Democrat Mikie Sherrill, a former Navy pilot, wins N.J. governor’s race

Democrat Mikie Sherrill is projected to become the next governor of New Jersey with a victory Tuesday night over Republican Jack Ciattarelli.

In a high-stakes contest centered on affordability, immigration and housing development, Sherrill was declared the winner by the Associated Press just before 9:30 p.m. The former Navy helicopter pilot and federal prosecutor from Montclair held a solid lead with 57% of the vote after roughly 65% of ballots had been counted.

All results in the chart below are unofficial until certified by election officials.

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New Jersey Governor election results

Sherrill, a four-term congresswoman in New Jersey's 11th District, will become the second woman to serve as governor of New Jersey. Republican Christine Todd Whitman was the first, serving from 1994 to 2001. Sherrill's win Tuesday night marks the first time either party has won three consecutive elections since 1961.

"I know you New Jersey and I love you," Sherrill said in her acceptance speech Tuesday night. "… I've spoken with thousands of you over this last year. I know your struggles, I know your hopes and I know your dreams. So serving you is worth any tough fight I have to take on, and I'm incredibly honored to be your next governor."

Sherrill's campaign focused on strategies to contain the rising costs of utilities and housing in New Jersey. She has called for freezing electricity rates during her first year in office, expanding state assistance for first-time home buyers and working more closely with municipalities to redevelop underutilized properties for new homes.

Sherrill also vowed to push back against the Trump administration's immigration enforcement tactics and defend the Constitution in the event that National Guard troops are deployed to cities in New Jersey. Her other campaign promises include investing in NJ Transit, increasing the transparency of health care costs and expanding child care services for parents.

Ciattarelli, a businessman and former state assemblyman for New Jersey's 16th District, fell short again in his third run for governor. The Trump-backed Republican narrowly lost to Gov. Phil Murphy in 2021 and leaned on his ties to the president to court voters in this year's race.

Ciattarelli campaigned on a 10-point affordability plan that called for cutting and capping property taxes, reforming New Jersey's school funding formula and developing a new energy policy to create savings for ratepayers. Ciattarelli, who grew up in Raritan, also sought to steer new housing development to New Jersey's cities to slow down what he called "overdevelopment" in suburban communities.

On the campaign trail, Ciattarelli backed federal policies targeting sanctuary cities that provide havens for undocumented immigrants and vowed to strengthen law enforcement in New Jersey.

Tuesday's race in New Jersey was one of several in the U.S. – along with Virginia's gubernatorial election and New York City's mayoral contest – that are viewed as potential tests of the Trump administration's popularity among voters ahead of next year's midterm elections. In Virginia, Democrat Abigail Spanberger is projected to beat Republican Winsome Earle-Sears. And in New York City, Democrat Zohran Mamdani is the projected winner over independent Andrew Cuomo.

New Jersey's gubernatorial race was projected to be the most expensive in the state's history and was marked by contentious debates and negative campaign ads.