NEW JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill will be New Jersey’s next governor after she defeated Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli Tuesday in a competitive race.
With 95% of votes counted, The Associated Press called the race at 9:23 p.m. Sherrill raked in 1,774,178 votes — Ciattarelli, close behind with 1,365,952. The former Navy pilot spoke to supporters Tuesday night at her headquarters in East Brunswick. As she claimed victory in a race that gained national attention, Sherrill cited the Garden State's motto of "Liberty and Prosperity," saying that with personal liberty and prosperity at risk, governors have never mattered more.
“As the president is backing away from this ideal, cutting SNAP, ripping away health care,” she said, “we here in New Jersey are bound to fight for a different future for our children.”
There was a lot of drama between Ciattarelli and Sherrill leading up to the race. During their second and final debate in early October, the two butted heads over the federal government shutdown, Sherrill's military records, President Donald Trump and the high cost of living in the state. In September, Sherrill’s social security number, address and other personal information were released to someone working for Ciattarelli’s campaign.
Sherrill built her campaign around her personal story: a Naval Academy graduate who flew choppers for the Navy, she went on to work as a federal prosecutor in New Jersey. She first ran for office in 2018, during the midterm election in Trump’s first term, winning in a district that the GOP had controlled for years.
Her primary campaign, like those of her rivals, focused on finding ways to make the state more affordable, though she shied away during the primary campaign from offering a broad-based plan. She focused instead on more narrow steps, such as lowering housing costs by boosting the number of development tax credits, so more housing could be built.
Ciattarelli was met with chants of “We love you, Jack” and “Thank you, Jack” from supporters as he made his concession speech at the Marriott hotel in Bridgewater. Some expressed deep disappointment over the outcome, saying his loss will be felt in the coming years and that Sherrill is not the person to lead the state.
“It's unfortunate because the policies of the Democratic party [are] derogatory toward the state of New Jersey and its citizens, so it's very unfortunate,” said one supporter.
Another supporter told KYW Newsradio, “Unfortunately, the state's been going in the wrong direction for a while and it will continue to go in that direction.”
Sherrill’s win gives New Jersey its second female governor after Christine Todd Whitman held the office for two terms as a Republican. Murphy is prohibited from seeking a third consecutive term because of term limits. He didn’t endorse a successor in the primary.
No party has held the New Jersey governorship for more than three consecutive terms since the 1960s, when a two-term Democratic governor succeeded another two-term Democratic governor.
KYW Newsradio's Mike DeNardo and Racquel Williams contributed to this story.