Friday, 31 Oct 2025
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • DMCA
logo logo
  • World
  • Politics
  • Crime
  • Economy
  • Tech & Science
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • More
    • Education
    • Celebrities
    • Culture and Arts
    • Environment
    • Health and Wellness
    • Lifestyle
  • 🔥
  • Trump
  • VIDEO
  • House
  • White
  • ScienceAlert
  • Trumps
  • Watch
  • man
  • Health
  • Season
Font ResizerAa
American FocusAmerican Focus
Search
  • World
  • Politics
  • Crime
  • Economy
  • Tech & Science
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • More
    • Education
    • Celebrities
    • Culture and Arts
    • Environment
    • Health and Wellness
    • Lifestyle
Follow US
© 2024 americanfocus.online – All Rights Reserved.
American Focus > Blog > Politics > New Jersey's long, expensive primary for governor is almost over. It already is for Republicans.
Politics

New Jersey's long, expensive primary for governor is almost over. It already is for Republicans.

Last updated: June 10, 2025 5:41 pm
Share
New Jersey's long, expensive primary for governor is almost over. It already is for Republicans.
SHARE

Polls Close in New Jersey’s Contentious Primary

The curtain has fallen on the polls in New Jersey’s crowded and fiercely contested gubernatorial primary, and the results are already shaking the political landscape. Jack Ciattarelli has swiftly secured the Republican nomination, making his victory official a mere 20 minutes after the polls closed.

On the Democratic front, a battalion of six candidates is vying to take the helm from the term-limited Phil Murphy. This election cycle is marked not only by intense personal attacks but also by an overarching influence of former President Donald Trump. It’s a historic race, boasting an eye-watering price tag exceeding $120 million over two years—a staggering sum reminiscent of a high-stakes poker game rather than a political campaign. Furthermore, this election is the first in decades devoid of a ballot design that traditionally favored party insiders.

The upcoming general election is poised to garner national attention, serving as a litmus test for Trump’s allure in a state that leans blue but where he unexpectedly lost by just six points last year. With Virginia as the only other state holding a gubernatorial election this year, November’s results in both states will likely provide insights into the political currents heading into the crucial midterm elections of 2026.

In New Jersey, the primary results will be scrutinized to assess the performance of traditional Democratic power structures absent the “county line”—a mechanism that has historically granted party leaders significant sway in candidate selection. This change follows a judicial ruling in 2024 that eliminated the line in the Democratic primary, alongside a new law mandating office block ballots for both parties, reminiscent of practices in other states.

See also  Long Island lunch lady nabs $65K win on food-themed ‘Wheel of Fortune’

Among the Democratic candidates, Rep. Mikie Sherrill has emerged as a frontrunner, though not without challenges. Despite the backing of several county leaders, her allies are not universal, and she has found herself under fire from opponents who accuse her of cozying up to the power brokers in the Democratic strongholds of North and Central Jersey. Sherrill has pivoted to present herself as the candidate best positioned for the general election, leveraging the final weeks of the primary to bolster Republican frontrunner Jack Ciattarelli’s ties to Trump while promoting her own legislative initiatives, such as a recent bill mandating drug tests for high-profile tech executives.

“MAGA is coming for New Jersey, with Trump-endorsed Republican Jack Ciattarelli. We’ve got to stop them,” declares a recent Sherrill advertisement, encapsulating the high-stakes drama of this election.

Facing off against Sherrill is Steven Fulop, the mayor of Jersey City, who has repositioned himself to her left, offering ambitious policy proposals while distancing himself from the political machines he once courted. His criticisms have been sharp, as he dubbed Sherrill “Tammy 2.0,” a reference to First Lady Tammy Murphy’s ill-fated Senate campaign that left a bitter taste among party loyalists, accusing her of avoiding risky positions.

Ras Baraka, Newark’s mayor, is also making a leftist appeal, garnering attention for his aggressive opposition to the Trump administration, which recently culminated in a widely publicized arrest during a protest at an ICE facility. However, despite the publicity, his fundraising efforts have been lackluster compared to his rivals.

Former Senate President Steve Sweeney and Rep. Josh Gottheimer are running more centrist campaigns, with Sweeney having supported the repeal of statewide policies limiting local law enforcement’s cooperation with immigration authorities, and Gottheimer advocating for a 15% property tax reduction.

See also  BREAKING: Government Funding Bill Passes Key Senate Vote - Nine Dems Vote Yes |

Sean Spiller, former mayor of Montclair and current president of the New Jersey Education Association, has launched a progressive campaign powered by a super PAC funded with a massive $40 million from his union, making it the most expensive campaign effort among the candidates.

