President Donald Trump put his full weight behind New Jersey’s leading Republican candidate for governor, telling voters in a June 2 telephone rally saying he “is the most experienced and battle-tested” to win despite the Garden State businessman’s past criticisms of Trump.
Trump, who noted he often stays in Bedminster, supported Jack Ciattarelli for his pledges to cap property taxes at 1% and to fight illegal immigration. Trump encouraged voters to head to the polls for the first day of early voting June 3, ahead of election day June 10.
“Jack has what it takes to win. He has my complete and total endorsement,” Trump said during a five-minute speech. “It’s being watched all over the world because New Jersey is ready to pop out of that blue horror show.”
New Jersey is one of two states to host a high-stakes gubernatorial election this November that could go a long way to determining which party has the political momentum heading into the 2026 midterms. Trump’s virtual appearance came on the eve of early voting in the state’s primary elections and where the two-term president’s own fortunes are very much reliant on sustained GOP wins at the ballot box.
New Jersey is guaranteed to see a fresh face leading the state after this year: Democratic Gov. Philip Murphy is term limited. But while the East coast state typically tilts blue, the general outcome is far from settled.
Both parties have crowded candidate fields heading into the primaries on June 10, though Republicans can claim to have a slightly clearer frontrunner in Ciattarelli.
Spending this year in the Garden State has shattered previous primary election records. Between all 11 names on the ballot in 2025, candidates raised about $59 million and shelled out more than $43 million of that as of May 12, according to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission.
Trump backing his former critic
Trump first announced his support for Ciattarelli, a former New Jersey general assembly member and now three-time candidate for governor, via Truth Social.
“Jack Ciattarelli is a terrific America First Candidate running to be the next Governor of a State that I love, NEW JERSEY!” Trump wrote in a post on May 12. “Jack, who after getting to know and understand MAGA, has gone ALL IN, and is now 100%”
Ciattarelli in 2015 labelled Trump a “charlatan,” “out of step with the Party of Lincoln” and “not fit to be President of the United States.” And in 2021, running his second campaign for governor, the former state legislator kept Trump at arms-length.
Past statements appear to be old news, though, with Trump spending time before the primary lauding Ciattarelli’s candidacy.
Ciattarelli was the leading candidate among Republicans before receiving the president’s support. His main opponent, former radio host Bill Spadea, has painted himself as a Trump loyalist. In a new ad, Spadea said he was “disappointed” by the president’s endorsement decision.
“Jack Ciattarelli did more than disagree with the president — he disrespected him,” Spadea said in the direct-to-camera commercial. “Me? I’ve been a supporter of President Trump since he came down the escalator.
Other names on the GOP ballot are state Sen. Jon Bramnick, former Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario Kranjac and Burlington County contractor Justin Barbera.
Democrats to duke it out
Among Democrats, Rep. Mikie Sherrill, a congresswoman representing a district in north New Jersey, has the edge.
A former Navy pilot, Sherill is currently serving her fourth term in the U.S. House and has built a reputation as a moderate. She’s locked down her own major endorsements, including from tennis icon Billie Jean King and Democratic political action committee EMILY’s List.
She faces five other candidates in a far-from-decided primary contest.
Another Democratic member of Congress, Rep. Josh Gottheimer, is right behind Sherrill in polling, along with Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and New Jersey Education Association President Sean Spiller.
Rounding out the field is former state Sen. President Steve Sweeney.
Trump focuses on beating Democrats rather than GOP rivals
Trump focused on contrasting Ciattarelli with Democrats rather than rival Republicans in the primary by saying he would fight to lower taxes and crack down on violent criminals.
Trump said Ciattarelli, a former Somerset County commissioner and state assemblyman, would stand up to “crippling regulations, rampant corruption” and “radical teachers’ unions.”
“I can’t do any better than that, Jack,” Trump said. “So get out there and win.”
Ciattarelli thanked Trump for the endorsement and said his first executive order would be to eliminate so-called “sanctuary cities” that limit cooperation with federal enforcement of immigration laws.
“We’ll work together to keep our country safe and, of course, New Jersey safe,” Ciattarelli said. “I’m honored and I will not let you down.”
It’s either party’s game
A poll by Emerson College and The Hill found Ciattarelli leading the Republican pack with 44% of voters’ support, to Spadea’s 18%. Sherrill was ahead among Democrats at 28%, with Fulop, Baraka and Gottheimer next at 11%.
Regardless of who comes out on top June 10, the general race for governor is expected to be a competitive battle and possible bellwether for the country.
New Jersey has a history of flipping between parties when picking their top state official.
Former Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, served two terms from 2010 to 2018. He was succeeded by current New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat.
Murphy, now term-limited, faced Ciattarelli when running for reelection in 2021 and eked out a three-point win – much closer than his 15-point victory four years earlier.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris won New Jersey in the 2024 presidential election. However, her six-point margin of victory was also a drop from Joe Biden’s 16-point win in the Garden State in 2020 against then-President Trump.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What to know about contentious New Jersey governor primaries
