In a significant political shift, Democrat Mikie Sherrill has emerged victorious over Republican Jack Ciattarelli, becoming the new governor of New Jersey.

Sherrill’s victory dashes the Republican Party’s hopes for a notable upset during this election cycle.

Making history, she is now the second woman and the first Democratic woman to serve as New Jersey’s governor. Her win marks the third consecutive term for Democrats holding this office, a streak not seen since 1961.

The Associated Press declared the race in Sherrill’s favor shortly before 9:30 p.m., as she maintained a lead of over 10 points against Ciattarelli, in what many anticipated to be a closely contested battle.

Sherrill, who is also a member of the House of Representatives, focused her campaign on critiquing the economic policies of President Donald Trump.

Alongside her was Democratic Representative Abigail Spanberger, her D.C. roommate, who similarly enjoyed success by winning the Virginia governor’s race earlier that same night. These victories are set to invigorate the Democratic Party following the political setbacks of the previous year.

Sherrill was elected to Congress in 2018 in an effort to restrain President Donald Trump during his first term, with voters in the Garden State sending a similar message to the White House Tuesday night. 

Exit polls showed Sherrill winning a majority of independents, who will play an important role in next year’s midterm elections. 

New Jersey voters elected Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherill to be the state’s second female governor and first female Democrat to have the job. She gave a victory speech Tuesday night in New Brunswick

Democratic New Jersey gubernatorial hopeful Mikie Sherrill (left) based her campaign on the cost of living, tying Republican hopeful Jack Ciattarelli (right) to President Donald Trump’s economy 

During her victory speech in New Brunswick, Sherrill said Ciattarelli had called to concede the race, recognizing him for his effort. 

She then took several pointed jabs at Trump, mentioning some of the president’s darkest moments, as she commended her husband.

‘And a special thanks to my husband, Jason. Four kids, two dogs, a hamster, numerous campaigns, an insurrection and two impeachments,’ Sherrill said. ‘You have been a truly great partner.’

Sherrill also alluded to the droves of Americans who demonstrated against Trump in the recent ‘No Kings’ protests.

She noted how the sun rises daily on the Statue of Liberty and her message of ‘give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses.’ 

‘She declares that her lamp lights the path to the golden door,’ Sherrill said. ‘That golden door is New Jersey.’

‘It always has been,’ she continued. ‘And that expectation is well-deserved.’

‘Especially after this election, where we chose, we’re going to follow Lady Liberty’s beacon, we’re not going to give in to our darker impulses. Here in New Jersey, we know that this nation has not ever been, nor will it ever be, ruled by kings,’ she said. ‘We take an oath to a Constitution, not a king.’

New Jersey Governor-elect. Mikie Sherrill (left) celebrates with lieutenant gubernatorial candidate Dale Caldwell (right) and members of her family Tuesday night in New Brunswick, New Jersey 

Supporters of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill celebrate her victory Tuesday night in New Brunswick, New Jersey 

After Democrats won in Virginia, New Jersey and democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani beat Trump’s pick, former Governor Andrew Cuomo, for New York mayor, Trump posted to Truth Social, blaming Republican losses on the fact that he personally wasn’t on the ballot.  

Trump never physically campaigned alongside Ciattarelli, though appeared more invested in the race in its final hours. 

Taking to Truth Social several hours before polls closed, the president implored that ‘ALL PATRIOTIC CITIZENS OF THE GREAT STATE OF NEW JERSEY’ vote for Ciattarelli, urging them to get in line before the 8 p.m. deadline. 

Trump claimed that 32,000 Orthodox Jews from New Jersey were backing the Republican, asking students at Jewish schools to follow suit. 

At the White House Monday night, Trump hosted a tele-rally, where the president made clear that he thought Ciattarelli had a better shot of winning his race than Virginia’s GOP gubernatorial candidate, Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears.

The president never mentioned Earle-Sears by name, with her loss in Virginia called early.  

‘You need to go out and vote for Jack Ciattarelli, who’s a great guy, a friend of mine, a great guy, a very successful man, who wants to put all of his efforts now into really saving New Jersey, making it great again, saving it,’ Trump said. ‘And he’s going to do it. He’ll be able to do it. The polls are looking really good.’ 

The final polls showed a narrowing in the race, but no poll ever had Ciattarelli ahead.

Ciattarelli, for his part, earned Trump’s endorsement in May, but had to walk a fine line since he was running in a blue-ish state. 

At the same time, Trump’s absence from the campaign trail suggested that he didn’t think Ciattarelli could pull it off, as New Jersey voters typically select a governor from the opposite party of the president. 

The one time in recent history when they didn’t do that was when Ciattarelli was also on the ballot, against incumbent Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy four years ago.

Ciattarelli lost to Murphy despite Democratic President Joe Biden being in the White House.  

Representative Mikie Sherrill (center) exits a polling site earlier Tuesday after voting for herself as New Jersey’s next governor in Montclair, New Jersey 

New Jersey’s Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Representative Mikie Sherrill (right), got some help campaigning in the Garden State over the weekend thanks to former President Barack Obama (left)  

Republican gubernatorial candidate for New Jersey, Jack Ciattarelli, speaks at a campaign event Monday in Neptune City, New Jersey 

Supporters of Republican hopeful Jack Ciattarelli attend a campaign rally on Monday, ahead of polls opening on Election Day 

Democratic Senator Cory Booker warms up the crowd at Representative Mikie Sherrill’s election night party Tuesday in East Brunswick, New Jersey 

Trump did a good job in 2024 of making gains in New Jersey. 

He lost the state by six points to Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, but that marked a 10-point improvement since his 2020 loss to Biden.

Latino voters in New Jersey moved toward Trump, with Ciattarelli hoping to capitalize on those gains during this off-year race, as he came within three points of beating Murphy in 2021.

Ciattarelli branded himself as the true New Jersey native, with Sherrill having moved to the state after serving as a Navy helicopter pilot. 

Sherrill centered her campaign on the same issue that got Trump reelected last year – lowering prices. 

She nicknamed Ciattarelli the ‘Trump of Trenton’ and also got a boost during the race’s final weekend, campaigning alongside former Democratic President Barack Obama, who remains a popular political figure.