
June 10, 2025
Jack Ciattarelli, the former New Jersey Assemblyman, is the projected winner of Tuesday's Republican primary election for governor. He's shown above at the launch of his campaign for governor in January 2025.
Former New Jersey Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli is projected to win the Republican primary election for governor, defeating four other candidates who sought the party's nomination in the November general election. The Associated Press called the race about 15 minutes after polls closed at 8 p.m.
All results in the chart below are unofficial until certified by election officials.
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Ciattarelli, 63, will advance to face Democratic U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill – who also easily won her primary on Tuesday – in the November general election.
Ciattarelli was endorsed by President Donald Trump and had been viewed as the front-runner entering Tuesday's primary. The North Jersey native is making his third run for governor. He campaigned on the goal of reducing state spending by 30% and capping property taxes to provide economic relief to New Jersey residents.
With Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy reaching the end of his second term, Republicans hope a decades-long trend in New Jersey continues: Since 1961 neither party has won three consecutive gubernatorial elections.
Ciattarelli lost in the Republican primary for governor in 2017 but won the GOP nomination in 2021. In the general election that year, he lost a close contest against Murphy by a margin of less than 3% of the vote. Ciattarelli was elected to the state assembly's 16th legislative district – covering parts of Hunterdon, Mercer and Somerset counties – in 2011 and held the seat until 2018.
The GOP had a strong showing in the November presidential election, when Trump outperformed expectations and cut into the Democrats' margin of victory in the solidly blue state. The turnout among Republican voters highlighted broader demographic shifts that strategists believe could also be consequential in state politics in the years ahead.
Ciattarelli led the field of Republican candidates throughout this campaign cycle. In April, the Rutgers-Eagleton Poll showed 42% of voters favored Ciattarelli – Bill Spadea was in second with 12% – and then in May, polling by Emerson College put Ciattarelli's support at 44% compared to the rest of the GOP candidates.
Ciattarelli said he will improve home affordability in New Jersey by capping property taxes to a percentage of a home's valuation. He also has pledged to reduce income taxes for all New Jersey residents and slash corporate business tax rates.
Ciattarelli's campaign website says he will look to find common ground on abortion in New Jersey. He also promises to withhold resources from municipalities that adopt sanctuary policies for undocumented immigrants, aligning himself with the Trump administration.
Spadea is a former morning radio host at NJ 101.5. He spent a decade at the station before leaving this year to run for governor. During his campaign, Spadea was critical of the Murphy administration's spending and vowed to cut back the state budget. He said he would use government savings to invest in infrastructure upgrades and create a long-term plan to fund critical repairs. Spadea lobbied Trump's endorsement and openly was disappointed he did not get it.
Spadea supported the Trump administration's policies on immigration and said he would seek to ban abortions in New Jersey after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
None of the rest of candidates in the Republican governor primary – John Bramnick, Mario Kranjac and Justin Barbera – had better than single-digit support in the polls prior to the election. Bramnick, a moderate who has distanced himself from Trump, is the state senator in the 21st District, representing Morris and Somerset counties, since 2022. He campaigned for tax reforms that adjust income brackets for inflation.
Mario Kranjac is an attorney, entrepreneur and former mayor of Englewood Cliffs. He was a harsh critic of Gov. Murphy's policies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Justin Barbera is a insurance claims contractor and real estate developer from Burlington County, whose beliefs align closely with Trump.