New Jersey primaries: What to watch as Democrats and Republicans choose candidates for governor

New Jersey voters are heading to the polls on Tuesday to pick nominees for this year’s race for governor, in the first high-profile primaries for both parties since the 2024 election.

New Jersey voters are heading to the polls on Tuesday to pick nominees for this year’s race for governor, in the first high-profile primaries for both parties since the 2024 election.

New Jersey is one of two states with a gubernatorial race this year, along with Virginia. And both contests will be closely watched as early indicators of how voters are responding to President Donald Trump’s second term.

Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy cannot run for re-election due to term limits, so there are contested races for both parties’ nominations. Candidates and groups have spent $85 million on ads this year in both primaries, according to to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact, with more than $75 million spent in the Democratic primary alone.

As Democrats nationally have tried to regroup following Trump’s 2024 victory, where he also narrowed his margin of victory in bluer states like New Jersey, the six Democratic candidates have presented different paths forward for their party. And the race is still unsettled heading into the primary.

On the Republican side, five candidates are on the ballot — but former state Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, whom Trump endorsed in mid-May, is viewed as the front-runner.