Mikie Sherrill (D) and Jack Ciattarelli (R) are running in the general election for governor of New Jersey on Nov. 4, 2025. Incumbent Gov. Phil Murphy (D) is term-limited.
On an episode of On the Ballot, NJ.com’s Brent Johnson said that affordability will be a key issue in the election: “Affordability is always gonna be a big deal here. We have the most expensive property taxes in the country. The average property tax bill in New Jersey topped 10,000 last year. […] Property taxes are always at the tip of everyone’s tongue when it comes to election seasons.”
According to The Washington Post’s Hannah Knowles, the election may also give insight into how voters feel about each political party: “Democrats are eager to make the race a referendum on the president and accuse Ciattarelli of cozying up to Trump for political gain. […] Republicans hope to make it a referendum on liberal leadership in New Jersey.”
Sherrill was elected to represent New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District in 2018. Before her election, Republicans had represented the district since 1985. Sherrill previously worked as a lawyer in private practice and the U.S. Attorney’s office for the District of New Jersey. She also served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy from 1994 to 2003.
On the election, Sherrill said, “Let’s be clear about the two visions in this race: I am ready to stand up to an extreme Washington that doesn’t have New Jersey’s best interests at heart. Jack has already surrendered to them. It’s our duty to meet the moment and live up to our state’s motto of liberty and prosperity, because a Trump yes man like Jack Ciattarelli in Trenton will threaten it all.” Her priorities include increasing new home construction, capping prescription drug costs, and expanding the state’s child tax credit.
Ciattarelli represented District 16 in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2011 to 2018. He previously served on the Raritan Borough Council from 1989 to 1995 and the Somerset County Board of Commissioners from 2007 to 2011. This is Ciattarelli’s third bid for governor after running unsuccessfully in 2017 and 2021.
On the election, Ciattarelli posted on X, “My family has called this state home for over 100 years—and like so many New Jerseyans, we’ve lived the American Dream right here. But today, that dream feels out of reach for too many. We’ve seen what happens when we hand the keys to people who aren’t from here and don’t understand the problems we face.” His priorities include capping property taxes, reducing state spending by 30%, and expanding charter schools.
The Hill’s Jared Gans wrote that “Republicans [are seeking] to build on gains that the party made in the state in the November [2024 presidential] election and Democrats [are trying] to keep the Garden State blue.”
In the 2020 presidential election, Joe Biden (D) defeated Trump in the state 57% to 41%. In 2024, Kamala Harris (D) defeated Trump 52% to 46% in the state. Additionally, voters have not elected a member of the same party for three consecutive gubernatorial terms since 1961. However, in eight of the 10 gubernatorial elections from 1985 to 2021, voters elected a governor from the opposite party of the president.
In New Jersey, the gubernatorial nominee is selected in the primary. The gubernatorial nominee then chooses a lieutenant gubernatorial running mate, and they run together on a single ticket in the general election. Sherrill selected Centenary University President Dale Caldwell (D) as her running mate, and Ciattarelli selected Morris County Sheriff James Gannon (R) as his running mate. The New Jersey Globe’s Zach Blackburn wrote, “Gannon […] is from Sherrill’s district, and both have proven to be strong vote-getters in Morris County. The pair has kept a cordial relationship, and Sherrill has occasionally praised Gannon’s work.”
The following independent and minor party candidates are also running in the election: Stephen Zielinski (G), Vic Kaplan (L), Joanne Kuniansky (Socialist Workers Party), Gerardo Cedrone (I), and Karen Zaletel (I).