The race is seen as a potential precursor to the 2026 midterm congressional elections, which could have a major impact on President Donald Trump’s legislative policies.
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A new poll reveals a close race for the New Jersey governor’s mansion, as former President Barack Obama plans to address the Democratic candidate at a Nov. 1 rally.
An Atlas Intel poll released Nov. 1 found Democrat Mikie Sherrill with a slight lead over Republican rival Jack Ciatarelli. The poll, which surveyed more than 1,600 likely voters in New Jersey from October 25 to October 30, gave Sherrill 50.2% of the vote to Ciatarelli’s 49.3%, with a margin of error of 2 percentage points.
Sherrill is a former naval officer and federal prosecutor who currently represents a Congressional district near Newark, New Jersey.
Ciatarelli, a former state legislator, lost the 2021 gubernatorial race to current Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy by a narrower margin of 51.2% to 48%. Murphy was ineligible to run again due to the state’s two-term limit on consecutive terms as governor.
President Obama is scheduled to join Sherrill at a rally in Newark in the evening.
President Donald Trump has supported Ciatarelli, but has not directly participated in his campaign. Nevertheless, he participated in the Oct. 24 teleconference as a Republican candidate.
Mr. Ciattarelli has attracted some of the biggest names in conservative politics to his campaign, including Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. Fox News host Sean Hannity interviewed Ciattarelli on Oct. 30 for a town hall event broadcast on the conservative television network.
The race is seen as a potential precursor to the 2026 midterm congressional elections, and could have a major impact on whether President Trump is able to accomplish further legislative agendas.
In a recent debate, Ciattarelli gave Trump an “A” grade for his performance so far in his second term, while Sherrill gave the president an “F” grade.
