Politics
NEW: GOP Holds Enthusiasm Edge In Closely Watched Gubernatorial Race
Supporters of Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli in New Jersey are more enthusiastic to vote for their candidate as opposed to those of Democrat challenger Mikie Sherrill, according to a recent survey.
The poll, which was conducted by Quinnipiac University, found that 91 percent of Ciattarelli supporters are enthusiastic to vote for him. There was a notable gap in voter feeling towards Sherrill, as just 86 percent of her supporters said the same.
Despite the enthusiasm gap, Sherrill is still maintaining a polling lead in the state both in polling averages and the Quinnipiac survey, the latter of which found her leading by six. Ciattarelli has received a number of encouraging polling results in recent weeks, however, causing averages to tighten.
According to the Decision Desk HQ polling average, Sherrill currently holds a 4.5-point lead, down from eight just a month ago. This falls in line with trends observed by several reputable pollsters in recent weeks.
On Sunday, Fox News released a poll showing Sherill up by four after finding her ahead by seven in September. Another recent poll from Quantus Insights found Sherrill leading by two percentage points with an additional six percent of respondents remaining undecided. This marks a massive increase for Ciattarelli when compared with the outfit’s Labor Day poll, which found Sherrill leading by 10.
Sherrill’s polling slump comes as the campaign has been reeling from a scandal dating back to the Democrat lawmaker’s time at the U.S. Naval Academy.
Last month, a bombshell report from the New Jersey Globe revealed that Sherrill was barred from walking with her class at the U.S. Naval Academy in 1994 due to her implication in a sweeping cheating scandal that implicated more than 130 midshipmen. A copy of the commencement program from May 25, 1994, which was obtained by the outlet, did not include Sherrill’s name.
The congresswoman told The Globe that she was barred from the ceremony after failing to report classmates who had been involved in the scandal. “I didn’t turn in some of my classmates, so I didn’t walk, but graduated and was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy, serving for nearly ten years with the highest level of distinction and honor,” Sherrill said.
However, Sherrill’s campaign has rejected a request for a public inspection of any disciplinary records dating back to her time at the academy. The congresswoman’s alleged involvement in the scandal has become a central point of the closely watched race, as she has routinely made her military service a central theme of her campaign.
Sherrill’s campaign is pulling out all the stops in order to reverse the trend, which includes a newly-released endorsement from former President Barack Obama.
Early voting in the Garden State is set to begin next week. Republican turnout will likely paint a clear picture of the race due to Democrat edges in mail-in voting,
