New Jersey politics is usually a predictable grind of high property taxes and "stronger than dirt" slogans. But this time? Things felt different. If you’ve been scrolling through news feeds trying to figure out who won the New Jersey governor's race, the answer is officially in the books. Democratic Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill didn't just win; she essentially steamrolled her way into Drumthwacket.
She beat Republican Jack Ciattarelli by a margin that left most pundits scratching their heads. For months, we heard about a "red wave" or at least a "red ripple" creeping up from the 2024 presidential results. Instead, Sherrill pulled off a 14.4% victory. That's a massive jump from Phil Murphy’s nail-biter in 2021.
The Numbers That Actually Matter
Let’s get into the weeds for a second because the raw data is where the real story lives. Honestly, the scale of this win was kinda wild.
- Mikie Sherrill (Democrat): 1,896,610 votes (56.9%)
- Jack Ciattarelli (Republican): 1,417,705 votes (42.5%)
Turnout was the highest it’s been for a governor's race since the late 90s, hitting about 51.4%. People actually showed up. You usually see 35% or 40% for these off-year elections, but New Jerseyans were clearly fired up about something. Maybe it was the soaring utility bills or the constant back-and-forth about the "Gateway Project" tunnels under the Hudson. Whatever it was, the 3.2 million ballots cast proved that Jersey isn't as apathetic as people think.
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Why the GOP’s Strategy Fell Short
Ciattarelli is a grinder. The guy visited over 600 diners. He went to every single municipality. He had the endorsement of Donald Trump and tried to harness that 2024 energy. But in New Jersey, the "Trump factor" is a double-edged sword. While it fires up the base in Ocean and Sussex counties, it tends to scare the living daylights out of suburban voters in places like Morris and Bergen.
Actually, the Morris County result is the one that should keep GOP strategists up at night. Sherrill won it. A Democrat hasn't won Morris County in a governor's race since 1973. Think about that. That’s over 50 years of GOP dominance wiped out by a former Navy helicopter pilot with a centrist streak.
Sherrill played it smart. She didn't run as a "squad" style progressive. She leaned into her prosecutor background and her military service. She talked about "affordability" more than anything else. You couldn’t turn on a TV in October without seeing her promise to freeze utility rates. People are struggling with 20% hikes in their electric bills, and that message landed like a ton of bricks.
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Breaking Down the Demographics
The exit polls and county data show a massive "gender gap" that basically decided the whole thing. According to Quinnipiac and Rutgers-Eagleton data, Sherrill won women by about 20 points. Men were split or slightly favored Ciattarelli, but that wasn't enough to overcome the tidal wave of female voters who broke for the Democrat.
Race and ethnicity also played a huge role, though maybe not in the way the GOP hoped. While Republicans have been making gains with Hispanic voters nationally, Sherrill held onto a 56% to 22% lead with that group in Jersey. Black voters backed her at a staggering 69%. Even in places like Passaic and Atlantic counties—areas that had been sliding rightward—Sherrill managed to flip the script and bring them back into the blue column.
What Happens Next?
So, Sherrill is the governor-elect. She’s the second woman to ever hold the job and the first Democratic woman. That's a big deal for the history books, but for the average person in Cherry Hill or Paterson, the focus is on the wallet.
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She’s inheriting a budget that’s massive. Phil Murphy spent a lot of money on pensions and schools, which is great for stability but keeps taxes high. Sherrill has promised an "Affordability Agenda" that includes:
- A one-year freeze on electric utility rates to stop the bleeding from recent PJM auction price hikes.
- Tax relief for middle-class families specifically aimed at the state’s notorious property tax burden.
- Defending the Gateway Tunnel project against federal threats to pull funding.
If you’re a New Jersey resident or a political junkie, here is what you need to watch over the next six months:
- The Utility Freeze: Watch the state legislature. Sherrill will need them to pass specific laws to actually force a rate freeze. It’s a legal minefield.
- The Cabinet Appointments: Who she picks for the Treasury and the Department of Community Affairs will tell us if she's staying in the "moderate" lane or pivoting left.
- Property Tax Pilots: Keep an eye on "Stay Jersey" and other tax credit programs. There’s a lot of talk about expanding these to seniors and young families.
The 2025 race wasn't just a win for the Democrats; it was a total rejection of the idea that New Jersey is turning into a "toss-up" state. For now, the Garden State is firmly blue, provided the person at the top knows how to talk about the price of eggs and electricity.