Trump-Backed Gubernatorial Candidate Picks Up Significant Endorsement As Race Tightens

The New Jersey Fraternal Order of Police (NJ FOP) endorsed Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli on Tuesday, marking a significant shift for the union as polls show a razor close race.

“I am honored to have the faith, trust, and confidence of the [NJ FOP] leadership and, of course, their membership,” the Trump-backed candidate announced in an X post. “As Governor, I will do everything in my power to support law enforcement – and their families. Working in close partnership, we can and will make communities all across New Jersey safe.”

“In a number of ways, the job of law enforcement has never been more difficult, which is why recruitment, retention and morale is down. We can change all that by restoring respect for authority, law and order and, most of all, the men and women in blue who are trained and dedicated professionals very much committed to serving and protecting.”

The New Jersey FOP does not always issue an endorsement in the state’s gubernatorial race. It’s most recent endorsement went to outgoing Governor Phil Murphy, a Democrat, in 2017, while the union opted not to issue an endorsement in the race between Murphy and Ciattarelli in 2021.

If elected, Ciattarelli has vowed to repeal the state’s Immigrant Trust Directive, which restricts local police from working closely with federal immigration authorities. He has also stated that his attorney general will scrap all of the Garden State’s ongoing lawsuits against the Trump Administration in order to save money and focus on the people of New Jersey first.

The endorsement comes as multiple recent polls show a tight race after Democratic Party candidate Mikie Sherrill has maintained a sizable lead in polling averages throughout the duration of the race. One recent survey from National Research found Ciattarelli leading 46 percent-45 percent in a two-way race, a figure that includes a 21-point lead among voters not registered with either major party.

That poll was followed up by a survey from Emerson College on Wednesday, which found the race tied.

The New Jersey gubernatorial race is one of the most closely watched of the off-year cycle, however, as Republicans are seeking to capitalize on massive gains in the 2024 presidential election.

In 2020, Democrats accounted for 38 percent of registered voters in New Jersey while Republicans comprised 22 percent of the electorate. Ahead of the 2024 Election between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Republican share of the electorate had climbed to 24 percent, cutting into the share of both Democrat and unaffiliated voters in the state.

New Jersey ultimately shocked election analysts this past November, when the state experienced one of the widest rightward shifts in the country. Former Vice President Kamala Harris defeated President Trump by just under six percentage points in the state, securing 51.8 percent of the vote to Trump’s 45.9 percent.  For comparison, President Biden carried New Jersey with 57.3 percent of the vote in 2020, while just 41.4 percent voted for Trump.

The last gubernatorial race in New Jersey was also defined by a massive polling miss, further raising GOP hopes in the Garden State.

A National Research survey conducted in June of 2021 found incumbent Democrat Governor Phil Murphy, who is set to be term-limited, leading Ciattarelli by 12 percentage points. Murphy enjoyed a massive polling advantage leading up to Election Day, though the race ended up being razor close despite a massive fundraising advantage for the Democrat incumbent.

Murphy ultimately won by roughly three percentage points after polling averages projected a double-digit victory.