New Jersey just wrapped up a wild political cycle. Honestly, if you weren't glued to the local news, you probably missed some of the biggest shifts the Garden State has seen in decades. While the rest of the country was looking toward 2026, New Jersey was busy rewriting its own rulebook during the nj midterm elections 2025.
It wasn't just another year of "blue state stays blue." We saw a massive gubernatorial shakeup and a legislative map that looks fundamentally different than it did two years ago.
The Big One: A New Face in Drumthwacket
For the first time since 1961, one Democrat succeeded another in the New Jersey governor's office. That's a huge deal. Phil Murphy was term-limited, leaving a massive vacuum that everyone—and I mean everyone—tried to fill.
The primary was a bloodbath. You had Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City's Steven Fulop, and even the heavy-hitting Congressman Josh Gottheimer all vying for the spot. But it was Mikie Sherrill, the Navy veteran and former federal prosecutor from the 11th District, who walked away with the nomination. She basically won by positioning herself as a pragmatist who could handle the "Trump vs. Jersey" friction that everyone’s talking about right now.
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On the other side, Jack Ciattarelli was back for his third try. He’s a former state assemblyman and entrepreneur from Somerville. He really leaned into the "affordability" crisis, which, let's be real, is the only thing anyone in Jersey talks about at a diner. He had the backing of President Trump, which was a double-edged sword in the suburbs.
The final tally wasn't as close as people expected. Sherrill and her running mate, Dale Caldwell, pulled in about 56% of the vote. Ciattarelli and Morris County Sheriff Jim Gannon finished with around 42%. It turns out Sherrill’s appeal in the suburbs was a juggernaut. She even won Morris County—the first time a Democrat has done that in a governor's race since the 70s.
Why the Legislature Flipped the Script
The nj midterm elections 2025 also saw all 80 seats in the General Assembly up for grabs. If you think legislative races are boring, you’re looking at it wrong. This is where your property taxes and school funding actually get decided.
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The Democrats didn't just hold the line; they built a fortress. They flipped seats in the 2nd, 8th, 21st, and 25th districts. We’re talking about a supermajority now. This gives the incoming Sherrill administration a ridiculous amount of leverage to pass bills without needing a single Republican vote.
One of the biggest factors here was the death of the "county line."
A federal court in 2024 basically blew up New Jersey's unique ballot system that gave party-endorsed candidates a huge advantage. This made the 2025 primaries way more chaotic and competitive than usual.
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The Issues That Actually Moved the Needle
Politics in NJ usually boils down to the "Big Three": taxes, transit, and more taxes. But 2025 added a few new flavors to the mix.
- The Affordability Crisis: Everyone is feeling the squeeze. Sherrill talked a lot about freezing utility rates and auditing the state health benefits program. Ciattarelli wanted to cap property taxes and cut the business tax. Both sides were screaming about the cost of living because, honestly, the average property tax bill just crossed $10,000.
- The Federal Friction: With the Trump administration making big moves in D.C., Sherrill campaigned as a "shield" for Jersey. She focused on protecting Medicaid funding and resisting federal cuts to education.
- Infrastructure: NJ Transit is still a mess, and the Gateway Tunnel project is always looming. Voters in the suburbs were especially vocal about wanting a train system that actually, you know, works.
What Happens Next?
Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill is set to be sworn in on January 20, 2026. She’ll be the second woman to ever hold the office in New Jersey history and the first female veteran. That’s a massive milestone.
But the honeymoon will be short. She’s inheriting a budget with a "structural gap" of nearly $1.5 billion. Plus, the state’s surplus is shrinking faster than a Newark snow pile in April. She’s going to have to make some tough calls on spending almost immediately.
Actionable Steps for NJ Residents:
- Watch the First 100 Days: Keep an eye on the "Affordability Agenda." If Sherrill is going to freeze utility rates or expand the Child Tax Credit, it’ll likely happen early in the legislative session.
- Local Impact: Since the Democrats have a supermajority, pay attention to your local assembly members in districts like the 21st and 25th. They now have a direct line to the governor’s office.
- Transit Updates: Look for new appointments to the NJ Transit board. This is usually the first sign of whether the "fix the trains" campaign promises were real or just talk.
The 2025 cycle proved that New Jersey is still a laboratory for national politics. Between the "county line" being abolished and the suburban shift toward the Democrats, the political map we knew a few years ago is basically gone. It's a whole new game now.