Voters across New Jersey will vote in a new governor on Tuesday in a closely watched contest between Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) and Republican Jack Ciattarelli.
Ahead of Election Day, The Daily Princetonian spoke with several students involved in campus political organizations about how they view the race and its broader implications.
Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy has served as the Garden State’s Governor for the past 12 years. If Sherrill wins, the Democrats will hold the Governor’s seat for the third term in a row, something that has not happened since 1965.
Members from various student political groups including Princeton College Democrats, The Princeton Tory, and Tigers For Israel, weighed in on the race.
College Democrats President Quentin Colón Roosevelt ’27 and Vice President Irène Diane ’27 spoke about why they find the upcoming election important on both state and national levels.
“I think students in general are seeing this as a microcosm of a fight that’s happening on the national level,” Roosevelt told the ‘Prince’ in an interview.
Tuesday marks the first election cycle since President Donald Trump was elected to his second term.
New Jersey is one of two states, along with Virginia, in the United States with a gubernatorial election this year, with its outcome likely serving as an indicator of the national sentiment towards the current administration.
Sherrill has centered her campaign on affordability, pledging to freeze utility‑rate hikes, supporting property‑tax relief, and improving NJ Transit. Ciattarelli is running on cutting income and corporate taxes, capping property taxes, and ending the state’s “sanctuary” policies.
According to a recent poll by AtlasIntel with 1,639 likely voters, Sherrill holds a slim lead with 50.2 percent support while Ciattarelli trails at 49.3 percent.
“This is a really important election, just to show the Trump administration that they’re not going to keep getting away with everything that they’re doing, and to show that the people don’t support them,” Roosevelt told the ‘Prince.’ “It’s really important to have a governor that’s going to stand up for people in New Jersey.”
While Princeton College Democrats do not officially endorse candidates, the group has provided students with information and resources for those interested in campaigning or canvassing. Both Roosevelt and Diane support Sherrill and find her tactics of engaging young voters to be powerful.
“It has been really nice to see a lot of politicians placing an emphasis on engaging those who are a part of the youth demographic,” Diane said.
Max Salzinger ’29, a writer for The Princeton Tory, disagreed with Sherrill’s campaign strategies.
“I think Mikie Sherrill has done a good job making this race about Trump, because she knows that Trump is deeply unpopular in New Jersey, and if she can make the race a referendum on Trump, then she has a high chance of winning,” he said.
“What I think that’s distracted her from is the actual problems relevant to New Jersey voters, primarily of which is the cost of living,” he said, citing rising prices of housing during the Biden administration.
Salzinger said he believes Ciattarelli is “focusing on the issues.”
Maximillian Meyer ’27, president of Tigers For Israel, said he is personally supporting Ciattarelli, though the club has not taken an official stance.
“I support Jack Ciattarelli for his relentless focus on affordability, cutting taxes, resisting the ideological fads that have taken over educational institutions, and combating Jew-hatred in a state experiencing the highest per capita occurrence of antisemitic incidents in the nation,” he wrote in an email to the ‘Prince.’ The Anti-Defamation League reported that statistic for 2024 based on reports made to the organization.
Roosevelt disagreed with Meyer about the solution to affordability problems, arguing that it lies in Sherrill’s emphasis on construction.
“[Sherrill] understands housing prices are so high in New Jersey because we have a lack of housing. The answer is to build more affordable housing and rent-stabilized housing,” Roosevelt said.
“[Ciattarelli] just clearly misunderstands the issues, both on climate change and on housing,” Roosevelt added.
Princeton students are also paying attention to the New York City mayoral race between Democratic nominee Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, Republican Curtis Sliwa, and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent.
Mamdani has campaigned on a rent freeze and fare-free buses, Sliwa has emphasized public safety and quality of life, and Cuomo has focused on affordability, housing, and subway safety.
Both Diane and Roosevelt expressed their unwavering support and admiration for Mamdani’s campaign, while Meyer backed Cuomo. Salzinger agreed with Meyer, adding that he is “deeply scared of a Mamdani win in New York,” but describing Cuomo as “lesser evil of the alternatives.”
Aidan Davis ’26, a Long Island resident and Campaigns Chair for Princeton College Democrats, wrote to the ‘Prince’ that “all eyes are on New York City.”
“Mamdani has clearly captured something with large swathes of voters, regardless of if you agree with him or not,” he added. “A Cuomo victory isn’t off the table though, but Donald Trump endorsing him has its expected supporters and detractors.”
Election day is Nov. 4. Whig-Clio will host a watch party and students can expect voting tallies to appear on county websites by 10 p.m. on election night.
Ambre Van de Velde is a News contributor for the ‘Prince.’ She is from Boston, Mass. and can be reached at av8447[at]princeton.edu.
Lulu Mangriotis is a News contributor for the ‘Prince.’ She is from New York City.
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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