The race for New Jersey governor has taken center stage this fall, offering voters a contest that’s as much about identity and values as it is about policy. With Election Day looming on November 4, 2025, the matchup between Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli has grown increasingly charged—drawing national attention, high-profile endorsements, and fierce debates over authenticity, gender, and the direction of the state.
At a raucous rally in Newark on November 1, former President Barack Obama made a passionate case for Sherrill, urging New Jerseyans to vote early and warning that the stakes for the state—and the country—couldn’t be higher. "Tomorrow is the last day of early voting in New Jersey. And if you can’t vote early, you’ve got to make a plan to do it on Election Day, November 4th," Obama reminded the crowd, according to the event transcript published by the campaign.
Obama’s appearance was more than a celebrity endorsement. It was a pointed critique of the Trump administration and the Republican Party’s current direction. He accused President Trump of "lawlessness and carelessness and mean-spiritedness and just plain old craziness," and lambasted the administration for politicizing the Justice Department, firing military officers for perceived disloyalty, and deploying the National Guard in American cities under questionable pretenses. "We’ve got a president who thinks it’s okay to use the Justice Department…to go after his political opponents," Obama said, drawing boos from the crowd—but quickly urging them, "Don’t boo. Vote!"
Obama’s message resonated with the crowd, especially as he painted a stark picture of economic hardship for ordinary New Jersey families. He cited rising costs, a 16% drop in entry-level hiring from the previous year, and a government shutdown that had suspended small business loans and delayed aid for the vulnerable. "The economy has been really good for some of Trump’s billionaire friends…But for ordinary families, for you, your neighbors, your friends, costs have not gone down. They have gone up, partly because of Trump’s shambolic tariff policy," he said. Obama also criticized the Republican-led Congress for inactivity, noting, "They haven’t been in session. They’re not showing up."
Against this backdrop, Mikie Sherrill has campaigned as a centrist Democrat with a pragmatic streak, highlighting her experience as a Navy helicopter pilot, federal prosecutor, mother of four, and a lawmaker who values reaching across the aisle. It’s an approach that helped her flip a Republican-held House district in 2018, and she’s banking on that blend of toughness and empathy to propel her into the governor’s mansion. According to Politico, Sherrill’s campaign messaging has focused on her record of "pragmatism, reaching across the aisle and achieving tangible results in office."
Sherrill’s military and maternal identities have been front and center. She was among the first women Naval Academy graduates to fly in all combat roles, serving nine years in the Navy and earning ten service medals. "I think she’s choosing that and to present both of those identities because they are the primary identities that are important to her," Kelly Dittmar, director of research at the Center for American Women and Politics, told Politico. Yet, as Dittmar noted, "It feels like she’s balancing it. I think it’s a little bit of both, quite honestly."
Her opponent, Jack Ciattarelli, has leaned into a brash, "Jersey guy" persona, aligning himself with Trump and emphasizing his deep New Jersey roots. In a video from an early October fundraiser, Ciattarelli paraphrased Trump’s advice to him in a way that hinted at a gendered epithet—though he trailed off before saying it outright. The moment, captured by Politico, drew condemnation from women’s groups but didn’t become a major scandal, signaling how the political climate has shifted since Trump’s rise.
"It’s that kind of talk that’s very New Jersey," Dittmar observed. "It’s not explicitly misogynistic; we don’t know what he really said, but it’s this very manly-man situation." Ciattarelli’s authenticity, in the eyes of some voters, is tied to his "Jersey guy" and Italian-American identity. "He’s getting more credit for that than if a woman ran the same campaign," Dittmar added.
Polls show a tight race, with Sherrill holding a single-digit lead in the final stretch. New Jersey, while historically blue at the statewide level, saw a dramatic rightward shift in the 2024 presidential election—Trump made significant gains among working-class and non-White voters. Ciattarelli nearly unseated Democratic Governor Phil Murphy in 2021, losing by just three points. As Politico notes, both candidates have focused their messaging on the economy and cost of living, issues that consistently top voters’ concerns.
But the campaign hasn’t been without controversy. In late October, a video surfaced of Ciattarelli’s Muslim relations adviser, Ibrar Nadeem, expressing support for a ban on same-sex marriage and making a comment about not taking money from Jewish donors. Sherrill and other Democrats denounced the remarks as homophobic and anti-Semitic. Ciattarelli responded on social media: "Do you ever get tired of lying @MikieSherrill? You know I support same sex marriage. You also know the full clip of Dr. Nadeem’s remarks are clear: He was talking about the grief he gets from some BECAUSE of my unwavering support for the Jewish community and Israel and his own efforts to build bridges between Muslim and non-Muslim communities."
Even on policies where the candidates agree, their approaches are colored by identity. At an October 8 debate, both supported keeping New Jersey’s unique ban on self-service gas pumping. Sherrill referenced her experience as a mother, recalling times she arrived in New Jersey "on fumes from Delaware, especially when my kids were little, and in the rain," while Ciattarelli invoked the image of "Jersey girls" who "don’t like to pump their own gas."
Obama, meanwhile, used his Newark rally to frame the election as a choice about the nation’s values and future. He praised Sherrill as "a proven fighter, who’s got a track record of getting stuff done, somebody who sees you and knows your struggles and will work for you every single day." He contrasted her with Ciattarelli, whom he described as "100% MAGA" and criticized for repeatedly seeking the governorship and aligning closely with Trump. "Jersey, we don’t need a governor who puts party and ideology ahead of the people that elected that governor. You deserve a governor who is going to think for herself and work for you," Obama declared.
As the campaign heads into its final days, the outcome remains uncertain. Both sides are betting that their brand of authenticity, their connection to New Jersey’s voters, and their vision for the state’s future will carry the day. For now, the only thing that’s certain is that New Jersey’s choice will echo far beyond its borders.