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Today is the main day for New Jersey, one of two states across the country, along with Virginia, which will be voted for governor this year.
And in the spotlight in both the Republican and Democrat governor nominations races is President Donald Trump, the country’s most powerful and polarizing figure.
GOP Primary Showdown, which has fought for Trump’s support for several months, landed the president’s support a few weeks ago.
“I ask you to come out and vote for the true champion of the people of your state: he was my friend and he was a real success story,” Trump told supporters a week ago when he dialed the Terrellary the night before kickoff for his early voting in New Jersey.
Early tests of Trump’s second term as New Jersey president
Republican governor candidate Jack Ciatarelli Campaign held on June 1, 2025 in Hasbrook Heights, New Jersey
Ciattarelli told Fox News Digital after meeting with local GOP leaders at Trump National Golf Club Philadelphia that the president’s support was “a real big deal” and that “the president is doing very well in New Jersey.”
Former state legislator Ciattarelli has placed his third bid for the governor. He failed to make his 2017 GOP nomination. Four years later, in 2021, Ciattarelli was overabated as a Republican candidate, approaching the expulsion of incumbent Democratic Governor Phil Murphy, losing by just three points.
Watch: What Bill Spadair told Fox News Digital
The contest for Murphy’s successors with term restriction suggests that Ciattarelli is at the forefront of five Republican disciplines, including two other prominent candidates.
Ciattarelli and Spadea spent several months trading on fire which of them were bigger Trump supporters.
“It was certainly a shame,” Spadair said of Trump’s support of Chatterelli. “I mean, there was no bones about this. I absolutely wanted the President’s support. Unfortunately, the President supported the polls, not the plan.”
In a digital interview with Fox News last week, Spadea emphasized that in connection with the announcement of his first presidential election in 2015, he has been a supporter of President Trump since he dropped the escalator.
“There’s no doubt I’m a common sense conservative. I’m an actual Republican in this primary,” said Spadair.
And Spadea has questioned Chatterelli’s support for Trump, claiming his rival has “disregarded him (Trump) for much of the last eight years.
After winning GOP’s governor nomination four years ago, Ciattarelli was asked if he wanted the support of the then-president, saying, “There’s only one support I’m looking for, and that’s the support of voters in New Jersey.
What Jack Ciatarelli told Fox News Digital
Fast forward to 2025, Ciattarelli said, “People are really grateful that he (Trump) is doing for New Jersey. He is temporarily holding a wind farm off the coast of Jersey. He is beating New York Democrats above the price of congestion. [state and local tax] Deductions on federal tax returns. These are the big deals for New Jersey. So he has received a lot of support here. And I am honored to have his support. ”
While he lost Trump’s support, Spadea said it had a silver lining.
“Our supporters are galvanized. In fact, we spiked after Trump approved Jack on Tuesday and Wednesday. “So it actually had the opposite effect – our low levels of surge, our volunteers spike. We’re now knocking over 3,000 doors a week and getting an incredible response from the grassroots.”
Spadea said, “Nearly every Trump supporter we’ve spoken to on the ground thinks Donald Trump has made a big mistake.”
Republican governor candidate Bill Spadea is in talks with voters at a street fair held in Summerville, New Jersey on June 1, 2025 (Bill Spadea Campaign)
Asked why Trump supported him and not Spadare, Ciattarelli said, “The president wants to win. He knows I will provide the best opportunity to win in November.”
“He knows we’ll collect the money we need. We’ve raised more money than the other five Republican governor candidates combined.”
Ciattarelli is a certified public accountant who founded a medical publishing company before entering politics. His fundraising allowed him to control the GOP’s major advertising war.
But pointing to his media career, Spadea said in November he would become a more electoral Republican candidate in New Jersey, which has a blue trend.
Republican governor’s chairman pointed out the campaign fight first, touting “Our policy is better”
“I’ve built the largest audience in the state. I’m the third Democrat, a third Independence, a Third Republican. So my appeal isn’t just about the conservative foundation of Republicans. I’m the only candidate running for a Republican nomination that can attract Democrats and independents,” he said.
The Democratic Governors’ Association, which has pointed out the top two candidates rushing to embrace Trump, has long described the 2025 Republican showdown as “the Battle of the Magazine” and “extremism in the GOP primary.”
The Democrats have their own major fights, with six major candidates heading for nominations.
They are lawmakers. Mikier Cheryl and Josh Gottimer, Newark Mayor Las Baraka, Jersey Mayor Steve Flop, New Jersey Education Association President Sean Spiller and former Senator Steve Sweeney.
The primary is one of the first ballot box opportunities Democrats will weigh on as Republicans aim to recover after the election setback in November last year, when Republicans successfully defended their home’s vulnerable control.
Since returning to the White House in January, critics have seen it as Tuesday’s primary for how the party opposes Trump’s sweeping and controversial moves.
Like Murphy, who they aim to succeed, Democratic candidates have criticised some of Trump’s crackdowns over recently created government efficiency and cutting off the federal workforce.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is on a limited period and is being prevented from running for reelection this year. (Getty Images/Jenna Moon/Bloomberg via File)
But the candidates are also sought a change in the status quo at Trenton’s state capitol while carefully traversing while building on Murphy’s legacy as governor.
The Republican Governors Association, which targeted Murphy and his party, claims that “Democrats in Trenton were a disaster, leading to a surge in costs, a failed school and a short end to the Sticks.”
New Jersey has long leaned towards Democrats, but Republicans have made a successful gubernatorial election.
“It’s not a blue state when it comes to governor races. Republicans have won six of the last 11. That’s better than 50%,” Ciattarelli said.
After years of summer weekends at Bedminster golf clubs, Trump held a massive campaign rally in Wildwood last year. And he improved from the state’s 16-point loss in the 2020 election to a six-point deficit last November.
Then-former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally held in Wildwood, New Jersey on May 11, 2024 (Hannah Beier/Bloomberg by Getty Images)
Ciattarelli said he was looking forward to the general election campaign and “I am truly looking forward to” Trump’s active participation. I think New Jersey is worried that he will put him on the campaign trail with me and bring a victory for us in November.
Meanwhile, Garden State has frequently made national headlines this year. Newar Liberty International Airport saw multiple FAA systems outages this spring, causing delays in travel.
Meanwhile, when commuter trains were sitting temporarily, New Jersey’s transit strikes created more travel mayhem.
And protests by prominent Democratic politicians at Newark’s immigration customs facility have also brought the state into the spotlight. Among those arrested was one candidate: Baraka of Newark.
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Early in-person voting took place from June 3rd until Sunday. And each vote will be consumed by Election Day and must be received by the County Election Commission six days after the poll is over.
Voting is open to vote in person on the first day at 6am and close at 8pm
Remy Numa from Fox News contributed to this report.
Paul Steinhauser is a political reporter based in swing state in New Hampshire. He covers campaign trails from coast to coast. ”
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