TRENTON, NJ – President Donald Trump has chimed in again on the New Jersey race for governor, showing more support for Republican Jack Ciattarelli early Thursday morning, praising him as the next governor of New Jersey just as a new poll shows the race between Ciattarelli and Democrat Mikie Sherrill locked in a dead heat.
A new Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill survey released this week found that both Ciattarelli and Sherrill have 43% support among likely voters, with 3% backing another candidate and 11% still undecided.
“Wow!!! A just out poll has Jack Ciattarelli essentially beating close to incompetent Mike Sherrill in the race for Governor of New Jersey,” Trump said in a statement. The president called Ciattarelli “tough on crime and cutting taxes” while blasting Sherrill for policies he claimed would “destroy America.”
The poll, conducted September 22–23 among 935 likely voters, highlights deep demographic divides shaping the 2025 race. Voters under 40 favor Sherrill by wide margins, with 58% supporting her compared to 24% for Ciattarelli. That advantage shrinks among voters in their 40s, where Sherrill leads 47% to 40%. But the race flips dramatically among voters over 50, where Ciattarelli leads 52% to 36%.
A gender gap is also apparent: women favor Sherrill 46% to 36%, while men back Ciattarelli 51% to 39%. Notably, 15% of women remain undecided, compared to just 6% of men.
Governor Phil Murphy’s approval rating has slipped to 35%, down five points since May, with 44% disapproving of his performance. Trump also sits underwater in the Garden State, with 41% approval and 51% disapproval.
“Both President Trump and Governor Murphy are underwater among Jersey voters,” Emerson Polling’s executive director Spencer Kimball said. “Sherrill is trying to tie Ciattarelli to Trump at the national level, and Ciattarelli is trying to tie Sherrill to Murphy and the cost of living at the state level.”
Economic issues dominate voter concerns. A majority of respondents, 51%, said the economy is the top issue facing New Jersey, followed by threats to democracy (13%), housing affordability (11%), healthcare (6%), immigration policy (5%), and crime (5%).
The survey also found voters divided on whether the next governor should work with or stand up to Trump. Fifty-one percent want the governor to oppose Trump, while 49% prefer cooperation — a reversal from May, when a majority supported working with him.
With both candidates tied and a sizable share of voters undecided, the race for governor remains wide open heading into the fall campaign.
Key Points
- Emerson College poll finds Ciattarelli and Sherrill tied at 43%, with 11% undecided.
- Trump endorsed Ciattarelli, calling him “tough on crime and cutting taxes.”
- Poll shows sharp divides by age and gender, with younger voters backing Sherrill and older voters favoring Ciattarelli.
The governor’s race in New Jersey is shaping up as one of the closest contests in the country.
