Republican Jack Ciattarelli has conceded the race for New Jersey governor to Democratic incumbent Phil Murphy.

Ciattarelli made the announcement at a news conference Friday afternoon in his hometown of Raritan.

Ciattarelli said Campaign Counsel Mark Sheridan informed him late Thursday that they did not have the votes to win nor trigger a recount.

“And so I called Governor Murphy earlier today and congratulated him on his reelection and wished him well in serving the people of New Jersey,” Ciattarelli said.

The latest election tally shows Democratic Governor Phil Murphy ahead of Ciattarelli by nearly 74,000 votes.

Ciattarelli is a former Assembly member who campaigned on a mix of traditional issues, like lowering the state’s high property taxes, as well as against COVID-19 mandates.
Murphy became that first Democrat to win reelection as governor in 44 years. He focused principally on the progressive agenda he delivered in his first term, including higher taxes on the wealthy and a boosted minimum wage, among other programs.

Ciattarelli said last week that it was too early to concede the election or declare victory. He also urged supporters not to believe unfounded conspiracies and said the result – no matter the outcome – would be fair.
Murphy’s victory was a bright spot for Democrats nationally, though the party lost the Virginia governor’s race even after President Joe Biden carried the state by double digits in last year’s election against Donald Trump.

Despite Murphy’s win, Republicans had an unexpected and important victory in the Legislature with Edward Durr defeating Senate President Steve Sweeney and stunning officials across the state.

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