New Jersey’s 2025 gubernatorial race, already one of the most closely watched contests in the country, erupted into turmoil this week after a federal agency acknowledged it had improperly released Democratic nominee Mikie Sherrill’s unredacted military records to a key ally of her Republican opponent, Jack Ciattarelli. The incident, first revealed by CBS News on September 25, 2025, injected fresh volatility into a campaign already marked by fierce competition, personal attacks, and razor-thin polling margins.
According to reporting by CBS News and NJ.com, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) admitted that its National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) mistakenly disclosed Sherrill’s full military personnel file. The records, which included her Social Security number, performance evaluations, family contact details, and other sensitive information, were sent to Nicholas De Gregorio—a former Republican congressional candidate, major Ciattarelli donor, and a figure reportedly shortlisted to be Ciattarelli’s running mate. De Gregorio had requested the records under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), but, as Grace McCaffrey, NARA’s acting director of congressional affairs, explained, “The technician should have extracted and released from the record only FOIA-releasable information. The technician should NOT have released the entire record.”
Officials discovered the breach on Monday, September 22, and NARA quickly reached out to Sherrill’s congressional office to try to contain the damage. The National Archives also contacted De Gregorio, urging him not to distribute the sensitive materials further. Yet, the story had already broken, and the consequences for the campaign were immediate and severe.
Sherrill’s campaign wasted no time in denouncing the incident as a politically motivated attack, linking it to what they described as a broader pattern of targeting political opponents by the Trump administration and its allies. “The Trump administration blatantly violated federal law by releasing Mikie Sherrill’s unredacted personal military records to an agent of the Ciattarelli campaign—which were then distributed and weaponized by Jack Ciattarelli,” campaign spokesperson Sean Higgins said in a statement, as reported by The Hill. “This is a breathtaking, disturbing leak that must be thoroughly investigated.”
Sherrill’s legal team responded by sending cease-and-desist letters to the National Archives, Ciattarelli’s campaign, De Gregorio, and Chris Russell, Ciattarelli’s chief strategist, demanding the “immediate cessation” of any further distribution of the records. The campaign also argued that the episode endangered the privacy and safety of all veterans. “This disrespects the service of all military veterans, jeopardizes the safety of their records, and shows that Jack Ciattarelli will say or do anything to get elected,” Higgins added, according to Fox 5 NY.
The controversy came to light amid renewed scrutiny of Sherrill’s time at the U.S. Naval Academy. Both CBS News and NJ.com reported that Sherrill was not accused of cheating in the infamous 1994 scandal that ensnared over 100 midshipmen. However, she was barred from walking with her class at graduation for not reporting classmates who had cheated. Sherrill addressed the issue directly, stating, “I didn’t turn in some of my classmates, so I didn’t walk, but graduated and was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy, serving for nearly ten years with the highest level of distinction and honor.”
Her Republican rival, Jack Ciattarelli, seized on both the records release and the Naval Academy episode to intensify his attacks. Appearing on Fox News’ Hannity, Ciattarelli said, “What we learned today is that she was part of it in some way, shape or form. Come clean, release the records. Tell us what’s in your disciplinary records. I think the people of New Jersey deserve that.” His campaign manager, Eric Arpert, echoed the call for transparency, telling the New Jersey Globe, “The people of New Jersey deserve complete and total transparency.”
Sherrill, for her part, framed the release as an egregious example of political weaponization. “That Jack Ciattarelli and the Trump administration are illegally weaponizing my records for political gain is a violation of anyone who has ever served our country. No veteran’s record is safe,” she declared, as cited by The Hill.
The uproar has drawn national attention and prompted top House Democrats to call for a federal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the data breach. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) publicly backed a probe and praised Sherrill as “a patriot and a hero.” He added, “It’s outrageous that Donald Trump and his administration, and political hacks connected to them, continue to violate the law. And they will be held accountable. The statute of limitations—I remind all of the sycophants out there—is five years. This Justice Department will be long gone before the statute of limitations expires.”
The timing of the scandal could hardly be more consequential. A new Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill survey released this week showed the race locked in a dead heat, with both Sherrill and Ciattarelli drawing 43% support and 11% of voters still undecided. The poll underscores just how much the controversy could sway the outcome in what has become a high-stakes, nationally watched contest.
The 2025 New Jersey governor’s race has already been shaped by broader political currents. Sherrill, a former federal prosecutor and Navy veteran, had led in every public poll until recently. But Republicans saw an opening after Donald Trump performed better than expected in New Jersey during the 2024 presidential election, losing the state to Vice President Kamala Harris by just six points—a far narrower margin than his double-digit defeats in previous cycles. Ciattarelli, endorsed by Trump, has capitalized on that momentum to surge in recent polls and pull into a statistical tie with Sherrill.
Meanwhile, the controversy has raised urgent questions about the security of veterans’ records and the ethical boundaries of political campaigns. “No veteran’s record is safe,” Sherrill warned, echoing the concerns of many who see the episode as a cautionary tale about the potential for personal data to be weaponized in the heat of a political battle.
As Election Day approaches, both campaigns are digging in for what promises to be a bruising final stretch. The outcome may hinge not only on the policy visions and personalities of the candidates, but also on how voters interpret the latest scandal—and whether they see it as evidence of political dirty tricks or a legitimate call for transparency. One thing is clear: In New Jersey’s governor’s race, the stakes have never been higher, and the margin for error has never been slimmer.
