the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Trenton NJ, with less than two months until the June primary, the race for the Democratic nomination for New Jersey governor is intensifying, according to a new poll released Friday by Rutgers University’s Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling.
The poll shows Rep. Mikie Sherrill leading the crowded field with 17% support, followed closely by Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop at 12%, a gap that falls within the survey’s margin of error. New Jersey Education Association President Sean Spiller follows with 10%, while Rep. Josh Gottheimer and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka each captured 9% support.
Former State Senate President Steve Sweeney trails the frontrunners with 7%.
Large Number of Voters Still Undecided
Despite the tight race, about one-third of voters remain undecided, and 4% say they are supporting none of the candidates listed. This high level of uncertainty leaves the primary wide open for any candidate to gain momentum as June approaches.
The Democratic candidates are competing to succeed Gov. Phil Murphy, who is term-limited after winning two elections.
This survey marks the first independent poll of the race in several months, offering a more neutral snapshot compared to internal campaign polling.
Sherrill Leads in Favorability
Among the Democratic field, Mikie Sherrill stands out as the only candidate with a net positive favorability rating — 20% of respondents view her favorably versus 14% unfavorably. However, 44% of voters still said they don’t know who she is, highlighting a broader issue across the board: lack of name recognition.
Most other Democratic candidates either break even or have slightly negative favorability ratings, with Steve Sweeney notably underwater at -8 points.
“All of the candidates have made some progress since the fall in terms of voters knowing who they are, but they haven’t made noticeable gains in favorability,” said Ashley Koning, Director of the Eagleton Center, in a press release.
GOP Primary Update: Ciattarelli Takes Early Lead
On the Republican side, former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli — the GOP nominee in 2021 — is the early front-runner, with 42% support among registered Republican voters. Former radio host Bill Spadea holds 12%, and State Sen. Jon Bramnick trails with 4%.
Similar to the Democratic field, about one-third of Republican voters remain undecided.
The Republican primary also carries intrigue over a potential endorsement from former President Donald Trump, which could significantly impact the race. Ciattarelli and Spadea have sparred over who best represents Trump’s agenda, while Bramnick has positioned himself as a Trump critic.
Poll Details
The Rutgers Eagleton Poll was conducted from April 1-10 among 1,058 adults, including 966 registered voters. The margin of error is ±4.1 points for all adults and ±4.3 points for registered voters.
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Democrats stay schemin
we cant let these democrats win. Even if its rigged, we still need to show up to put pressure on them
This is gonna turn into California really quickly unless we get more conservative leadership in this state.