Phil Murphy Wins Re-Election in New Jersey Governor’s Race

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New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy (D) is projected to win Tuesday’s election, beating out Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli, a former state legislator and businessman.

Cook Political Report’s Dave Wasserman called the race for the Democratic incumbent on Wednesday morning.

Murphy, 64, was expected to win reelection, having led the polls from the start of the campaign. The governor will become the first Democrat in New Jersey to be reelected since 1977.

Ciattarelli, however, did not let the polls discourage his campaign, claiming in interviews that the race remained a close one: “I think he knows that this race is very, very close, and it is,” he said.

Ciattarelli had an uphill battle, facing an opponent who attempted to associate him with Donald Trump in a state where the former president is unpopular. Murphy has focused on attacking Ciattarelli for being present at a “Stop the Steal” rally ahead of January 6, and compared him to white supremacists. Ciattarelli claims that he was unaware of the motivations behind the rally.

Murphy, like many other governor’s, saw a surge in popularity as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Mask mandates and vaccination requirements have remained popular in New Jersey.

The incumbent governor won handily in his 2017 race, as a first time candidate. New Jersey’s governor’s race is one of two this election cycle viewed as potential forecast for next year’s crucial midterm elections.