Donald Trump launches attack on New Jersey Democratic governor candidate Mikie Sherill as tensions flare
The president endorsed Sherill's opponent Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli in New Jersey's upcoming governor race
U.S. President Donald Trump re-upped his endorsement of New Jersey's Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli, while attacking his opponent, Democratic candidate Mikie Sherill, in a Truth Social post Monday evening.
All eyes are on New Jersey as one of two states with a gubernatorial election in November that political analysts anticipate will give a preview of the current political climate heading into the 2026 midterms. The race has brought key partisan divides into focus over issues such as taxes, energy policy and abortion rights in the Garden State, which boasts the highest property taxes in the nation.
Ciattarelli, a GOP state assemblyman representing New Jersey's 16th legislative district from 2011 to 2018, outperformed but still lost the 2021 New Jersey gubernatorial election to incumbent Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy. Throwing his support behind the Republican candidate, President Trump issued a scathing attack on Sherill via Truth Social Monday evening, just two weeks out from Election Day.
"JACK CIATTARELLI IS A WINNER FOR NEW JERSEY! Mikie Sherrill is the exact opposite, a stone-cold loser, who will drive your Energy costs through the roof, just like the Democrats are doing all over the Country, but even more so because she has no understanding of what she is doing," Trump wrote. "Put simply, Jack Ciattarelli will bring your Energy costs down to a new low, and Mikie Sherrill will do the exact opposite.
"Energy costs under her will go up by levels never seen before. Mikie has no clue as to what she is doing," Trump added. "NEW JERSEY, VOTE FOR JACK CIATTARELLI — HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!"
New Jersey, while historically a blue state, shifted considerably to the right in the 2024 presidential election. However, the state still went to the Democratic presidential candidate, Kamala Harris. Given the outcome of the recent election, residents are on edge to see whether the state will elect a Republican governor for the first time since 2018 under Gov. Chris Christie.
Most polls have shown Sherill, who has represented New Jersey's 11th congressional district since 2019, with a modest lead. A recent poll from Quinnipiac University released last week has Sherill leading Ciattarelli by 6 points.
In a since-deleted post from earlier on Monday, Trump wrote that Ciattarelli "calls me constantly, wanting assurances that I will use the Power of Common Sense on helping New Jersey with their Energy bills, which are going up by record amounts." Sherill reposted a screenshot of Trump's Truth post on X, responding: "BREAKING: @Jack4NJ calls Trump 'constantly' and he STILL can't protect the Gateway Tunnel Project."
Last week, Trump "terminated" the $16 billion Hudson River Tunnel project, sparking bipartisan backlash. Both candidates have criticized Trump's move to withhold funding for the project, which could be reversed through legal challenges.