Ciattarelli Highlights Early Voting Trends in Competitive Gubernatorial Race
POINT PLEASANT, N.J. – With just six days remaining before Election Day, New Jersey’s Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli is emphasizing the state’s impressive early voting statistics. He noted an increase in Republican voters returning ballots by mail, calling it a remarkable trend.
“We’re seeing more Republicans than ever before returning their votes by mail,” Ciattarelli mentioned during a recent town hall event on Fox News’ “Hannity.”
This town hall, led by Sean Hannity, took place in a coastal area along the Jersey Shore right as early voting commenced. Almost 1 million voters have already participated, either in person or by mail, which is a notable rise from the last gubernatorial election when Ciattarelli came close to defeating Democratic Governor Phil Murphy.
Now in his third attempt to secure the state’s top position, Ciattarelli is up against Democratic candidate Rep. Mikie Sherrill. This race is viewed as particularly competitive since Murphy is unable to run again due to term limits.
“The turnout has been phenomenal. Over the first few days of early voting, we’ve matched voters with their ballots. This really puts us in a good position to win,” he stated.
On the other side, Sherrill, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and former helicopter pilot, shared her observations about the early voting success too, noting the positive outcomes of both mail-in and early voting. “The trends look much better than in 2021,” she remarked after her visit to a senior center in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
Ciattarelli, whose political background includes experience as a certified public accountant and a state legislator, received support from President Donald Trump during the final phase of the Republican primaries. His victory in the primary was heavily influenced by his alignment with Trump and the MAGA movement.
Recently, Ciattarelli has campaigned alongside public figures like Vivek Ramaswamy and Congressman Byron Donald, both allies of Trump.
Trump participated in a campaign call with Ciattarelli just before early voting opened, with plans for another discussion before Election Day. Given that turnout will be pivotal in this close race, the involvement of Trump and prominent Republican supporters might galvanize voters who typically don’t participate during non-presidential years.
“We’re aiming at one in four Republicans, who generally vote only in presidential elections,” Ciattarelli added. “Local GOP organizations have done a fantastic job getting these individuals to mail in their ballots and vote early.”
Despite the historical dominance of Democrats in New Jersey, Republicans have maintained competitiveness in gubernatorial elections, winning five out of the last ten. While Democrats currently possess a substantial voter registration lead, Republicans have managed to reduce the gap in recent elections.
Interestingly, while Trump lost New Jersey by a smaller margin in last year’s presidential race compared to his previous campaign, Ciattarelli believes that a growing number of residents now support Trump compared to a few years ago.
Ciattarelli not only anticipates a personal win in the election but also expects that Republicans could gain control of the state Legislature, which has been under Democratic control for almost 25 years. “In 2021, we managed to flip eight seats; this time, I believe we can flip 13 seats,” he projected.
The town hall occurred amidst new polling data showing a close race, with Sherrill currently in the lead, though only by a narrow margin according to various polls. This reflects a broader trend where New Jersey voters often prefer to elect governors from the party holding the presidency. However, it’s worth noting that this preference has shifted over the years.
