So, the dust has finally settled on the 2025 New Jersey gubernatorial election, and honestly, it didn't go exactly how the "experts" in D.C. thought it would. Everyone was talking about a "red wave" or a "toss-up," but the Garden State ended up going in a pretty different direction.
Mikie Sherrill basically crushed it.
On November 4, 2025, Sherrill, the former Navy helicopter pilot and congresswoman from the 11th District, secured a win over Republican Jack Ciattarelli with roughly 56.8% of the vote. It wasn't just a win; it was a statement. While the 2021 race saw Phil Murphy squeak by with a 3.2% margin, Sherrill blew that out of the water with a double-digit lead.
The Candidates Who Shook Up the Ballot
People forget how crowded the field was before we even got to the general election. The Democratic primary was a total slugfest. You had Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, and even former Senate President Stephen Sweeney all vying for the spot. Sherrill won that June primary with about 34% of the vote, which, in a field that deep, is actually a solid mandate.
On the Republican side, Jack Ciattarelli was the man of the hour again. This was his third run for the seat. He easily batted away challenges from radio host Bill Spadea and State Senator Jon Bramnick, taking nearly 68% of the Republican primary vote.
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For the running mates, Sherrill went with Dale Caldwell, the President of Centenary University. It was a smart move—he's got deep ties to education and the Black community. Ciattarelli tapped James Gannon, the Morris County Sheriff. Gannon is actually from Sherrill’s home turf, which made the local campaigning in North Jersey pretty intense.
Why the Polls Were Kinda Wrong
If you were watching the news in September or October, you probably saw headlines saying the race was tightening. And it was! A Quinnipiac University poll in mid-October had Sherrill at 50% and Ciattarelli at 44%. An Emerson College poll right before Election Day even suggested it was a one-point race (49% to 48%).
But when the actual ballots were counted, that "dead heat" evaporated.
Sherrill did something no Democrat has done in decades: she won Morris County. That’s Ciattarelli’s backyard. She also kept it incredibly close in Hunterdon County, losing by single digits in a place that usually goes bright red. It turns out, voters were less worried about "national trends" and more focused on what was happening in Trenton.
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The Issues That Actually Moved the Needle
You’d think taxes would be the only thing New Jerseyans care about. I mean, we do. It’s basically our state pastime to complain about property taxes. But this time, the "why" behind the vote was more complicated.
- Affordability vs. Integrity: Ciattarelli hammered away at the economy and taxes—and he won that specific debate. According to exit polls, 65% of people who cared most about taxes voted for him.
- The "Trump Effect": Because 2025 was the first big election year after the 2024 Presidential race, national politics loomed large. Sherrill successfully framed Ciattarelli as a "Trump yes-man," which didn't play well in the suburban areas of Bergen and Essex counties.
- Health Care and Ethics: This is where Sherrill cleaned up. She won roughly 80% of voters who cited health care or "ethics in government" as their top priority.
Ciattarelli’s message about the "American Dream being out of reach" definitely resonated with men (who he won by a decent margin), but he just couldn't overcome the massive gap with women. Sherrill won the female vote by about 18 to 20 points depending on which poll you look at.
A Quick Look at the Final Numbers
The turnout was surprisingly high for an "off-off year" election, hitting about 51.4%.
Sherrill pulled in over 1.8 million votes, the most any gubernatorial candidate has ever received in New Jersey history. Ciattarelli also broke records for a Republican, getting over 1.4 million. People were clearly fired up.
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| Candidate | Party | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Mikie Sherrill | Democrat | 56.88% |
| Jack Ciattarelli | Republican | 42.52% |
| Vic Kaplan | Libertarian | ~1% |
| Joanne Kuniansky | Socialist Worker | <1% |
What Happens Next for New Jersey?
Phil Murphy is packing up his office at Drumthwacket as we speak. Sherrill is scheduled to be sworn in as the 57th Governor of New Jersey on January 20, 2026.
So, what should you actually expect? Sherrill’s already signaled her Day 1 priorities. She’s looking at a massive push for new home construction to tackle the housing crisis and a cap on prescription drug costs. She also wants to expand the state’s child tax credit, which was a huge part of her campaign stump speech.
If you’re a New Jersey resident, here’s what you should be keeping an eye on in the coming months:
- Cabinet Appointments: Watch who Sherrill picks for the Department of Transportation and the Treasury. These people will decide how your tax dollars are spent and if NJ Transit finally starts running on time.
- The Legislative Session: Since Democrats kept control of the State House, Sherrill won't have the same "gridlock" issues some governors face, but she'll still have to balance the more progressive wing (like Ras Baraka's supporters) with the moderates.
- Property Tax Relief: This is the "third rail" of NJ politics. If she doesn't make a dent in property taxes by the 2027 midterms, the honeymoon phase will end very quickly.
Basically, the 2025 election proved that New Jersey is still a "deep blue" state when it counts, but the internal divides between the urban centers and the "exurbs" are getting sharper. Sherrill’s job now is to prove she can govern the whole state, not just the counties that put her in office.
Check the official New Jersey Division of Elections website for the certified municipal-level breakdowns if you want to see exactly how your specific town voted. It’s usually a great indicator of which local issues (like school funding or development) actually drove people to the polls.