GOP Candidate Endorsed By Key Democrat In High-Profile Race

The race for New Jersey’s next governor just became a whole lot more interesting after a top Democrat in the state switched parties to endorse the Republican nominee.

Garfield Mayor Everett E. Garnto, Jr., a Democrat, will change his party registration and sign on with the campaign of Republican Jack Ciattarelli.  The endorsement is expected to be announced on Thursday, according to the NJ Globe.

The city of Garfield, 12 miles north of Newark, serves as a bellwether community in a state that swung dramatically to the right in 2024. It is the fifth-largest city in Bergen County.

Four years ago, Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy narrowly carried Garfield, 51% to 49%; last year, however, the city’s 32,000 voters delivered a 9-point margin of victory to President Donald Trump, underscoring how its working-class base has abandoned the Democratic Party in droves.

About 77% of the city is white, with another 32% reporting some level of Hispanic background, the outlet states.

Garnto, a former school board member and president of the Garfield Police Benevolent Association Local 46, was elected to the city council in 2024 and selected by his colleagues to serve as mayor.

Polling has shown Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) with varying leads over Ciattarelli, with a recent lead of 9% while 17% of voters remain undecided.

Sherill, a former Navy helicopter pilot, leaned into her veteran background in a new ad released this week, saying her time in the military taught her the importance of “either find a way or make one.”

In contrast, Ciattarelli has focused on immediate cost-of-living issues, promising in his latest ad to utilize executive powers to lower energy bills and reduce property taxes.

“Folks, it’s time to fix New Jersey. When I’m governor, we will,” he said in his newest ad.

Garnto’s endorsement is a boon for Ciattarelli, a onetime Trump critic who has since patched things up with the fickle president. He is running with Trump’s endorsement, a double-edged sword that cuts both ways in the deep-blue state of New Jersey.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris narrowly won the Garden State in 2024, beating Trump 52% to 46%. She vastly underperformed former President Joe Biden, who carried the state by 16 points in the 2020 election.

The contest is one of two gubernatorial elections in 2025, the other being in Virginia, that serve as bellwethers for how the electorate feels heading into a midterm year.

Ciattarelli has also garnered the endorsement of Dover Mayor James P. Dodd and Garfield Deputy Mayor Tana Raymond, both Democrats. They were among the local Democratic officials who endorsed former Gov. Chris Christie in his 2013 reelection campaign.

Also backing Ciattarelli is Jamel Holley, a Democrat who served in the State Assembly and as mayor of Roselle, the Globe reports.