President Donald Trump on Monday endorsed Republican Jack Ciattarelli in the New Jersey governor’s race, cementing the frontrunner in a contested primary.
“Jack, who after getting to know and understand MAGA, has gone ALL IN, and is now 100% (PLUS!),” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “He is strongly supported by the most Highly Respected Leaders in New Jersey and, as your next Governor, Jack Ciattarelli will work closely with me and the Trump Administration to advance our America First Agenda.”
Trump compared Ciattarelli to the other candidates by arguing he “is the Republican Candidate who is best positioned to STAND TALL against the Radical Left Democrats and, most importantly, ensure a Big Victory in this Very Important Gubernatorial Election.”
Trump phoned Ciattarelli on Monday to inform him of the endorsement, according to a source familiar with the conversation.
“Truly humbled and honored to receive President Trump’s very strong endorsement today,” Ciattarelli wrote in an X post. It’s time to unite our party, win big in November, and make New Jersey affordable and safe again. When I’m Governor, we will.”
Ciattarelli’s top competition for the GOP nomination has been former radio host Bill Spadea, who has cast himself as the true Trump ally in the race.
Spadea said in a statement Monday night that Trump’s endorsement “comes after a years long effort by Jack to lie about his own record. My resolve to fight for the people of New Jersey has never been greater. I intend to continue fighting for the America First agenda because that is what’s best for the state and our nation.”
Former Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario Kranjac, who has been endorsed by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and is a self-described “Forever Trumper,” is also in the race, along with state Sen. Jon Bramnick, a Trump critic.
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Trump’s endorsement had loomed over the primary. Both Ciattarelli and Spadea met with separately Trump at his Bedminster, N.J., golf club in late March and were seeking the president’s endorsement.
Trump’s allies have been divided in the GOP primary as well. Kellyanne Conway, Trump’s former campaign manager and senior adviser, is working with the pro-Ciattarelli super PAC Kitchen Table Conservatives, while his 2020 campaign manager, Bill Stepien, is working with Spadea’s campaign.
Ciattarelli told NBC News in a phone interview this month that during his meeting with Trump in March, he thanked the president for temporarily halting wind farms off the Jersey shore and for slamming New York Democrats on congestion pricing. He also said he told Trump “all about how we can win in November here in New Jersey. And he was very thankful and excited about that prospect.”
Ciattarelli had sharply criticized Trump in the past, saying in 2015 that then-candidate Trump was a “charlatan” who was unfit to be president. He went on to embrace Trump, but did not campaign with him when he ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2021, losing to Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy by 3 percentage points.
Ciattarelli now says he will campaign with Trump this year if he is the GOP nominee. And, in an interview this month, he declined to say whether he disagreed with any of Trump’s second-term actions.
“I certainly support him 100% on what he doing with the border. We got to secure our nation,” Ciattarelli said. “And I know it’s going — he warned us about some short-term pain for the long-term gain. He’s trying to hit the reset button on the trade imbalance. The trade imbalance affects all of us, and that’s not an easy task.”
As for Trump voters who might still be skeptical of him, Ciattarelli told NBC News: “All I know is that Republicans up and down the state of New Jersey want very much for us to have a Republican governor. My job is to make the case that I’m the only one that provides the only opportunity to win in November.”
Republicans are optimistic that they can win the governor’s race in November. Trump lost the state by 6 points last year, but improved on his 2020 margin by 10 points, the second-largest swing toward Trump in the country.
Democrats, meanwhile, signaled they are looking to tie Ciattarelli to Trump.
“Donald Trump endorsing Jack Ciattarelli sends a clear signal to people in New Jersey that he’ll always put loyalty to Trump first,” New Jersey Democratic State Committee spokesperson Ryan Radulovacki said in a statement. “It’s also the latest confirmation that a vote for two-time loser Ciattarelli is a vote for slashing Medicaid, gutting vital services for veterans and seniors across the country, and driving up costs and wrecking supply chains through Trump’s tariffs.”
Six Democrats are competing in the primary to succeed Murphy, who cannot run for re-election due to term limits. The field includes Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who was arrested Friday for allegedly trespassing at a federal immigration detention facility, Rep. Mikie Sherrill, Rep. Josh Gottheimer, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, former Montclair Mayor Sean Spiller and former state Senate President Steve Sweeney.
