New Jersey gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2021

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New Jersey gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial
Democratic primary Republican primary General election
Election details
Filing deadline: April 5, 2021
Primary: June 8, 2021 General: November 2, 2021 Pre-election incumbent(s): Gov. Phil Murphy (D) Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver (D)
How to vote
Poll times: 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Voting in New Jersey
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Democratic Sabato's Crystal Ball: Likely Democratic Inside Elections: Solid Democratic
Ballotpedia analysis
Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2021 Impact of term limits in 2021 State government trifectas State government triplexes Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2021
New Jersey executive elections
Governor Lieutenant governor

Phil Murphy (D) defeated Jack Ciattarelli (R), Madelyn Hoffman (G), Gregg Mele (L), and Joanne Kuniansky (Socialist Workers Party) in the election for governor of New Jersey. Murphy received 51.2 percent of the vote and Ciattarelli received 48.0 percent of the vote.

This election (alongside the 2021 legislative elections) helped determine New Jersey's trifecta status for the next two years. Heading into the election, New Jersey was a Democratic trifecta, with Democrats holding the governor's office and majorities in both chambers of the state legislature.

Between 1992 and 2021, Republicans held the governorship for 16 years and Democrats held the governorship for 14 years. Heading into the 2021 election, the last Democratic governor to win re-election was Brendan Byrne in 1977. Since then, two sitting Democratic governors, Jim Florio (1993) and Jon Corzine (2009), lost re-election to Republican challengers.

In 2017, Murphy defeated then-Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno 56 percent to 42 percent. In that election, Murphy out-raised Guadagno $13.3 million to $3.9 million and out-spent her $9.8 million to $3.3 million. This cycle, based on post-general election reporting, Muprhy outraised Ciattarelli $16.3 million to $15.4 million and outspent Ciattarelli $16.4 million to $15.8 million.

Charles Stile of NorthJersey.com called the election a "race to the bottom" in a September 2021 article, citing Murphy and Ciattarelli's negative attacks targeting the other. Murphy used campaign ads and events to portray Ciattarelli as out of touch with the state's electorate and wanting to impose former President Donald Trump's (R) agenda on the state. Ciattarelli highlighted issues such as taxes and the handling of sexual abuse allegations to frame Murphy as an elected official who does not understand the needs of average New Jerseyites.

In New Jersey, gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial candidates run together on joint tickets. The lieutenant gubernatorial candidates were Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver (D), former state Sen. Diane Allen (R), Heather Warburton (G), Eveline H. Brownstein (L), and Vivian Sahner (Socialist Workers Party). The office was created as the result of a constitutional amendment to the New Jersey State Constitution passed by the voters on November 8, 2005, and effective as of January 17, 2006. The New Jersey Constitution requires that the governor appoint the lieutenant governor to head at least one principal department or agency, though that position may not be the attorney general's office.

At the time of the election, two of the three major race rating outlets rated the general election as Solid Democratic and the third rated it as Likely Democratic.

For more information about the Democratic primary, click here.
For more information about the Republican primary, click here.

Candidates and election results

Governor

General election

General election for Governor of New Jersey

Incumbent Phil Murphy defeated Jack Ciattarelli, Madelyn Hoffman, Gregg Mele, and Joanne Kuniansky in the general election for Governor of New Jersey on November 2, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Phil Murphy (D)	51.2	1,339,471
		Jack Ciattarelli (R)	48.0	1,255,185
		Madelyn Hoffman (G)	0.3	8,450
		Gregg Mele (L)	0.3	7,768
	Submit photo	Joanne Kuniansky (Socialist Workers Party)	0.2	4,012

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,614,886
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Robert Edward Forchion Jr. (Legalize Marihuana Party)
• Justin Maldonado (Independent)
• David Winkler (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of New Jersey

Incumbent Phil Murphy defeated Lisa McCormick in the Democratic primary for Governor of New Jersey on June 8, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Phil Murphy	100.0	382,984
		Lisa McCormick (Write-in)	0.0	0

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 382,984
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Roger Bacon (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of New Jersey

Jack Ciattarelli defeated Philip Rizzo, Hirsh Singh, and Brian Levine in the Republican primary for Governor of New Jersey on June 8, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jack Ciattarelli	49.5	167,690
		Philip Rizzo	25.7	87,007
		Hirsh Singh	21.6	73,155
		Brian Levine	3.3	11,181

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 339,033
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Doug Steinhardt (R)

Lieutenant governor

General election

General election for Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey

Incumbent Sheila Oliver defeated Diane Allen, Heather Warburton, Eveline H. Brownstein, and Vivian Sahner in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey on November 2, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sheila Oliver (D)	51.2	1,339,471
		Diane Allen (R)	48.0	1,255,185
		Heather Warburton (G)	0.3	8,450
		Eveline H. Brownstein (L)	0.3	7,768
	Submit photo	Vivian Sahner (Socialist Workers Party)	0.2	4,012

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,614,886
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Candace Wagner (Socialist Workers Party)

Recount laws in New Jersey

See also: Recount laws in New Jersey

New Jersey does not have an automatic recount provision, but recounts may be requested within 17 days of the election. Any candidate may request a recount and the requester is responsible for the cost of the recount unless the election outcome changes.

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff compiled a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy.

