Mikie Sherrill has emerged victorious in New Jersey's gubernatorial race, defeating Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli. The Associated Press made the call just before 9:30 pm on Tuesday, with Sherrill leading by a margin of 56.7% to 42.8%. As the votes were being tallied, Sherrill's lead had stretched even wider, securing her position as the next governor of New Jersey.
The outcome is significant not only for New Jersey but also serves as a key indicator for the 2026 midterm elections, when Democrats hope to regain control of the U.S. House and Senate. A Republican victory in the state has historically been a warning sign for Democratic prospects in subsequent midterms.
Sherrill's win marks a major boost for the party, following a tumultuous year that saw the loss of former Vice President Kamala Harris in last year's presidential election. Her campaign focused on issues such as affordability, taxes, and energy bills, which resonated with voters.
Ciattarelli, who ran on a platform centered around his opposition to President Donald Trump's policies, failed to capitalize on the president's relatively low approval ratings nationwide. The former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and ex-President Joe Biden were both backed by double-digit margins in New Jersey during last year's presidential election, making for a surprisingly close contest.
New Jersey voters cast over 1.1 million early ballots, with Sherrill securing an advantage among those early voters – 51% identifying as Democrats, while only 29% identified as Republicans. The outcome underscores the significant role early voting plays in shaping the final tally on election day.
Pollsters had consistently shown a narrow margin between the two candidates in recent days, with many within the margin of error. However, experts like Dan Cassino, professor of political science at Fairleigh Dickinson University, pointed to Sherrill's consistent lead and the early vote by mail numbers as indicative of a larger Democratic advantage.
Sherrill took to social media to address her victory, emphasizing her commitment to making New Jersey a better state for all residents. Ciattarelli expressed frustration with the current state of affairs, highlighting issues such as property taxes, energy bills, and childcare costs.
With Sherrill set to take office in January, Democrats will breathe a sigh of relief knowing they'll retain control of the governorship.
The outcome is significant not only for New Jersey but also serves as a key indicator for the 2026 midterm elections, when Democrats hope to regain control of the U.S. House and Senate. A Republican victory in the state has historically been a warning sign for Democratic prospects in subsequent midterms.
Sherrill's win marks a major boost for the party, following a tumultuous year that saw the loss of former Vice President Kamala Harris in last year's presidential election. Her campaign focused on issues such as affordability, taxes, and energy bills, which resonated with voters.
Ciattarelli, who ran on a platform centered around his opposition to President Donald Trump's policies, failed to capitalize on the president's relatively low approval ratings nationwide. The former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and ex-President Joe Biden were both backed by double-digit margins in New Jersey during last year's presidential election, making for a surprisingly close contest.
New Jersey voters cast over 1.1 million early ballots, with Sherrill securing an advantage among those early voters – 51% identifying as Democrats, while only 29% identified as Republicans. The outcome underscores the significant role early voting plays in shaping the final tally on election day.
Pollsters had consistently shown a narrow margin between the two candidates in recent days, with many within the margin of error. However, experts like Dan Cassino, professor of political science at Fairleigh Dickinson University, pointed to Sherrill's consistent lead and the early vote by mail numbers as indicative of a larger Democratic advantage.
Sherrill took to social media to address her victory, emphasizing her commitment to making New Jersey a better state for all residents. Ciattarelli expressed frustration with the current state of affairs, highlighting issues such as property taxes, energy bills, and childcare costs.
With Sherrill set to take office in January, Democrats will breathe a sigh of relief knowing they'll retain control of the governorship.
! i've been saying it for ages that democrats would crush it in nj and now its official 
early voting was key and her affordable agenda really paid off 
gotta give credit to ciattarelli though, he went up against the odds and ran a great campaign despite trump's low approval ratings 
anyway sherrill's gonna bring some much-needed change to nj and i'm hyped to see what she does as governor 
i mean what's next? putting kale on a hot dog 
just kidding kinda. but seriously, pizza is one of those things where u gotta respect personal preference. my friend put pickles on his pizza and it was... interesting 
anyway, congrats to Mikie Sherrill on her win! i guess the democrats are feeling pretty good about themselves right now 
it shows that voters are all about affordability and taxes right now. ciattarelli just couldn't capitalize on trump's low approval ratings 
51% of early voters were dems, wow! 
her focus on affordability, taxes, and energy bills really resonated with voters and she's got a solid game plan to tackle those issues. 
ciattarelli just didn't bring his A-game and trump's policies aren't exactly popular nationwide anyway 
anyway, this is awesome news for the dems and I'm loving the enthusiasm from mikie on social media 
can't wait to see what she does next! 
gotta admit, i'm kinda surprised she took it so clean. ciattarelli's anti-trump vibes didn't seem to resonate with many voters in nj... and yeah, early voting made all the difference 
think this bodes well for dems come 2026 midterms 
she's gonna be the next govna of new jersey 
and it's def a big win for democrats 
not enough to sway people from sherrill's affordable stuff 
. It's clear that New Jersey voters are craving change and Sherrill's message really resonated with them 
. And let's be real, a Democratic win in NJ is like a big ol' warning sign for the GOP - they better step up their game! 
Ciattarelli's loss is no surprise though, given Trump's low approval ratings nationwide 
. I think Ciattarelli's platform just didn't resonate with voters like they wanted to. The early vote numbers are telling too - it shows how important those mail-in ballots are 
. Now, I know some folks might say this is all about the President's policies and whatnot... but let's be real, it's about the issues at hand: affordability, taxes, energy bills... these are the things that matter most to voters 
maybe he should've gone w/ a different candidate? anyway, sherrill's gonna be the next gov of nj and democrats r gonna breathe a sigh of relief 
anyway cant w8 to c what mikie does as gov 
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we went to the beach and ate like 10 pounds of pizza each 
. I mean, she was all about affordability and energy bills, which clearly resonated with voters 
. And let's be real, Ciattarelli just couldn't capitalize on Trump's low approval ratings 
. New Jersey's got some major issues to tackle, but with Sherrill at the helm, maybe we'll see some real progress 
. The fact that she was able to capitalize on the relatively low approval ratings of President Trump and still manage to secure a massive lead says a lot about the effectiveness of her campaign 
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. Anyways, Sherrill's gonna be governor and it'll be interesting to see how she does... 
Mikie Sherrill's win is a huge deal for the Dems! I mean, 56.7% ain't no joke