New Jersey’s hotly contested governor’s race is heating up, with Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill facing sharp criticism from her Republican rival Jack Ciattarelli. GOP insiders are calling her the “Kamala Harris of New Jersey” for her scripted campaign style and a few public stumbles that have gone viral.
Ciattarelli’s team sees an opening to close the gap in the 2025 New Jersey election. Despite trailing in most polls—Sherrill holds an 8.8 percentage point lead according to RealClearPolitics averages—they’re hammering her for dodging tough questions and sticking to controlled events. “She’s a gaffe machine,” said Chris Russell, a New Jersey GOP consultant working with Ciattarelli. He draws parallels to Harris, saying both women struggle with straightforward answers, avoid the press, and keep everything tightly managed.
Ciattarelli, on his third bid for governor, is hitting the road hard across the Garden State. He’s pushing a milder MAGA platform that zeros in on everyday worries like soaring utility bills and the nation’s highest property taxes. His campaign claims Sherrill has spent less time in unscripted voter meetups than he has, pointing out she skipped 64% of congressional votes from July to September, per GovTrack data.
Republican strategist Alex Wiles calls her events “highly curated,” full of safe crowds in friendly spots. Even neutral experts agree her approach feels low-energy. Dan Cassino, a politics professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University, describes it as a “Rose Garden strategy”—few interviews, minimal off-the-cuff moments. “It’s worked for other leading candidates,” he notes, crediting her strong polling edge.
Sherrill’s camp brushes off the jabs at “two-time loser” Ciattarelli. Spokesman Sam Chan says she’s winning over veterans, seniors, families, and young voters by fighting for New Jerseyans, while Ciattarelli just chases Trump without real independence. One outlier poll—an internal survey for Ciattarelli—shows him edging ahead 46% to 45%, fueling their optimism that broader support is underestimated.
The attacks spotlight a May interview gaffe where Sherrill hesitated for 18 seconds when asked about her top legislative priority, eventually mentioning a vague federal program outside a governor’s control. Ciattarelli’s recent TV ads replay the clip, echoing Harris’s infamous rambling responses.
Sherrill, a former federal prosecutor and Navy helicopter pilot, broke into Congress in the 2018 Democratic wave, flipping a key seat from Republican Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen. She’s one of a trio of centrist women with national security backgrounds elected that year, alongside now-Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Virginia gubernatorial hopeful Abigail Spanberger.
Now eyeing the statehouse, critics like GOP strategist Jeanette Hoffman argue Sherrill lacks a firm grip on New Jersey policies. “It’s easier to blend in among 435 House members than lead a complex state like ours,” Hoffman said.
Ciattarelli has shifted rightward since his 2021 loss, embracing Trump more openly and calling to scrap sanctuary state policies—tricky in a state where 23% of residents are foreign-born, second only nationwide. Still, he’s laser-focused on wallet issues, like the energy crisis. New Jersey’s utilities board recently warned of 17% to 20% electric bill hikes.
His latest ad blasts Sherrill’s energy stance, clipping a March interview where she mocked Democrats’ “arm and a leg” clean energy pitch. The spot skips her follow-up that green power will ultimately be cheaper, drawing fire from her team as a “blatantly misleading smear.” As the New Jersey governor race tightens, these pocketbook battles could sway undecided voters.
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.
