Recent polling of the closely watched New Jersey gubernatorial race shows Democratic candidate Mikie Sherrill 7 points ahead of Republican rival Jack Ciattarelli.
Newsweek contacted the Sherrill campaign via email and also reached out to Ciattarelli for comment.
Why It Matters
The off-year election in traditionally Democratic-leaning New Jersey is an important bellwether ahead of the midterms, when Democrats are hoping that President Donald Trump’s negative approval ratings will fuel a 2018-style blue wave.
Republicans aim to build off Trump’s inroads with voters in New Jersey, which shifted about 10 points rightward from 2020 to 2024, and overcome the trend of the party outside of the White House performing well in these races.
Democrats face a test about whether their message in Trump’s second term is resonating with voters and can convince their base to show up at the polls after losses in November and dissatisfaction with the Democratic Party.
Whoever wins in November will play a key role in crafting policies to address issues such as crime and affordability the Garden State.
What To Know
The new Tipp/League of American Workers survey was conducted by TechnoMetrica from August 25 to August 28 among a sample of 1,524 registered voters drawn from an online panel, TippInsights said. The survey had a credibility interval of plus/minus 3 percentage points for the overall sample, it said.
The poll showed Sherrill winning the support of 46 percent of the likely voters, Ciattarelli garnering 39 percent, 12 percent not sure and 2 percent favoring others.
A Rutgers-Eagleton poll released in August showed Sherrill up 9 points (44 percent to 35 percent), a smaller margin than the pollster found in June, when she was up by 20 (51 percent to 31 percent).
Another poll conducted in July by StimSight Research showed Sherrill up by 6 points (48 percent to 42 percent). It surveyed 1,108 likely voters from July 18 to July 24 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.
Sherrill, 53, a U.S. representative and former Navy helicopter pilot, and Ciattarelli, 63, an ex-state assemblyman, have both focused on the core issue of rising prices in their campaigns.
What People Are Saying
Ciattarelii, referring to rising energy costs, told Fox News on Wednesday: “People are angry … all up and down the state. Over the weekend, I was endorsed by a Democratic mayor. Tomorrow, I’ll be endorsed by another Democratic mayor who is switching parties to the Republicans.”
Sherrill, in a post to X on Wednesday: “We’re ready to work together to expand access to generational wealth and close the wealth gap through first-time homebuyer assistance, improve Black maternal health outcomes, and expand access to education in every ZIP code.”
What Happens Next
Candidates will spend the next two months making their cases to voters on why they should lead New Jersey. The elections are set for November 4.
The post Republicans’ Chances of Flipping New Jersey Governor Seat: New Poll appeared first on Newsweek.
