New Jersey Republicans Try to Capitalize on Trump's 2024 Momentum

Tue Nov 04 2025 08:55:40 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli is actively campaigning in traditionally blue areas of New Jersey, aiming to draw conservative voters as the state approaches pivotal elections.

In New Jersey, gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli seeks to leverage Donald Trump's momentum leading into the 2024 elections. Campaigning in traditionally Democratic regions, Ciattarelli aims to attract uninspired conservative voters while countering economic concerns raised by Democrats. His Democratic opponent, Mikie Sherrill, emphasizes the need for robust governance to combat federal inaction, especially regarding project funding. As both parties gear up for the off-year elections, economic issues remain a focal point for voters.

TOTOWA, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Republicans are trying to ride the coattails of Donald Trump’s 2024 electoral momentum, with gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli courting voters in a key — and traditionally Democratic — stronghold that contributed to the president’s gains in the state.

Ciattarelli and Virginia candidate Winsome Earle-Sears are crisscrossing their respective states, while Trump is expected to speak at telephone rallies with voters later Monday. This comes after their opponents, U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger, campaigned over the weekend alongside former President Barack Obama.

It’s a delicate balance for Republicans, who want to catch some of Trump’s electoral energy by drawing infrequently voting conservatives to the polls while not dismissing concerns about increasing costs. Democrats are urging voters to see the off-year election as a referendum on Trump’s economic policies and his efforts to expand his power.

Ciattarelli visited a crowded Irish bar in Passaic County, one of the traditionally blue areas that highlighted Trump’s strength in 2024. It’s also a county where the Department of Justice is set to send poll watchers.

At the bar, a reporter pointed out the president’s absence on the campaign trail and asked Ciattarelli: Is Trump a “liability” to him? The candidate was also asked to respond to attacks from his opponent that he would not stand up to the Republican president.

“New Jerseyans know who I am. I will fiercely defend the 9 million citizens of this state every day,” Ciattarelli stated.

The stop featured a surprise appearance of the candidate’s son, Army Capt. Jake Ciattarelli, who flew in from Kuwait and showed up in uniform despite restrictions on military personnel participating in partisan activities.

Democratic opponent Sherrill spoke in Morristown, where her first campaign for Congress began. She cast the contest in national terms, stating, “It’s going to be up to the next governor to take on the federal administration to claw back as much money as possible.”

In Virginia, the Democratic National Committee chair, Ken Martin, knocked on doors for Spanberger and other Democrats, expressing confidence that focusing on affordability would resonate with voters.

“People are going to vote their pocketbook issues, their kitchen table issues, their own family anxieties about their future,” Martin told The Associated Press.