June 10, 2025
Chris Pedota/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Associated Press projects Mikie Sherrill would win the Democratic nomination for New Jersey governor less than an hour after polls closed. She will face Republican Jack Ciattarelli, who also easily won his primary election on Tuesday.
Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill is the projected winner of Tuesday's Democratic primary election for New Jersey governor. The U.S. representative from Montclair defeated five other Democrats who were vying for a place on the November ballot. The Associated Press called the race at 8:39 p.m.
All results in the chart below are unofficial until certified by election officials.
N.J. REPUBLICAN PRIMARY FOR GOVERNOR: Jack Ciattarelli wins race against four other Republicans
Sherrill, 53, will advance to face Republican Jack Ciattarelli in the November general election. Ciattarelli, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump, defeated four other Republicans in the GOP primary on Tuesday.
In her victory address to supporters Tuesday night, Sherrill credited her grassroots campaign and said she was overcome by how much New Jersey voters told her they love their state. She spent much of the campaign cycle addressing concerns about affordability in New Jersey.
"I could write a book on the odes to people's favorite shore towns and diners, and it's because of that love that the thought of not being able to raise your kids here – or stay to see your grandchildren grow – is simply unacceptable," Sherrill said.
Since 1961, neither party has won three consecutive gubernatorial elections in New Jersey. Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat who is term limited, defeated Republican former Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno in 2017 and then in 2021 narrowly beat Ciattarelli, who is making his third run for governor.
Sherrill is a former Navy helicopter pilot and federal prosecutor in New Jersey. She's in her fourth term in the U.S. House representing the state's 11th District, which covers parts of four counties in North Jersey. During her campaign, Sherrill said she wants to boost home construction in New Jersey and incentivize communities to repurpose infrastructure for more housing. She also called for increasing the state's child tax credit and earned income tax credit to give financial relief to parents and low-income residents.
Sherrill was viewed as the front-runner in the primary after she led the field of Democratic candidates throughout the campaign cycle. In April, a Rutgers-Eagleton poll showed 17% of voters favored Sherrill, followed by Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop with 12%. A May poll by Emerson College showed Sherrill as the top choice for 28% of voters. Four other Democrats were neck and neck with about 11% support in the poll, followed by former New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney with 5%. About 24% of voters said they were undecided.
In November, Republicans hope to capitalize on President Trump's strong showing in New Jersey in last year's presidential election, when he outperformed expectations in the solidly blue state. The Democrats running for governor emphasized the economy and housing affordability – residents' top two concerns in the Emerson College poll – and connecting with groups of voters who shifted to the GOP in 2024.
Sherrill took aim at Ciattarelli during her speech Tuesday night.
"This state deserves the best," she said. "A state like this is not going to be led by a Trump lackey like Jack Ciattarelli. And I am ready to make life more affordable for families."
In the lead-up to Tuesday's primary, the Democratic candidates focused on how to make New Jersey a more affordable place to live and what the party must do to push back against the Trump administration.
Fulop, a three-term mayor in Jersey City, campaigned on a plan to overhaul the tax code and create a new emphasis on sustainability in the state.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka targeted President Trump during his campaign. The three-term mayor and former school principal was arrested during a protest last month outside a federal immigration detention center in Newark. Baraka was among those opposed the Trump administration's use of a private contractor to house detainees. The charge against Baraka has been dropped and he is suing New Jersey's top federal prosecutor over his arrest.
U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer is a five-term congressman and former speechwriter for Bill Clinton. He represents the 5th District, covering most of Bergen County and parts of Passaic and Sussex counties. Gottheimer campaigned to cut property taxes in New Jersey, incentivizing municipalities to lower rates in exchange for larger shares of state income tax revenue. He has been outspoken about President Trump's "reckless tariff polices," which he said threaten the financial stability of families, seniors and small businesses. He has vowed to push back against Trump administration policies targeting women's health care, LGBTQ rights, the environment and democratic rights.
Sean Spiller, the former Montclair mayor and current union president of the New Jersey Education Association, campaigned on raising academic standards at public schools and strengthening early childhood education by expanding tax credits for families. Spiller also vowed to rein in health care costs in New Jersey.
Sweeney spent 20 years in the New Jersey Assembly representing the 3rd legislative district, which covers parts of Cumberland and Gloucester counties and all of Salem County in South Jersey. Long viewed as a power broker in New Jersey politics, Sweeney lost his seat in 2021 in an upset against Republican unknown Ed Durr. Sweeney's campaign for governor called for the creation of a state-level public health insurance plan to reduce costs and serve as an alternative to federal and employer-sponsored health plans.
