The 2024 presidential election was a seismic event that reordered many of the long held political equations. Not only did Republicans win back the presidency they also won the  Senate and House of Representatives. The Democrats now have two governor elections in Virginia and New Jersey to look forward to. So what gives? Virginia and New Jersey have been traditionally blue states , however the lead in Virginia for the Democrats was cut to 5 points, and in NJ the shift for the democrats  was cut from 16 points to 5 points. New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the country, has long been a Democratic leaning one for national elections, having last voted Republican in 1988. In the Governor’s elections,  though, it has often alternated between the two parties. This may very likely make the NJ Governor’s elections, due to be held this November 4, much more competitive. Prior to the general elections, the primaries are set for June 10, 2025. 

Top Issues for the Voters: 

As of writing, New Jersey has been facing a lot of issues lately that have been impacting residents lately such as the affordability of housing, as NJ has faced high property taxes which has caused many people to move out of the state, some of it has been pointed to zoning laws, in which building new houses have been hindered from being built next to cities, where many people go to work which has caused a shortage of houses leading to high costs. Other issues include transportation, as the NJ transit has been facing major troubles with delays for commuters, due to underinvestment and congestion taxing from NY, making NJ drivers pay for taxes when coming. The other major issues (some national), have been reproductive rights as following the return of Trump, there is the risk of a national abortion plan.

Let us look at some of the leading candidates from both parties who aim at succeeding the incumbent Governor, Democrat Phil Murphy whose term expires next year  in 2026.

Democrats       

• Steve Sweeney – Sweeney is a former NJ state senator for over 20 years, having served from 2002 to 2022  as the president.
  • He identifies as fiscal Conservative and  as a moderate. One of his campaign goals is to help lower the cost of housing and keep the prices of healthcare low, while also trying to improve the education system from pre k to 12 th grade.
• Ras Baraka –  Baraka has been the mayor of Newark since 2014. He is the son of the controversial poet Amiri Baraka. During his tenure as Mayor, Baraka has used his to power to decrease Newark’s  crime rate, improve Newark’s schools and education, combat budget deficits and improving the city’s economic prospects
  • One of Baraka’s campaign promises is to help prioritize economic growth, increase housing supply, to help combat in-affordability, boast the education system, and recently and most importantly, use whatever powers the New Jersey state has, in order to protect illegal immigrants from being detained and deported by the ICE(Immigration, custom and enforcement) agency, as part of President Trump’s orders to deport all illegal immigrants.Recently in Newark, ICE agents detained over a hundred thousand undocumented immigrants, including one who happened to be a military veteran, without working with local police, which Mayor Baraka denounced.

• Steve Fulop – Fulop has been the Mayor of Jersey City since 2013.He has sought to introduce reforms within public safety of Jersey City. He has started initiatives that put investment for development within the city, and not in the waterfront, he has sought to revitalize the business parts of Jersey City, and has signed bills making it mandatory requiring paid sick leave for employees in Jersey City.
  • Fulop, however has faced some controversies, during his time as Mayor over handling of certain memorials, and certain initiatives that have affected some of Jersey City’s residents in a negative way. As governor, he intends to improve housing, and end any income inequality caused by long time segregation. He also plans to fight corruption in the NJ state government, reshape higher education and focus on special needs for education opportunities.

• Sean Spiller – Spiller is the former Mayor of Montclair,current president of the New Jersey Education Association,and a  former science teacher and coach. He has focused on helping members confront challenges that affect public education, school employees, and students and their families, and addressing issues involving student debt and limited access to healthcare and underfunded communities as critical issues.
  • As governor he  intends to increase the rate of housing work with municipalities to help meet their housing obligations, limit the corporate buy up of properties, and invest in foreclosure and eviction prevention programs. He intends to champion workers, unions, to bargain for better wages, as part of his pro labor views, invest in clean energy, lower the cost of healthcare, implement price caps on certain prescription drugs, and require pricing and cost transparency from our hospitals and insurance companies.

• Mikie Sherill – Sherill is a United States representative from NJ 11th Congressional district. She  has denounced congestion taxing, as she sees it as a cash grab from NJ commuters. She has also supported both impeachments of President Trump in his first term. She has consistently voted with former President Biden’s acts he proposed.
  • For Governor, she has focused on allowing business environment for food retailers, allowing competition to bring down grocery bills, while trying to fight for tax relief, and increase new home construction, as a way to increase the supply of housing to bring down the price of houses and unlock economic growth. She has additionally focused on trying to increase the coverage for women undergoing abortion, and putting a right within New Jersey’s constitution to protect reproductive freedom.
• Josh Gottheimer – Gottheimer is another US Representative from the 5th Congressional district (this includes Bergen County). He has  positioned himself as a moderate, leaning towards bipartisanship. He has formed the problem solver caucus, attempting to work on key issues with both parties.
  • He is well known for fighting against New York’s congestion tax, helping lead support for the bipartisan infrastructure bill, the SALT deduction act, though he was initially hesitant to support the build back better act in 2021, he did ultimately support it. For Governor, he is proposing to cut property taxes, to make Jersey less expensive, and tries to fight against anything he believes is a threat to Jersey values.

Republicans

• Jack Ciattarelli – Ciattarelli is a former assemblyman, who served in New Jersey’s state legislature. He previously ran in the 2021 Governor race, where he lost to the incumbent Governor, Phill Murphy. For this election, he is proposing to reduce state spending, lower income taxes, end sanctuary cities (cities or places that allow or house illegal immigrants), create NJ’s own department of government efficiency, to manage spending, improve education and allow moderate policies on abortion.

• Ed Durr – Durr is  a former state Senator, who unseated Steve Sweeney (see above) in 2022, though he was unseated in 2024. For Governor, he intends to eliminate property tax and sales tax, to pursue pro business policies, while taking a firm stand against abortion. He is seen as a more conservative figure. 

• Jon Brammick- A State senator, who has been serving since 2022.He has positioned himself as a moderate, and has even criticized Trump himself. As governor he intends to simplify income tax and adjust them for inflation, he plans  to do  property tax relief fund to fully fund schools and return any excess state funding to property taxpayers, as a way to reduce average property taxes. He  wants to increase support for law enforcement officers, by implementing  warrant task forces to help improve the state law enforcement and effectively apprehend individuals with arrest warrants.
• Bill Spadea- Spadea is a radio host, who is known to lean far-right, he previously tried to run in New Jersey state legislature, but it failed. He is known for promoting conspiracy theories and misinformation during the covid 19 pandemic, and criticized Governor Murphy response to the pandemic and Murphy in general.For governor he aims to cut the state  budget and reduce taxes, while restructuring school funding to alleviate property taxes, as well as trying to end policies that benefit illegal immigrants and prevent NJ from becoming a sanctuary state for illegals.