TOTOWA, N.J. (AP) — The New Jersey Republican Party is seeking to capitalize on Donald Trump’s 2024 election momentum by fielding a gubernatorial candidate. Jack Ciatarelli He courted voters in an important and traditionally Democratic stronghold that helped the president make gains in the state.
Mr. Ciattarelli and Virginia candidate Winsome Earl Sears have been criss-crossing their respective states, and Mr. Trump spoke during a call with voters later Monday. This follows their adversary, a U.S. congressman. Mikie Sherrill And Abigail Spanberger campaigned over the weekend with former President Barack Obama.
It’s a delicate balance for Republicans, who want to capture some of Mr. Trump’s electoral energy by attracting conservative voters who don’t vote often, without allaying concerns about increased costs. Democrats are urging voters to view this off-season election as a referendum on President Trump’s economic policies and efforts to expand his power.
President Trump said Monday that Virginia voters should support “high-turnout Republicans” to make the state more affordable. “The Republican Party will take back everything you want,” he said in a virtual town hall with Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
Still, the president seemed hesitant to assert himself on the campaign trail. Despite his tirade against Spanberger, Trump avoided a key opportunity to endorse Earl Sears by name. The lieutenant governor did not speak during the call.
In his call to Ciattarelli, President Trump raved about the former congressman and business owner who loves his state and fights to lower costs.
“Mikie Sherrill will send New Jersey into a death spiral,” the president said.
Ciatarelli visited a crowded Irish bar in Passaic County, one of the traditionally blue areas that highlighted President Trump’s strength in 2024. This is also the county where the Justice Department plans to send pollsters.
At the bar, a reporter points out the president’s absence from the campaign trail and asks Ciatarelli, “Is Trump a ‘debt’ to him?” ” he asked. The candidate was also asked to respond to attacks from his opponents who say they won’t stand up to the Republican president.
“New Jerseyans know who I am, and I will fiercely protect the 9 million residents of this state every day,” Ciatarelli said.
The stop featured a surprise appearance by the candidate’s son, Army Capt. Jake Ciattarelli, who had flown in from Kuwait and appeared in uniform. Department of Defense regulations place broad restrictions on troops participating in partisan activities, especially uniforms, in an effort to maintain the military’s historically apolitical role in American society.
Sherrill, a Democratic opponent, spoke in Morristown, where the first Congressional campaign of 2018 began. She sought to hold the New Jersey contest on clear national terms.
“If the federal government refuses to implement the programs it should be implementing for New Jerseyans, it’s up to the next governor to recover as much money as possible from the federal government and take it to court,” Sherrill said. She took advantage of the Trump administration’s decision to abruptly freeze funding for the Hudson River project to replace an aging rail tunnel linking New Jersey to New York City.
In Virginia, Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin was knocking on the door of Spanberger and other Democrats. He said he’s confident Democrats’ focus on affordability will pay off Tuesday.
Martin said he felt the diverse candidates, from Spanberger and Sherrill to the party’s New York mayoral candidate Zoran Mamdani, performed well because they put the economy at the forefront of their campaigns.
“People are going to vote on what’s in their pocketbook, what’s on the kitchen table, what’s in their family’s worries about their future before any other issue they care about,” Martin told The Associated Press.
