Republican Jack Ciattarelli and Democratic U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill secured victories in their respective primaries Tuesday night, officially setting the stage for a high-stakes race for New Jersey governor this November.

Ciattarelli, a former state assemblyman and small business owner, sailed to victory with the backing of former President Donald Trump, defeating four challengers to clinch the GOP nomination. Sherrill, a former Navy pilot and federal prosecutor, emerged as the Democratic nominee after outpacing a field that included two big-city mayors, a fellow member of Congress, a former state Senate president, and the president of the state’s largest teachers’ union.

Sherrill used her victory speech to take aim at both Ciattarelli and Trump, calling the Republican nominee a “lackey” of the former president and framing the election as a pivotal moment in U.S. politics.

“New Jersey once again stands at the front lines,” she told supporters. “This isn’t a war for independence, but a battle for our future—and we’re ready to fight for it.”

Ciattarelli, who narrowly lost to Democratic Governor Phil Murphy in 2021, positioned his campaign as a referendum on affordability and state governance. Thanking Trump for his endorsement, he told a cheering crowd, “We won because we stayed positive and focused on the issues that matter.”

The audience responded with boos at the mention of Sherrill and Murphy, with Ciattarelli dismissing his Democratic opponent as “Phil Murphy 2.0.”

As the general election approaches, voters can expect fierce debate over New Jersey’s notoriously high cost of living and property taxes. But with Trump actively campaigning for Ciattarelli and Sherrill leveraging her anti-Trump platform, the race is also shaping up as a referendum on the former president’s enduring influece—and the direction of the state in a post-pandemic political landscape.

With only two states holding gubernatorial elections this year, the New Jersey contest is set to draw national attention—and serve as an early test of voter sentiment heading into the 2026 midterms.