Democrat Mikie Sherrill is projected to win the New Jersey gubernatorial election towards Republican Jack Ciattarelli.
As of 9:30 p.m. with 63% of the anticipated vote reporting, Sherrill holds greater than a 14-point lead — 57.0% to 42.4%.
“New Jersey, it’s the honor of my life to earn your belief to change into this nice state’s 57th Governor,” Sherrill wrote on X, celebrating her victory. “I promise to pay attention, lead with braveness, and always remember who I serve.”
The previous Navy pilot makes historical past as the primary Democratic feminine governor of New Jersey. Former Republican Gov. Christine Todd Whitman was the state’s first feminine governor, serving two phrases from 1994 to 2001.
Sherrill’s victory breaks a notable development within the state, as no get together has managed the NJ governor’s seat for 3 consecutive phrases for the reason that Sixties. Her Democratic governorship will instantly succeed present Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy’s back-to-back phrases.
Sherrill represents New Jersey’s eleventh congressional district, which incorporates elements of Essex and Morris County. She flipped the district when she gained in 2018.
Tuesday’s outcomes mark Ciattarelli’s third unsuccessful bid for governor. The previous state assemblyman set his sights on the governor’s mansion in 2017, however didn’t safe the Republican main. He made it to the overall election in 2021, however misplaced to Gov. Phil Murphy by simply 3 factors.
Sherrill constantly led Ciattarelli within the polls all through the course of the marketing campaign, although their distance narrowed barely within the days main as much as the election.
Ciattarelli’s loss comes as Republicans have tightened their margins in New Jersey lately, with Trump dropping the state by simply 6 factors in 2024, in comparison with 16 factors in 2020.
New Jersey gubernatorial candidates Jack Ciatterelli and Mikie Sherrill take part in a debate, Oct. 8, 2025.
ABC Information
Former President Invoice Clinton has already reacted to the information, congratulating Sherrill on her victory.
“Immediately is a good day for New Jersey because the individuals have chosen an skilled, get-the-job-done type of chief who will struggle for you day by day as Governor. Congratulations in your election,” he wrote on X.
Polls largely closed in New Jersey on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET. — nonetheless, they remained open till 9 p.m. ET in elements of Passaic County after unfounded bomb threats earlier within the day halted voting at places throughout the northern a part of the state, a decide dominated.
The race has been seen as a bellwether for the way voters really feel about President Donald Trump, the upcoming battle for the U.S. Home within the 2026 midterms and the extra basic nationwide sentiment towards incumbent leaders.
Republicans have additionally been speculating that they will flip the governor’s mansion due to a closer-than-expected margin between Trump and then-Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024.
Taxes and the financial system are crucial points for New Jersey voters, in keeping with a preliminary exit ballot evaluation by ABC Information.
Most New Jersey voters stated the financial system within the state was doing “not so good” or “poor,” and that property taxes have been “a significant downside” the place they dwell, in keeping with the evaluation.
Most New Jersey voters additionally stated electrical energy prices the place they dwell are “a significant downside,” in keeping with the evaluation.
Sherrill and Ciattarelli have clashed over affordability, taxes and coverage, whereas additionally pointing to the nationwide context of the second Trump administration. Throughout one in every of their debates, Ciattarelli embraced the primary tenets of Trump’s presidency whereas making an attempt to maintain far between himself and Trump’s higher political motion; in the meantime, Sherrill took a number of alternatives to criticize Trump whereas trying to tie the president and Ciattarelli tightly collectively.
The race was jolted in September after the Nationwide Archives blamed a technician’s mistake for the discharge of Sherrill’s unredacted army data that included private data, which she alleged was intentional. Ciattarelli, in the meantime, has slammed her admission that she didn’t stroll at Naval Academy commencement as a result of she didn’t inform on dishonest classmates.
