Takeaways from New Jersey's primaries for governor: How the candidates are handling Trump and more

The matchup in New Jersey's race for governor is officially set — and Tuesday’s primaries also laid down big indicators about the state of both political parties after the first major intraparty contests since the 2024 election

The matchup in New Jersey's race for governor is officially set — and Tuesday’s primaries also laid down big indicators about the state of both political parties after the first major intraparty contests since the 2024 election.

Republican Jack Ciattarelli, a former state legislator, easily won his party’s primary with President Donald Trump’s endorsement, underscoring Trump’s significant sway over the GOP electorate.

U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill won the crowded Democratic primary, pitching herself as the candidate with the best shot at holding on to the governorship and steering past ideological and antiestablishment sentiment simmering in her party. She defeated candidates who were to her left and to her right.

The race to replace term-limited Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, one of two governor’s races this year, is expected to be competitive. Trump lost the state by 6 percentage points in November, a 10-point swing in his direction compared with his 2020 margin.

Here are five takeaways from Tuesday’s primaries: