First Public Poll of New Jersey General Election Shows Gov. Murphy with Solid Lead Over Ciattarelli
A new poll in the New Jersey governor’s race found Gov. Phil Murphy beating Republican nominee Jack Ciattarelli by 26 points, 52 to 26. The poll showed Gov. Murphy receiving solid support among Democrats, 83%, compared to only 67% of Republicans who said they’d support Ciattarelli. A polling analyst at Rutgers University said, “Murphy currently has a stronger lock on his base than Ciattarelli and beats him among independents right now by a double-digit lead.”
Ciattarelli’s shaky support with his Republican base is unsurprising given his lackluster performance in the primary. Less than 50% of the GOP electorate voted for him, showing the uphill battle Ciattarelli faces to secure support from the GOP base. This poor showing comes even after Ciattarelli spent the primary running further and further to the right, desperately trying to out-Trump his fellow Republican opponents.
Ciattarelli openly embraced Trump’s toxic agenda, calling it, “good for America.” Ciattarelli also headlined a ‘Stop the Steal’ rally and called Trump “the standard-bearer” of the Republican Party.
While Ciattarelli remains stuck in the lies of Donald Trump’s failed presidency, Gov. Murphy continues to deliver for working families. In his first term, Gov. Murphy delivered for working families, expanding access to health care and enacting monumental climate reforms. Now, as he guides the state down the road to recovery, New Jerseyans continue to overwhelmingly approve of Gov. Murphy’s steady leadership.
“Ciattarelli is a weak candidate who can’t even rally his far-right base behind his toxic agenda,” said DGA Senior Communications Advisor Christina Amestoy. “New Jerseyans face a choice this November between regressing back to the Christie and Trump era or continuing to build a stronger New Jersey under Gov. Murphy’s leadership. Gov. Murphy’s continued support from voters across the political spectrum shows that for an overwhelming majority of New Jerseyeans, the choice is clear.”