If you’re waiting for a Rutgers-Eagleton poll to show Jack Ciattarelli in the lead? You’re going to be waiting quite awhile, Save Jerseyans.
But there are plenty of other signs that Mikie Sherrill is in trouble. Weak support among black men, Hispanics, and unaffiliated voters represent flashing warning signs for the Democrat nominee. A consistently shrinking Democrat statewide voter registration advantage. On Thursday, the Democrat mayor of Bergen County’s fifth most populous community will endorse Ciattarelli… and switch parties.
Mayor Everett Garnto will conduct a press conference and formally endorse Ciattarelli for Governor. He’s the second Democrat mayor to do so; Dover Mayor James Dodd previously threw in behind Ciattarelli.
Winning crossover support is always nice, but it’s extra nice when you find it in a bellwether town.
A working class municipality of nearly 33,000, Garfield is shifting rightward in recent cycles. It voted for Barack Obama in 2012, Hillary Clinton in 2016, Joe Biden in 2020, but President Trump in 2024 by 9-points. That’s an especially fascinating flip considering that Phil Murphy carried Garfield by 151 votes (51% to 48%) in 2021.
Garfield is also 33% Hispanic, a potential problem area for Sherrill.
