Democrat Mikie Sherrill holds an 8-point lead over Republican Jack Ciattarelli, according to a new poll of New Jersey’s gubernatorial race.
The Quinnipiac University poll of likely voters released Wednesday found Sherrill, a four-term congresswoman, with 49% support, compared with 41% for Ciattarelli, a former assemblyman who was also the GOP candidate for governor in 2021. Third-party candidates picked up about 2% combined, while 4% of respondents were undecided.
Quinnipiac pollster Tim Malloy said Sherrill’s edge in the race “is by no means a sure-fire indication she’s headed to Trenton.” She and Ciattarelli are vying to succeed Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat who cannot seek a third term in November.
“Republican voters are more enthusiastic about voting for their candidate than Democrats are about theirs, though the difference is not dramatic,” Malloy said.
This is the third poll in as many months that found Sherrill leading by single digits in the governor’s race. A July Fairleigh Dickinson University poll gave Sherrill an 8-point lead, and she led by nine points in a Rutgers University poll from August.
Republicans have dismissed polls, citing those of the 2021 gubernatorial race that gave Murphy a wide margin over Ciattarelli. Murphy ended up winning that race by three points.
Taxes remain the top issue on voters’ minds this year, with nearly a third of respondents reporting it was the most important of 11 issues presented to them. Forty-six percent of respondents said Ciattarelli would do a better job handling property taxes, while 40% said Sherrill.
Atlantic Cape Community College is hosting a series of events this week to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War and to honor local veterans.
“You can bet in the weeks leading up to the election, Ciattarelli will be portrayed by his team as a problem solver with a solid business background who is better equipped to corral property tax rates, the overwhelming concern for registered New Jersey voters,” Malloy said.
The poll says Republicans’ top three issues are taxes, immigration, and crime, while Democrats are worried about ethics in government, health care, and taxes.
President Donald Trump gets poor marks in the survey. Fifty-five percent of respondents said they disapprove of the way Trump is handling his job, and 50% said they would like to see the next governor stand up to the president.
Sherrill holds a 20-point advantage with women voters, with 55% percent backing her over Ciattarelli. Malloy said that’s common nationally, as more women cast ballots than men, and Republicans take heat for their records on abortion.
“Virtually every GOP candidate faces that hurdle,” Malloy said.
This story first appeared on the New Jersey Monitor.
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