The Democrat Primary is competitive among several big candidates, with Rep. Mikie Sherrill as the leader. For the GOP, Jack Ciattarelli is the Trump endorsee.
New Jersey is voting today, June 10, for its political parties’ nominees for governor, as part of the 2025 gubernatorial election.
Eleven candidates are participating in the primary across both the Democrat and Republican parties. Two will advance to the general election.
New Jersey’s gubernatorial election is always held in “off-cycle” years, after a presidential election and before the next congressional election.
Along with Virginia’s gubernatorial election, it is often seen as a referendum by voters on the performance of the new U.S. president during his first year in office.
During the 2021 election, incumbent Gov. Phil Murphy (D-N.J.) was narrowly reelected over Republican nominee Jack Ciattarelli, a result that was closer than expected and interpreted as dissatisfaction with then-President Joe Biden.
This time, Murphy is term-limited and Ciattarelli is running again, with President Donald Trump’s endorsement and a large Republican polling lead, though he is still facing four other candidates.
The Democratic primary is even more competitive, with several prominent candidates. Below, we describe those candidates, their platforms, and their competitiveness in the race.
By Arjun Singh
