Vance Critiques New Jersey Leadership, Backs Ciattarelli

On Tuesday, Vice President J.D. Vance criticized the leadership in New Jersey, labeling it as “shitty” and urged residents to support Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli in the gubernatorial race.

Vance expressed in a post on X, “If you live in New Jersey, please go out and vote for Jack. New Jersey is a great state, but it has suffered under crappy leadership for far too long.”

Ciattarelli is locked in a tight contest with Democrat Mikie Sherrill for the governorship. The last Republican to hold this position was Chris Christie from 2010 until 2018. The current governor, Phil Murphy, who is a Democrat, is set to retire in January 2026 due to term limits.

This support for Ciattarelli came shortly after former President Barack Obama visited New Jersey to campaign alongside Sherrill.

Obama referred to Sherrill as “a future governor” during an event in Newark, emphasizing the critical opportunity for voters to elect leaders who could foster a better future for New Jersey. He elaborated on the current state of politics, describing it as filled with “malfeasance, carelessness, and spiteful exuberance in this White House.”

In a show of support, former President Trump also endorsed Ciattarelli, stating on Truth Social that “Jack will be a great governor and has my full and complete support,” while assuring followers that he “will never let you down.”

This gubernatorial race has captured national attention, particularly since it follows Ciattarelli’s previous campaign against Murphy in 2021, where he lost by just under 100,000 votes.

As the polls are set to close in New Jersey at 8 PM ET, results will start rolling in shortly after.