NEW JERSEY (PIX11) – With Election Day just a month away, the race for New Jersey’s next governor is heating up.
On Friday, PIX11 News will host a live forum with Republican nominee Jack Ciattarelli and Democratic nominee Mikie Sherrill. You can watch the forum live at 7 p.m. on PIX11 News, the PIX11+ app, or PIX11.com.
A recent poll from PIX11, Emerson College and The Hill shows it’s still anyone’s race. Sherrill and Ciattarelli are effectively tied, with each getting the support of 43% of likely voters surveyed.
Here’s what you need to know about leading candidates Ciattarelli and Sherrill:
Mikie Sherrill
Sherrill was elected to Congress in 2018 in New Jersey’s 11th District, which covers parts of Passaic, Sussex, Somerset, Morris and Essex counties. Before that, she was a Navy helicopter pilot and a federal prosecutor.
Her campaign is primarily focused on affordability and “driving down costs” for New Jerseyans, from housing to health care, she told PIX11 News in July.
Sherrill wants better spending policies on state health benefit plans and small school districts. She said doing so will help avoid an increase in property taxes.
Sherrill also said the state is facing additional financial strife due to President Donald Trump’s poor economic decisions.
“I think we need more expansive state power as we see the federal government attacking our state at every level,” she said.
Sherrill noted she is against private prisons in New Jersey, particularly when it comes to immigration.
As her running mate, Sherrill has selected Dale Caldwell, the president of Centenary University. To learn more about Caldwell, click here.
Jack Ciattarelli
In 2021, Ciattarelli ran against Gov. Phil Murphy, who won with 51% of the vote. Ciattarelli finished with 47% of the vote.
Ciattarelli has served in the state Assembly, Raritan Borough Council and Somerset County Freeholder Board. His campaign is focused on affordability, law enforcement and government reform.
“We’ve got a bloated state budget,” Ciattarelli told PIX11 News in August.
Ciattarelli said he would like to see New Jersey take a cooperative role in federal immigration efforts.
“We’re going to get tough on crime in New Jersey, and that starts by us not being a sanctuary [state].”
Ciattarelli said he would implement a reverse congestion pricing program, charging drivers to enter the Garden State. And, he will permanently cancel New Jersey’s offshore wind projects.
Ciattarelli has been endorsed by President Donald Trump, who he endorsed in the 2024 presidential election.
Ciattarelli’s running mate is Morris County Sheriff Jim Gannon. To learn more about Gannon, click here.
Emily Rahhal is a digital reporter who has covered New York City since 2023 after reporting in Los Angeles for years. She joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of her work here and follow her on Twitter here.