The sheer number of candidates and their substantial resources have contributed to an unpredictable primary season, the likes of which New Jersey hasn’t seen in years. This unpredictable nature is largely a byproduct of progressives successfully challenging the county line last year. It’s notable that this is only the second Democratic primary to forgo the county line (and the first for the Republicans), following a previous judicial intervention that preemptively resolved the 2024 U.S. Senate primary.

While Sherrill has consistently led in the limited public polls released thus far, her margins have rarely breached double digits. With six candidates vying for the nomination, it’s conceivable that a Democrat could clinch victory with as little as 20% of the vote.

The Republican primary, in contrast, has been a starkly different affair. Ciattarelli and Bill Spadea, who has made headlines for his anti-vaccine conspiracy theories and skepticism regarding the 2020 election results, have spent much of their time not only courting the state’s 1.6 million registered Republicans but also vying for Trump’s endorsement.

Ciattarelli, initially critical of Trump back in 2015—labeling him a “charlatan”—has since transformed his stance, culminating in a recent enthusiastic endorsement from the former president after an exuberant photo opportunity at Trump’s Bedminster golf club. Spadea attempted to downplay the significance of the endorsement, contending that Trump “endorsed a poll, not a plan.” Most political observers, however, interpreted this moment as the definitive end of the Republican primary race, as Spadea’s fundraising efforts have faltered, garnering only half of the matching funds he was entitled to from the state.

See also  Senate Republicans Just Confirmed More Than 100 Trump Nominees Despite the Schumer Shutdown (VIDEO) | The Gateway Pundit | by Mike LaChance

New Jersey’s off-year general election in November, alongside Virginia’s, will be closely monitored as a bellwether for the 2026 midterms. Despite Democrats enjoying an 800,000 voter advantage, New Jersey has a history of electing Republican governors. The GOP has also seen growth, gaining over 100,000 new voters recently, while Trump’s unexpectedly narrow defeat in the state in 2024 has emboldened Republican hopes for capturing the governorship.

The election cycle has witnessed an astonishing outpouring of over $120 million from candidates, state-funded matching funds, and, most prominently, super PAC contributions. As November approaches, the stakes will only escalate, with a less crowded field but heightened tension.

TAGGED:ExpensiveGovernorJersey039sLongprimaryRepublicans
Share This Article
Twitter Email Copy Link Print
Previous Article Luigi Mangione Reflects on 27 Things He’s Grateful for After 27th Birthday Luigi Mangione Reflects on 27 Things He’s Grateful for After 27th Birthday
Next Article Casting Director Julie Schubert on Populating ‘The Diplomat’ Casting Director Julie Schubert on Populating ‘The Diplomat’
Leave a comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Popular Posts

Prince William ‘Running Secret Schedule As He Waits For King Charles To Die’

Prince William Secretly Preparing for His Future Reign While the topic is rarely addressed directly,…

June 3, 2025

Rojas to bolster Phoenix | Otago Daily Times Online News

All Whites striker Marco Rojas has made a triumphant return to the Phoenix just in…

February 21, 2025

Google I/O 2025 Dates: Android 16, Gemini & More

Google’s annual I/O developer conference is fast approaching and the tech giant is gearing up…

May 8, 2025

Pamela Anderson Opens Up About Traumatic Childhood And Sex Attacks

Pamela Anderson Opens Up About Childhood Trauma and Parents' Relationship In a recent interview with…

November 13, 2024

Inside Brooke Hogan’s Shocking Feud With Her Parents Hulk & Linda

After Linda Hogan publicly discussed the bitter fallout within their family, Brooke Hogan, the 36-year-old…

April 21, 2025

You Might Also Like

Democrats plot messaging blitz ahead of Obamacare hikes
Politics

Democrats plot messaging blitz ahead of Obamacare hikes

October 31, 2025
Nanotyrannus: Dinosaur skeleton settles long debate over ‘tiny T. rex’ fossils
Tech and Science

Nanotyrannus: Dinosaur skeleton settles long debate over ‘tiny T. rex’ fossils

October 30, 2025
Heritage president backs Tucker Carlson after interview with Holocaust-denier Nick Fuentes
Politics

Heritage president backs Tucker Carlson after interview with Holocaust-denier Nick Fuentes

October 30, 2025
Trump turns up the pressure on Indiana Republicans to redistrict
Politics

Trump turns up the pressure on Indiana Republicans to redistrict

October 30, 2025
logo logo
Facebook Twitter Youtube

About US


Explore global affairs, political insights, and linguistic origins. Stay informed with our comprehensive coverage of world news, politics, and Lifestyle.

Top Categories
  • Crime
  • Environment
  • Sports
  • Tech and Science
Usefull Links
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • DMCA

© 2024 americanfocus.online –  All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?