New Jersey Has Spoken: It’s Sherrill vs. Ciattarelli for the Governor’s Race

Please note the below polling numbers are reflective of the time of publication and are subject to change. The Gibbons Government Affairs team will continue to monitor the primary election results.

On Tuesday, June 10, 2025, New Jersey voters went to the polls to select their party’s nominees for Governor and the General Assembly, as well as county and local officials. New Jersey’s 2025 primary resulted in wins for the gubernatorial front-runners, Democrat Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli. Sherrill currently serves as the U.S. Representative for the 11^th congressional district and will not have to give up her congressional seat while running for Governor. Ciattarelli served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2011 to 2018, representing the 16^th legislative district. This will be his third time running for governor, having lost to Governor Phil Murphy in the 2021 gubernatorial election and to Kim Guadagno in the 2017 Republican primary.

The 2025 primary is the first election to have taken place since the U.S. District Court of New Jersey issued a preliminary injunction in Kim v. Hanlon. This caused the Legislature to redesign the ballot and replace the “party line” with an office block design.

Governor’s Race

At the top of the ticket, 11 candidates ran for their party’s nomination – five on the Republican ballot and six on the Democratic ballot. Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill won the Democratic primary with 34 percent of the vote (267,509). Her next closest competitor, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, garnered 20.4 percent (160,320), followed by Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop who received 15.9 percent (124,738). Congressman Josh Gottheimer came in fourth with 11.8 percent (92,943). Sean Spiller, President of the New Jersey Education Association, received 10.7 percent (84,395). Former Senate President Steve Sweeney received 7.2 percent (56,637).

Former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli won the Republican primary with 67.8 percent of the vote (308,432). Former radio host Bill Spadea tallied 21.9 percent (99,401) and State Senator Jon Bramnick received 6.2 percent (28,109).

New Jersey and Virginia are the only states to hold a gubernatorial election in 2025. Many national groups are expected to look at these two “off-year” elections as a referendum on President Trump and his agenda.

Assembly Races

All 80 seats in the General Assembly are up for election this year. There were approximately 20 districts with challengers or an open seat in the race. A number of legislative districts with contested primaries saw the expected candidates emerge victorious. Notably, there are a few legislative districts where the races resulted in an upset for an incumbent candidate or the results are still being tallied:

• In Legislative District 20 (Union), incumbent Democratic Speaker Pro Tempore Annette Quijano was the top vote recipient. Ed Rodriguez, who is the former Elizabeth Director of Planning & Community Development, and Union County Commissioner Sergio Granados, Assemblywoman Quijano’s running mate, are still battling for the remaining spot. Rodriguez is currently in second place for most votes tallied and Granados is in a close third.
• In Legislative District 28 (Essex/Hudson), incumbent Democratic Assemblywoman Cleopatra Tucker and Democrat Chigozie Onyema won the race. Incumbent Democratic Assemblywoman Garnet Hall placed third.
• In Legislative District 31 (Hudson), the race has not been called. Democrat Jerry Walker and incumbent Democratic Assemblywoman Barbara McCann Stamato lead the race. Incumbent Democratic Assemblyman Will Sampson is a close third.
• In Legislative District 32 (Hudson), the race has not been called. Democrat Katie Brennan and Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla lead the race. Incumbent Democratic Assemblywoman Jessica Ramirez is currently a close third.
• In Legislative District 33 (Hudson), incumbent Democratic Assemblyman Gabriel Rodriguez and Larry Wainstein have been declared the winners against their Democratic rivals.
• In Legislative District 34 (Essex), incumbent Democratic Assemblywoman Carmen Morales was the top vote-getter. One additional candidate will win the race, with incumbent Democratic Assemblyman Michael Venezia currently in second place.
• In Legislative District 35 (Bergen/Passaic), Democrat Kenyatta Stewart was the top vote-winner. One additional candidate will win the race. Incumbent Democratic Assemblyman Al Abdelaziz is in second place. Republican Nelvin Mercado-Duran was the top vote-getter in the Republican primary. One more Republican candidate will win the race, with Rawell Perez-Munoz currently in second place.
• In Legislative District 39 (Bergen), Democrat Andrew Labruno was the top vote recipient. One additional candidate will win the race. Incumbent Republican Assemblymen Robert Auth and John Azzaritti defeated Republican challenger Frank Pallotta.

New Jersey’s general election for Governor and the General Assembly will be held on Tuesday, November 4, 2025.