New Jersey politics is famously a contact sport. Honestly, if you aren't ready for some sharp elbows and a bit of drama, you're in the wrong state. With Phil Murphy finally hitting his term limit, the seat in Trenton is wide open, and the scramble to replace him has been nothing short of a marathon.
The 2025 cycle has already mostly played out through a bruising primary season, and we’re now staring down a general election that basically feels like a battle for the soul of the Garden State. If you've been asking who's running for nj governor, the short answer is that the field started crowded but has narrowed down to a high-stakes showdown between a former Navy pilot and a persistent challenger making his third run for the office.
The Big Winner: Mikie Sherrill's Path to the Ticket
Mikie Sherrill didn't just walk into the nomination; she fought through a primary that felt like a "who’s who" of New Jersey power players. Sherrill, the former Congresswoman from the 11th District, managed to pull off a pretty massive win in the June 10 primary. She locked down about 34% of the vote, which might not sound like a huge number, but in a field that featured heavy hitters like Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, it was a decisive "checkmate."
What makes Sherrill interesting isn't just her resume—though being a former prosecutor and a Navy veteran is a big deal in a state that likes "tough" candidates. It’s that she managed to flip the script on what a Democrat can do in Jersey. She chose Centenary University President Dale Caldwell as her running mate, which was a smart move to shore up education and academic credentials.
Why Sherrill Won the Primary
- The Moderate Lane: While some candidates leaned hard into progressive rhetoric, Sherrill stayed in a pragmatic lane that appealed to suburban voters.
- County Line Support: Despite all the legal chaos surrounding the "county line" in NJ, she still secured the backing of ten different counties, which is basically the political equivalent of having a massive head start.
- Landslide General Election Performance: It’s worth noting that in the November 4 general election, she actually outperformed Phil Murphy's 2021 numbers by a landslide, winning by over 14 points.
The Republican Side: Jack Ciattarelli’s Final Stand?
On the GOP side, things got pretty heated. Jack Ciattarelli has been the face of the New Jersey Republican party for years. He’s the guy who nearly toppled Murphy in 2021, losing by a razor-thin 3%. For the 2025 race, he wasn't taking any chances. He ran on a platform of "taking the handcuffs off police" and fixing a school funding formula that many suburbanites think is fundamentally broken.
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Ciattarelli handily won the Republican primary with nearly 68% of the vote. He had to fend off a very loud, very Trump-aligned challenge from radio personality Bill Spadea. Spadea was a constant thorn in Ciattarelli’s side, accusing him of being "Republican in name only" (RINO). But Ciattarelli held his ground, choosing Morris County Sheriff James Gannon as his lieutenant governor pick. It was a clear signal that he was doubling down on a "law and order" message.
The Candidates Who Didn't Make It
When you look at who's running for nj governor, the list of people who tried is almost as important as the person who won. The Democratic primary was a bloodbath.
Ras Baraka, the Mayor of Newark, brought a strong urban-focused, progressive platform to the table. He came in second with about 20% of the vote. He was arrested during a protest at an ICE detention center during the campaign—talk about a headline-grabbing moment—which cemented his status as the activist's choice.
Then there was Steve Fulop. The Jersey City Mayor was actually the first person to jump into the race, nearly two years ago. He ran as a "pragmatic progressive" but struggled when his own Hudson County organization decided to back Sherrill instead of him. It’s gotta hurt when your own backyard turns its back on you.
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Rounding out the "could have been" list:
- Josh Gottheimer: The North Jersey Congressman who is known for his massive fundraising machine. He struggled to find a lane between Sherrill's popularity and Baraka's progressive base.
- Sean Spiller: The President of the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA). He had the union money but couldn't quite translate it into enough votes.
- Steve Sweeney: The former Senate President who was looking for a comeback after his shock loss a few years ago. He ended up at the bottom of the pack with only 7% of the vote.
What This Means for Your Wallet
Let's be real: people in Jersey care about property taxes and the cost of living. That’s it. That’s the tweet.
During the debates, the contrast was sharp. Ciattarelli was talking about cutting taxes for small businesses and seniors, while Sherrill focused more on protecting reproductive rights and investing in green energy.
One of the weirdest subplots of the 2025 race was the involvement of the federal government. In October, the Trump administration actually sent election monitors to NJ, claiming they were worried about "irregularities." It was a move that Sherrill and other Democrats called pure voter intimidation, but it kept the base on both sides absolutely fired up.
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Key Takeaways for New Jersey Voters
New Jersey is currently at a crossroads. With Sherrill set to become the first female Democratic governor in the state's history (and only the second woman ever), there’s a sense that the "old guard" is finally being pushed aside.
The election of Sherrill over Ciattarelli wasn't just a win for the Democrats; it was a total rejection of the closer margins we saw in 2021 and 2024. People expected a toss-up. Instead, we got a landslide.
Actionable Next Steps for You:
- Check the Results: Head over to the New Jersey Division of Elections website to see the final certified vote counts for your specific town.
- Watch the Inauguration: Mikie Sherrill is scheduled to be sworn in on January 20, 2026. This is when the real policy shifts regarding property tax relief and transit funding will begin to take shape.
- Monitor the Cabinet: Keep an eye on who Sherrill appoints to the Department of Education and the Treasury. These people will have a bigger impact on your daily life than almost any other bureaucrats in the state.
- Local Impact: If you live in Jersey City or Newark, start looking at the mayoral races. Fulop and Baraka's gubernatorial runs have left power vacuums in the state's two largest cities that will be filled soon.
The 2025 race might be over, but the actual work of governing New Jersey is just starting.