Ciattarelli claims GOP nomination for New Jersey governor for a second time

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For the second time, Jack Ciattarelli has earned the Republican nomination for New Jersey governor, defeating former talk show host Bill Spadea.

The Associated Press called the race at 8:17 p.m, with Ciatarelli capturing 67.5% of the vote with 17% of votes counted.

“It’s about vision, not division,” Ciattarelli told a crowd of supporters gathered at Bell Works in Holmdel to celebrate his victory. “We won because of our positive energy. We won because we talked about the issues that matter, the critical issues facing our state and my plan for a safer, more prosperous and affordable New Jersey.”

Ciattarelli will now face Democratic U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill in November’s general election.

Track New Jersey’s 2025 primary election results as they come in.

The Republican nominee said he will travel to parts of the state where his party colleagues won’t go, giving residents in those areas the respect they deserve.

Jean Cantave, of Morris County, said he met Ciatarrelli in Newark at a campaign stop.

“I got to ask him a few questions, and he was very genuine about it,” Cantave said. “He had a plan as far as what he wanted to do if he get elected governor. And it was a great conversation.”

The former assemblyman, who earned the endorsement of President Donald Trump, was able to stave off Spadea, former Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario Kranjac, construction business owner Justin Barbera and state Sen. John Bramnick. Bramnick was the only candidate to not embrace President Donald Trump and his policies.

Former state Sen. Ed Durr dropped out of the race last March and supported Spadea.

Andrew Karpuk, of Cape May County, lauded Ciattarelli’s victory and said Trump’s endorsement was “awesome.”

“I just feel like the state of New Jersey is ready for something different, something new, something refreshed,” he said.

Ciattarelli nearly ended Gov. Phil Murphy’s re-election hopes as the GOP nominee in 2021. Murphy, however, squeaked through by 3%, becoming the first Democrat in more than four decades to win a second term.

Ciattarelli’s key campaign issues include capping property taxes to a percentage of an assessed home value, enacting term limits for state legislators and mandating all state employees return to an in-person five-day work week.

He wants to repeal the state’s Immigrant Trust Directive and has pledged to create a New Jersey version of the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, also referred to as DOGE.

Marianne Candiloros, a Somerset County resident and Ciattarelli supporter, said she would like to see the Garden State “get back to what it used to be.”

“I think we live in the greatest state in the country, and I would like to see our electric bills not go up 20%,” she said. “I would like to see our schools improve and not continue to decline, which they are right now.”