New Jersey Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli received an emotional and unexpected visit from his son, U.S. Army Capt. Jake Ciattarelli, just one day before voters head to the polls in a hotly contested race against Democrat Mikie Sherrill.
The surprise took place Monday evening at Murph’s Tavern in Totowa, New Jersey, during a campaign rally. Passaic County GOP Chairman Peter Murphy stunned the crowd and the candidate by introducing Jake, who had been stationed in Kuwait for the past eight months. The father-son reunion brought the room to its feet with applause as the two embraced in front of supporters.
“You don’t know what I’m going to say right now,” Murphy said. “But your biggest supporter that serves this country just came over overnight to serve you.”
Ciattarelli shared the touching moment on social media, calling it “the surprise of a lifetime.” He added, “Army Captain son Jake came home from eight months overseas to join us as we bring it home this Election Day.”
The Republican candidate, who received President Donald Trump’s endorsement in May, said he was “proud” of his son and “grateful” to have all four of his children home ahead of Election Day. He jokingly speculated that Murphy had called President Trump, who “sent over Air Force One to Kuwait” to bring Jake home.
Despite the joyous moment, Ciattarelli noted his son’s commitment to duty, saying, “If I know the young man, he’ll probably be on a plane this afternoon back to Kuwait to defend our country.”
The heartwarming reunion comes as polling shows a virtual tie in the New Jersey governor’s race. A recent AtlasIntel poll of 1,639 likely voters showed Sherrill with 50.2% and Ciattarelli with 49.3%, within the poll’s ±2% margin of error.
