Rep. Mikie Sherrill’s (D-N.J.) win in the New Jersey governor’s race offered a much-needed shot in the arm for Democrats on Tuesday, raising questions around what the election results could mean for both parties heading into next year’s midterms.
Sherrill defeated Republican Jack Ciattarelli in his third run for New Jersey governor, as the New Jersey congresswoman sought to tie her opponent to President Trump and nationalize the race. Sherrill looked to make the race a referendum largely on Trump, while Ciattarelli aimed to make it a referendum on Democratic control over the state in a race dominated by affordability and high energy costs.
Despite competing crosswinds for both candidates, Sherrill was able to land an early win and cement Democratic control of the governor’s mansion for another four years.
Here’s what the New Jersey governor’s race could mean for the 2026 midterms:
Sherrill’s win underscores Democratic enthusiasm
Sherrill’s win on Tuesday underscored clear Democratic enthusiasm, which became a running theme throughout the night as the party also won competitive elections for Virginia governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general, in addition to two key spots on the Georgia Public Service Commission.
The New Jersey governor’s race turned increasingly tight in its final stretch, with polling from Emerson College Polling, PIX11 and The Hill even showing the contest as a toss-up.
Despite earlier concerns that Black and Hispanic voters wouldn’t turn out in the numbers Democrats needed, and against the backdrop of key elections where the party won statewide by only single digits, Sherrill’s win quelled some of those concerns, particularly with Decision Desk HQ calling the race only 13 minutes after polls closed.
Sherrill’s win is all the more notable given New Jersey hadn’t elected a governor of the same political party three times in a row since 1961. The issues of affordability and high energy costs were top issues in a state where Democrats controlled both the governor’s mansion and state Legislature.
Meanwhile, Ciattarelli was contending with the traditional challenge associated with the president’s party in power during off-year and midterm elections. New Jersey had also never elected a Republican for governor while the party controlled the White House since 1985.
Trump is an asset for Democrats
The Tuesday elections have shown that there’s no better motivator for Democrats than Trump, even when he’s not on the ballot.
While Trump maintained some distance from the New Jersey gubernatorial race, holding two telerallies for Ciattarelli ahead of the election, the president still loomed large over the race.
Sherrill suggested Ciattarelli wouldn’t be able to stick up to the president if elected governor and nationalized the race, particularly after the Trump administration decided to freeze funding for the Gateway Project.
Ciattarelli suggested having a relationship with the president would be a benefit for the state in contrast to Sherrill and has offered some areas where he’s diverged with the president and his administration.
Though both Trump and incumbent Gov. Phil Murphy (D) grappled with underwater approval ratings in the state — and even as Republicans tried to make the election a referendum on Democratic control in the state — it wasn’t enough to tip the scales for Republicans this go-around as Democrats homed in on anti-Trump sentiment.
New Jersey raises warning signs for GOP
Democrats’ wins in New Jersey and across the country are offering clear warning signs for the GOP as the party braces for what’s already expected to be a challenging midterm environment.
Republicans hoped that recent elections — including Murphy’s narrow 3-point reelection win in 2021 and former Vice President Kamala Harris winning the state by only 6 points in November — were indicators of the changing political winds in New Jersey.
But Sherrill’s win is evidence that Democrats are still a force to reckon with in the state, with early signs that the Democrat flipped counties Ciattarelli won in the 2021 race. With close to 90 percent of the vote reported as of Tuesday night, Sherrill led Ciattarelli by close to 8 points in Cumberland County, which Ciattarelli won by 12 points four years ago.
Sherrill also looked poised to win Gloucester, Atlantic and Morris counties, all of which went for the Republican in 2021.
Sherrill’s win offers boost for moderate Democrats
Moderate Democrats were clear winners on Tuesday night, with both Sherrill and former Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) winning their respective gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia.
The New Jersey governor’s win is also a particularly noteworthy one for moderates since Sherrill bested several progressives, including Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, who finished second and third, respectively, during the Democratic primary in June.
But the overall picture for Democrats may be a little complicated, since New York City overwhelmingly elected democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani for mayor over former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, raising questions around which approach the party should take as it looks to make further inroads with voters heading into next year’s midterms.
