseo told the crowd, “New Jersey is watching Passaic County, and the nation is watching New Jersey,” Politico reported. Sherrill also addressed supporters in Spanish: “Necesito su voto, familia”—I need your vote. (politico.com)
Republicans, meanwhile, see opportunity in the 2024 shift. “Latinos are waking up to the fact that the current policies have failed us, but also, the Democratic Party has been taking them for granted,” Ciattarelli told Politico. His campaign has emphasized appearances at Latino parades and outreach through churches and small businesses, according to Kennith Gonzalez, who leads the campaign’s Hispanic outreach. Gonzalez previously served as executive director of the New Jersey GOP. (politico.com)
Sherrill’s team says it is leaning on trusted community messengers. Campaign vice chair Patricia Campos‑Medina said the strategy centers on partnering with local Latino leaders and groups to amplify Sherrill’s message; she has argued Latino voters will be decisive. (politico.com)
Immigration—including fears of ICE raids and deportations—surfaced as a top concern in interviews Politico conducted in Passaic. The county is about 43 percent Latino, while the city of Passaic is roughly 73 percent Latino, with sizeable Puerto Rican, Dominican and Peruvian communities concentrated in nearby Paterson and Passaic. (politico.com)
Even with stepped-up canvassing into Election Day, analysts caution that the key question is who turns out. “It’s the first meaningful temperature check since the last election,” said Carlos Odio of Equis, which studies Latino voters. (politico.com)
