New Jersey Elects Democrat Mikie Sherrill as Governor—In Blow For Trump

Topline

Democrat Mikie Sherrill has defeated Republican Jack Ciattarelli in New Jersey’s governor’s election, according to the Associated Press, marking an early indicator of voter sentiment toward the Trump administration and what it could signal for the 2026 midterm elections.

WESTFIELD, NEW JERSEY – OCTOBER 30: New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial candidate, U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) attends a news conference with commuters at a train station where she addressed the Gateway Tunnel Project on October 30, 2025 in Westfield, New Jersey. Sherrill, who is running against Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli for governor of New Jersey, was joined by former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

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Key Facts

AP called the race for Sherrill at 9:23 p.m. EST, with an estimated 61% of the vote counted.

Mikie Sherrill led with 57% of the vote, ahead of Ciattarelli, who polled at 43%.

Incumbent Democratic Gov. Philip Murphy has held the position since 2018 and was unable to seek reelection due to term limits.

Key Background

New Jersey’s gubernatorial election drew national attention as a bellwether for the country’s political direction, and came a year after President Donald Trump won nearly 46% of the vote in the state—the best performance for a Republican presidential nominee there in decades. The election comes at a time when governorships are nearly evenly split—24 Democratic and 26 Republican—heightening the stakes for both parties in one of only two gubernatorial elections this year. Sherrill sought to keep the governorship in her party’s hands, while Republican Ciattarelli aimed to flip a state that a Republican presidential nominee hasn’t won since 1988. According to the New York Times, Sherrill led in 40 of 43 pre-election polls, was tied in two, and trailed Ciattarelli in only one. In regard to campaign finances, both candidates raised roughly $20 million, according to PBS. The outcome also carries significant weight for Trump, whose endorsement of Ciattarelli turned the race into an early test of his influence among suburban voters and a potential preview of the 2026 midterms, according to The Guardian.

What To Watch For

Democrats hold an eight-point advantage on the generic congressional ballot (50% to 42%)—the largest margin for either party since 2018, according to NBC News. At the same time, Trump’s approval rating has slipped to 43%, as voters say his administration has fallen short on meeting expectations for cost of living (66%) and the economy (63%), NBC reports.