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TOTOWA, N.J. — It was a shock household reunion on Monday for New Jersey Republican nominee Jack Ciattarelli, on the eve of the state’s essential election for governor.
Chatting with supporters packed right into a tavern on this northern New Jersey borough at his first marketing campaign occasion of the day, Ciattarelli was interrupted by Peter Murphy, the proprietor of the bar, a longtime pal and supporter and the Passaic County GOP chairman, who launched a particular visitor.
Ciattarelli appeared shocked when his son Jake, an Military captain deployed to Kuwait, then walked over to him.
The GOP nominee, who has narrowed the hole with Democratic rival Rep. Mikie Sherrill in a really aggressive and flamable race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, put his hand to his head in an indication of disbelief.
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New Jersey Republican gubernatorial nominee Jack Ciattarelli hugs his son, Jake Ciattarelli, a U.S. Military officer deployed to Kuwait, at a marketing campaign occasion at Murph’s Tavern in Totowa, N.J., on Nov. 3, 2025. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox Information)
As the 2 males hugged, the gang of supporters broke out into cheers of “USA, USA, USA.”
Ciattarelli, trying in the direction of Murphy and the gang moments later, mentioned, “Let me guess. You known as the president yesterday. He despatched over Air Pressure One to Kuwait. They picked up Jake. If I do know the younger man, he’ll in all probability be on a aircraft this afternoon again to Kuwait to defend our nation.”
And Ciattarelli added, “What he in all probability forgot to do since he’s been so busy defending our nation. He in all probability forgot to get in his vote-by-mail poll. He’s right here to vote.
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Ciattarelli later informed Fox Information Digital he was “actually shocked. I didn’t have a clue. Didn’t have a clue. Magnificent thrill.”
New Jersey and Virginia are the one two states to carry gubernatorial contests the 12 months after a presidential election, and the 2 contests usually obtain outsized nationwide consideration. The elections are additionally seen as a key barometer forward of subsequent 12 months’s midterms, when the GOP can be defending its slim Home and Senate majorities.
Democratic candidate for New Jersey governor Mikie Sherrill poses for photos with supporters whereas campaigning in Bloomfield, N.J., on Oct. 28, 2025. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)
This 12 months’s elections are additionally seen as the primary main poll field take a look at of President Donald Trump’s unprecedented agenda.
Whereas Democrats have lengthy dominated federal and state legislative elections in New Jersey, Republicans have been very aggressive in gubernatorial contests, successful 5 out of the earlier ten elections.
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And Trump made main beneficial properties in New Jersey in final 12 months’s presidential election, dropping the state by solely six share factors, an enormous enchancment over his 16-point deficit 4 years earlier. And whereas Democrats nonetheless outnumber Republicans within the Backyard State, the GOP has made important voter registration beneficial properties since Ciattarelli got here near upsetting Murphy 4 years in the past.
Trump headlined a tele-rally for Ciattarelli per week and a half in the past, on the eve of early voting. And he’s scheduled to headline one other tele-rally for Ciattarelli on Monday night time, on Election Eve. The aim of the tele-rallies is to assist energize MAGA supporters, a lot of whom are low-propensity voters who typically skip casting ballots in non-presidential election years.
Republican gubernatorial nominee Jack Ciattarelli speaks to supporters at a tavern in Totowa, New Jersey, on Election Day eve, on Nov. 3, 2025. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox Information)
“We recognize what the president is doing to get the bottom excited, and remind them that they received to vote, as do all New Jerseyans. The way forward for our state hangs within the stability. Get out and vote,” Ciattarelli informed Fox Information Digital.
However the president’s approval and favorable scores stay underwater in blue-leaning New Jersey, and Sherrill has repeatedly linked Ciattarelli to Trump, and argued the GOP nominee will not stand as much as the president.
Ultimately month’s second and last debate, Sherrill charged that her GOP rival had “proven zero indicators of standing as much as this president. The truth is, the president himself known as Jack one hundred pc MAGA, and he is proven each signal of being that.”
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However Ciattarelli has pushed again, and informed reporters on Monday that “the folks of New Jersey know who I’m. I’ll fiercely defend the 9 million residents of this state daily of this week.”
And Ciattarelli is working because the change candidate, as he factors to eight years of Murphy as governor and practically 25 12 months of Democratic management of the state legislature.
“It’s all about property taxes, it’s all about month-to-month electrical energy payments, it’s about public security, public schooling, overdevelopment. These are New Jersey points that my opponent desires responsible on the president. He’s received nothing to do with any of these issues. It has every part to do along with her celebration, which has managed Trenton for the final 25 years,” he argued.
