A new Emerson College poll shows Republican Jack Ciattarelli and Democrat Rep. Mikie Sherrill in a statistical tie for New Jersey governor, highlighting what is shaping up to be one of the most competitive races of 2025. The survey, conducted September 22–23 among 935 likely voters, found both candidates at 43 percent, with 11 percent undecided and three percent backing another option.
President Donald Trump, who has endorsed Ciattarelli, promoted the poll on Truth Social, praising the Republican candidate as “tough on crime and cutting taxes.” Trump added that Ciattarelli “will be a GREAT Governor,” while blasting Sherrill for supporting “Open Borders, men playing in Women’s Sports, Transgender for everyone, and all of the things that almost DESTROYED America.”
The tight polling comes after a sharp debate earlier this month. Ciattarelli promised not to raise the sales tax and pledged to lower income and property taxes. He also accused Sherrill of violating congressional disclosure rules on stock trades in defense and technology firms, citing reports from the New York Times and Business Insider. Sherrill denied wrongdoing and defended her record, vowing instead to “drive down your cost at every level.”
Ciattarelli has picked up bipartisan momentum with endorsements from several former Democrats. Garfield Mayor Everett Garnto, Jr., a retired police officer, recently switched parties and endorsed him, calling the state “broken” under Democrat leadership. Former Assemblyman Jamel Holley also backed Ciattarelli, calling his campaign “the right way forward.”
Labor has also shifted toward Ciattarelli. In June, the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 825, representing more than 7,000 workers, endorsed him, citing his support for natural gas projects and criticizing Sherrill’s emphasis on solar energy. “Ciattarelli understands New Jersey,” union leader Greg Lalevee said, pointing to affordability concerns.
On foreign policy, Ciattarelli has aligned closely with Trump, supporting the president’s June strikes on Iranian nuclear sites as “the right move” to counter a “grave threat to Israel.”
While a June National Research Inc. poll showed Sherrill ahead by three points, dissatisfaction with New Jersey’s direction remains high, with 54 percent saying the state is on the wrong track—a figure that favors Ciattarelli. He nearly unseated Democrat Gov. Phil Murphy in 2021, losing by just three points, and now appears positioned to compete strongly with independents and disaffected Democrats in 2025.
With undecided voters still in double digits, the race is set to become a top battleground in the upcoming election cycle.
