Tue Oct 28 10:00:00 UTC 2025: News Article:

New Jersey Governor’s Race Tightens; Phil Murphy’s Approval Rating a Key Factor

Trenton, NJ – Recent polling indicates a competitive race for New Jersey governor between Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli. While Sherrill has held a lead in many surveys, her advantage appears closely tied to public perception of current Democratic Governor Phil Murphy.

Polls show a correlation between Murphy’s approval rating and Sherrill’s lead. Surveys indicating higher approval ratings for Murphy coincide with larger leads for Sherrill, while those with lower approval ratings show a much tighter race. One Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill poll even showed the race tied, which was attributed to measuring Murphy’s approval rating 10 points lower than other polls.

Ciattarelli has been actively linking Sherrill to Murphy, portraying himself as the candidate for change and blaming the current administration for the state’s economic woes, particularly the affordability crisis. “Politicians like Mikie Sherrill and Phil Murphy just don’t get it,” Ciattarelli stated in a recent ad, highlighting issues like property taxes and electricity rates.

Sherrill, while acknowledging Murphy’s achievements like pension payments and credit rating increases, has also attempted to distance herself on certain issues, particularly rising electricity costs. She also pledged a “culture shift” in Trenton and vowed to fight for more accountability and lower costs for families.

Trump’s influence on the race appears less impactful than Murphy’s approval. While Sherrill aims to capitalize on Trump’s low approval in New Jersey by linking Ciattarelli to the former president, Ciattarelli argues that Trump does not affect local issues like property taxes.

In a recent debate, the candidates were asked to grade the two-term governor, where Sherrill gave Murphy a B and Ciattarelli gave him an F.

Analysts suggest that Murphy’s standing, whatever it may be, is considerably better than former GOP Governor Chris Christie’s at the end of his tenure.

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