Democrat Mikier Cheryl and Republican Jack Theatarelli won the NBC News Project’s New Jersey Governor’s Party primary and established one of the most-profile races of the year.
New Jersey is one of two states with a governor’s race this year, and the contest will be one of the early signs of how voters are responding to President Donald Trump’s second term.
Cheryl defeated five other Democrats for a nod to the party, threw himself as the most electionable candidate last year after struggling with the party compared to other recent presidential elections, and as a Democrat willing to stand up to Trump.
“As a Navy helicopter pilot, a federal prosecutor, a mother of four and a mother of four, if you want someone to come from a different kind of background, you’re taking on the really ingrained interests, fighting Donald Trump, fighting for New Jersey, and taking the issues of Trenton seriously.
Supported in Trump’s primary, Ciattarelli defeated four other Republicans for the nomination and cast herself as Trump’s ally in November, the best to win a democratic-oriented nation. Ciattarelli came close in 2021 by beating the Democratic government of Film Murphy.
Ciattarelli said during discussion last month that Trump supported him.
Cheryl wins
The Democratic primary featured Cheryl and five other prominent Democrats, including Newark Mayor Las Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steve Flop, Rep. Josh Gottimer, Teacher Union President Sean Spiller and former Senator Steve Sweeney.
The only woman on the scene, Cheryl was a sustained leader in limited public votes, but the victory was not certain as millions of dollars flooded with New Jersey’s radio waves.
Cheryl proved to be a strong fundraiser, and she got the help of one giant Leap PAC, an aligned external group. Sheryl also built up support from most county Democrats, urging some critics to connect her to the state’s democratic political machine.
Cheryl promoted her military service, and her success turned the longtime Republican home district in 2018 when she appealed to major voters. While each candidate presented a different advance for the party, Cheryl said the “obvious” path was to “govern effectively.”
“The ability to be ruthless is something New Jersey wants to see in government,” Cheryl told NBC News before marching at the Asbury Park Pride parade. “That’s what I’ve always provided and that’s what I think in stark contrast to the most incompetent federal government I’ve probably seen in this country.”
GOP choose Ciatarelli
Ciattarelli’s victory comes as he leaned against support from Trump in the final weeks of the race. There he faced former radio host Bill Supadere, Senator John Blumnick, former Englewood Cliffs mayor Mario Clanjack and contractor Justin Barbera.
Trump hosted the Terrelli when the polls began early this month, telling supporters that Ciattarelli “will help us send a strong message across the country that we won this November and that New Jersey is turning red.”
However, Ciattarelli had to overcome an attack from Spadea, the primary’s main competitor.
Trump ultimately backed Ciattarelli about a month before the primary, writing about the true social society that Ciattarelli is now “100%” MAGA and that it’s best to win in November.
General Election Preview
Both Ciattarelli and Sherrill have sparred social media to preview the general election fight, despite objections from Democrat Gavin Newsom.
Cheryl tied up Ciattarelli directly to Trump, who lost six points in November after losing by the age of 16 in 2020.
Cheryl’s recent TV ad warned that “Maga is coming to New Jersey with Trump-approved Republican Jack Ciattarelli,” and she said in a major debate last month that Chiatarelli “will not stand up to Trump at all.”
It remains to be seen whether Ciattarelli will take some distance from the democratic state between him and the president, but Ciattarelli said he will be running a campaign with Trump this year.
Ciattarelli also previewed how to push back Democrats trying to tie him to Trump.
“The last time I checked, this was a competition for the governor,” Ciattarelli said at a recent campaign stop. “And how about President Trump has something to do with our Jersey Shore windmills? What does he have to do with the fact that we have the highest property taxes in the country?
“They broke it, they owned it,” Ciattarelli said of the Democrats in charge of the state government. “And for the next five months, I won’t let anyone forget that.”
