New Jersey’s 2025 Gubernatorial Primaries: A Trump-Fueled Battle for the Garden State

New Jersey’s gubernatorial primaries are heating up as voters prepare to pick Democratic and Republican nominees on June 10, 2025, in a race that’s already a litmus test for Donald Trump’s second term. With Gov. Phil Murphy term-limited, a crowded field of candidates is battling to steer the Garden State’s future, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

The Democratic race features heavyweights like Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, NJEA President Sean Spiller, former Senate President Steve Sweeney, and U.S. Reps. Josh Gottheimer and Mikie Sherrill. On the Republican side, Jack Ciattarelli, the 2021 nominee, leads the pack, joined by radio host Bill Spadea, State Sen. Jon Bramnick, former Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario Kranjac, and outsider Justin Barbera.

Trump’s shadow looms large. Democrats are jostling to paint themselves as the fiercest anti-Trump crusaders, while Republicans scramble to claim the MAGA mantle. Ciattarelli, fresh off a Trump endorsement on Truth Social, holds a commanding 42% among GOP voters, per a recent Rutgers-Eagleton/SSRS poll, with Spadea trailing at 12%. Democrats, meanwhile, are split: Sherrill leads with 17%, Fulop at 12%, and others close behind, showing no clear frontrunner.

New Jersey, alongside Virginia, hosts one of only two gubernatorial races in 2025, making it a national bellwether for Trump’s influence ahead of the 2026 midterms. Trump’s 2024 performance in the state—gaining nearly five points from 2020 while Kamala Harris underperformed—signals a shifting political tide, especially in Hudson and Passaic counties. His Jersey Shore MAGA rally last year underscored his bold claim: New Jersey is in play.

Democrats are navigating a tricky balance, pledging to build on Murphy’s legacy while promising fresh ideas for Trenton. Their rejection of Trump’s policies—like his immigration crackdown and Department of Government Efficiency cuts—has been unanimous. Baraka’s recent arrest at an ICE facility in Newark, labeled a “political stunt” by DHS, rallied Democratic support but sparked controversy.

Republicans, led by Ciattarelli, frame the race as a referendum on eight years of Democratic policies. Ciattarelli’s near-win against Murphy in 2021 fuels his momentum, but his rivals aren’t backing down. Meanwhile, New Jersey’s been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons: FAA outages at Newark Liberty Airport, a New Jersey Transit strike, and a massive sinkhole on Interstate 80 have left commuters fuming and infrastructure issues front and center.

Early voting runs June 3-8, with Election Day on June 10. Vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received within six days. As the primary nears, New Jersey’s political future—and its role in the national conversation—hangs in the balance.