New Jersey voters have selected Republican Jack Ciattarelli in the state’s gubernatorial primary after he received critical support from President Donald Trump.
His selection marks a high-water mark for the MAGA movement in the Garden State, which has tended to select more moderate GOPers in the past.
A longtime state politician, Ciattarelli narrowly lost the 2021 election to Democratic incumbent Gov. Phil Murphy by three points – one of the closest margins in years.
He is widely seen as the most viable GOP candidate to take back the governor’s mansion since Chris Christie won reelection in 2013. And Trump has taken notice.
The 78-year-old president has paid special interest to the race and endorsed the Republican in early May, saying the 63-year-old candidate is ‘all-in’ on MAGA.
Trump’s no stranger to the state and famously loves to spent time at his ‘Summer White House’ in Bedminster, where he has a resort and sprawling golf greens. Trump’s said Ciattarelli is the only man who can end the state’s ‘blue horror show.’
‘He is strongly supported by the most highly respected leaders in New Jersey and, as your next Governor, Jack Ciattarelli will work closely with me and the Trump Administration to advance our America First Agenda,’ the president wrote on Truth Social.
Ciattarelli beat out four other GOP candidates, including radio host Bill Spadea, state senator Jon Bramnick, former Englewood Cliffs mayor Mario Kranjac and Justin Barbera.
Former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli won the New Jersey Republican gubernatorial primary
Jack Ciattarelli and President Donald Trump in New Jersey weeks ago
Doubling-down on the New Jersey Republican, last week the president held a tele-rally for Ciattarelli to boost his momentum.
Pumping up his choice candidate further, Trump noted then how the state election is ‘a big deal’ on social media.
‘It’s being watched, actually, all over the world, because New Jersey is ready to pop out of that blue horror show.’
Addressing the tele-rally last week the president told voters the former New Jersey Assemblyman would help with the economy and crime.
Ciattarelli has noted his top priority is to overturn the state’s sanctuary city policies – something he has vowed to do first thing if he’s elected.
The message stands in stark contrast to that of the Democratic candidates, one of which was recently arrested for storming an ICE facility in Newark, New Jersey,
Ras Baraka, the mayor of Newark, has said he was ‘targeted’ in the scuffle alongside several members of Congress.
Democratic New Jersey Reps. Mikie Sherrill and Josh Gottheimer are also running for the gubernatorial nomination; as are Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, former Montclair Mayor Sean Spiller and former state senator Steve Sweeney.
The Republican lost to termed-out Gov. Murphy by three points in the 2021 election
Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., led the Democratic gubernatorial primary in the polls heading into Tuesday’s vote
New Jersey Rep. Josh Gottheimer, left, and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka discuss issues at the New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial primary debate at NJ PBS Studios, Monday, May 12, 2025, in Newark, N.J.
Sherrill had a large lead in the early voting and vote-by-mail in the state.
Heading into primary day Ciattarelli held a dominant polling lead while Sherill also had strong survey numbers.
A Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill survey in May found 28 percent of registered Democratic voters were backing Sherrill.
Gottheimer, Baraka and Fulop all had 11 percent support.
A survey from the same pollsters among Republican voters found Ciattarelli with 44 percent of the vote, while the next closest was radio host Spadea at 18 percent.