Murphy calls n. J. Governor’s race “really close,” urges residents to vote early, praises mikie sherrill

Murphy calls N.J. governor’s race “really close,” urges residents to vote early, praises Mikie Sherrill

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1 min read
October 23, 2025

TRENTON, N.J. — Gov. Phil Murphy said the New Jersey governor’s race remains “really close,” describing it as part of a broader trend of political division nationwide.

Speaking on Ask Governor Murphy, he noted that former President Donald Trump had narrowed his loss margin in several Democratic states — including New Jersey, Maryland, New York, Illinois, and California — during the 2024 election cycle.

“I’d rather be playing Mikey’s hand than Jack’s hand, but this is a really close race,” Murphy said, referring to Democratic candidate Rep. Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli. “We’re so divided, so sort of on the knife’s edge — a little bit this way, a little bit that way.”

Murphy said the competitiveness reflects polarization across the country, emphasizing that gubernatorial elections, unlike congressional races, tend to stay tight.

He issued what he called a “nonpartisan plea” for voter participation:

“I don’t care who you’re voting for — vote,” he said. “Early in-person voting starts on October 25. Tammy and I have voted that way since it’s been on the books. It’s easy-peasy.”

Murphy reminded listeners that Election Day is November 4, urging residents not to “assume anything away” given the state’s close polling margins.

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

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