Trump’s Shadow Looms Over New Jersey’s Gubernatorial Race

In a state where property taxes soar and public safety concerns grow, the New Jersey gubernatorial race between Republican Jack Ciattarelli and Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill has taken on national implications. Though not on the ballot himself, former President Donald Trump casts a long shadow over this contest, with Sherrill working diligently to tie her opponent to the controversial former president. “As Trump has inflicted all this damage on our country, Republican politicians like Jack Ciattarelli have cheered him on every step of the way,” Sherrill emphasized in a recent fundraising email, setting the tone for a campaign where national politics often overshadows local concerns. During their first debate, Sherrill didn’t mince words, claiming “he’ll do whatever Trump tells him to do” and arguing that with Ciattarelli, Trump would “drive up your energy costs.”

Ciattarelli, who nearly defeated incumbent Democratic Governor Phil Murphy four years ago, has grown visibly frustrated with what he sees as Sherrill’s strategy of deflection. “Listen, if you get a flat tire on the way home from work today, she’s going to blame it on the president. There isn’t anything she doesn’t blame on the president,” he told Fox News Digital during an interview in Fort Lee. The Republican nominee believes this focus on Trump distracts from pressing state issues that demand attention. “We’ve got a property tax crisis in the state. The president doesn’t have anything to do with that. We’ve got a public safety crisis in the state. Nonviolent crime is through the roof. He doesn’t have anything to do with that,” Ciattarelli insisted, listing additional concerns about public education and rising electric bills that he argues are strictly state matters.

The New Jersey race, along with Virginia’s gubernatorial contest, serves as a crucial early barometer of the national political landscape ahead of the 2024 midterm elections. These off-year statewide elections traditionally attract outsized attention as indicators of presidential popularity and potential harbingers of future electoral trends. Ciattarelli isn’t shy about the attention, having previously joked that “if this campaign were a drinking game, and you took a shot every time Mikie Sherrill says Trump, you’re going to be drunk off your a– every day…between now and Nov. 4.” Despite his complaints about Sherrill’s focus on Trump, Ciattarelli isn’t distancing himself from the former president, whose endorsement helped him secure his second straight GOP gubernatorial primary victory in June.

While New Jersey has long trended Democratic in presidential elections, Trump showed improved performance in the state in recent cycles, narrowing his deficit from 16 points in 2020 to just 6 points in 2023. Ciattarelli has publicly stated his willingness to “deploy the president, the White House, in every way that we can,” though no joint campaign appearances have yet materialized. When asked if Trump would join him on the campaign trail before Election Day, Ciattarelli noted he was “really pleased that the White House has offered to help us in any way that we see fit,” but added, “I’ve got to earn this thing. I’ve been doing that for the past 15 months. I’m gonna go out there and do it for the last six weeks.” The former president did praise Ciattarelli on social media, declaring “He will be a GREAT Governor,” signaling his endorsement without a physical presence in the state.

Beyond the Trump factor, both candidates are working to address voters’ economic concerns. Sherrill has pivoted toward affordability issues as inflation worries persist, promising during their debate: “I am laser-focused on driving down costs for families like yours. I’m going to declare a state of emergency on day one, freezing your rate hikes.” Meanwhile, Ciattarelli is attempting to tie Sherrill to the current Democratic administration of term-limited Governor Murphy and the long-standing Democratic control of the state legislature. “They’ve controlled the legislature for 25 years. They’ve had the governorship the past eight years,” he pointed out. “And look where we are today. The highest property tax in the nation. Your monthly electric bill is going through the roof. We got non-violent crime that’s spiking… It’s been a failure, and she’s a continuation of those policies.”

Recent polls suggest a tight race between Sherrill—a U.S. Naval Academy graduate, former helicopter pilot, and federal prosecutor who first won her congressional seat in 2018—and Ciattarelli, a former state lawmaker and certified public accountant who built a medical publishing company before entering politics. As the election approaches, Ciattarelli has committed to maintaining what he calls a “relentless campaign trail schedule,” touching four counties daily to discuss his vision for fixing New Jersey’s problems. “You gotta press the flesh,” he emphasized, while claiming that “my opponent hasn’t done that, and she’s ducking appearances left and right.” With national attention focused on this race as a potential bellwether for 2024, both candidates must navigate the delicate balance between addressing local concerns and acknowledging the national political forces that continue to shape voter sentiment in the Garden State.