Gubernatorial candidates

Phil Murphy

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: Yes

Political Office: 

• Governor of New Jersey (Assumed office: 2018)
• U.S. Ambassador to Germany (2009-2013)
  

Biography:  Murphy graduated from Harvard University and the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Murphy worked for Goldman Sachs, where he led the firm's Central Europe operations in Germany.

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Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

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Murphy said Ciattarelli was out of touch with the state's citizens and also said Ciattarelli would use the position of governor to enact an agenda similar to that of former President Donald Trump (R).

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Murphy highlighted education in a campaign ad. He said he would expand access to digital devices for students, increase preschool funding, and establish a program to allow low-income students to receive two years of tuition-free education at public colleges and universities.

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Murphy said that his response during COVID-19 "led New Jersey from being one of the hardest-hit states by COVID-19 to a national model in pandemic response." His campaign website highlighted the establishment of testing sites, distribution of federal aid, and vaccination campaigns as part of his pandemic response.

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Show sources

Sources: NorthJersey.com, "'Hit him hard': The contest for NJ governor is already a race to the bottom," September 7, 2021 ; Phil Murphy's 2021 campaign website, "On the Issues," accessed September 8, 2021; The New York Times, "Despite Similarities, Candidate for New Jersey Governor Says He’s No Corzine," November 2, 2016

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Governor of New Jersey in 2021.

Jack Ciattarelli

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: 

New Jersey General Assembly District 16 (2011-2018)

Biography:  Ciattarelli received a B.S. in accounting and an M.B.A in finance from Seton Hall University. His professional experience includes being a publisher and the owner of Galen Publishing, LLC.

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Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

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Ciattarelli criticized the Murphy administration and said it was indifferent to victims of sexual abuse and harassment in ads released by the campaign. The ads focused on 2017 legislative testimony by a former Murphy staffer.

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Ciattarelli said he would lower property taxes and reduce taxes for all income brackets. In a campaign ad, Ciattarelli criticized Murphy for a 2019 statement that Ciattarelli said implied residents who did not agree with the state's current tax structure should leave.

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Ciattarelli criticized Murphy's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and said Murphy's administration harmed students and small businesses through its forced closures of schools and businesses. Ciattarelli said that he would repeal Murphy's mask mandate for students if elected governor.

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Show sources

Sources: NorthJersey.com, "'Hit him hard': The contest for NJ governor is already a race to the bottom," September 7, 2021 ; Jack Ciattarelli's 2021 campaign website, "Jack's Plan," accessed September 8, 2021; Jack Ciattarelli's 2021 campaign website, "Jack's Story," accessed September 8, 2021

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Governor of New Jersey in 2021.

Madelyn Hoffman

Party: Green Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "I am a long-time member of the Green Party of New Jersey who was Ralph Nader's vice-presidential running mate for New Jersey in 1996 and the Green Party candidate for Governor in 1997. Prior to that, I worked as the director of the Grass Roots Environmental Organization for almost 20 years with over 200 grass roots and municipal organizations, concerned about toxic chemical pollution in New Jersey. I then worked for almost 20 years as the director of New Jersey Peace Action, on non-violent resolution of international conflict and protection of civil liberties and civil rights. In 2018 and 2020, I ran for U.S. Senate in New Jersey. My 38,288 votes in 2020 were the 2nd highest vote total for a statewide Green Party candidate in NJ, behind only Ralph Nader in 2000. I am also an adjunct professor of public speaking and political science and have been since 1997."

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Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

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We need an eco-socialist Green New Deal and a workers' bill of rights. We have no time to wait!!

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Get big money out of politics! Our campaign takes no money from corporations or Political Action Committees (PACs).

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More Voices, More Choices -- grass roots democracy requires Ranked Choice Voting!!

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Governor of New Jersey in 2021.

Lieutenant gubernatorial candidates

Heather Warburton

Party: Green Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "Heather Warburton was born in Delaware and moved to NJ after college. She is a graduate of Stockton University with a degree in visual arts. Heather is an artist, activist, and podcaster on Create Your Future Productions, and is currently living in South Jersey. She had been affiliated with the Green Party since 2016. Her activism focuses on income inequality, the environment, and LGBTQ rights."

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Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

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A real Green New Deal to address the catastrophic impacts of climate change. This is a massive undertaking that needs to happen immediately. We can't negotiate with the rising seas and need bold direct targeted action.

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Free K-college education for residents of New Jersey. It is unfair to saddle young people with tens of thousands of dollars of debt at the start of their lives. We will focus on a program of funding that is fair and not based on where you live.

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Grassroots Democracy - implementing a ranked choice voting system, ending the ballot line, lowering voting age, and getting big money out of politics.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey in 2021.

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2021: General election polls
Poll	Date	Murphy	Ciattarelli	Other	Undecided	Margin of error	Sample size	Sponsor
Fairleigh Dickinson University	October 23-28, 2021	53%	44%	3%	0%	± 3.4	823	N/A
Monmouth University	October 21-25, 2021	50%	39%	2%	9%	± 3.1	1,000	N/A
Emerson College	October 15-18, 2021	50%	44%	0%	7%	± 3.9	600	N/A
Stockton University	September 17-25, 2021	50%	41%	5%	3%	± 4.1	552	N/A
Monmouth University	September 16-20, 2021	51%	38%	2%	9%	± 3.5	804	N/A
Fabrizio Lee	August 24-29, 2021	43%	41%	3%	14%	± 4.0	600	Club for Growth PAC
Monmouth University	August 11-16, 2021	52%	36%	3%	9%	± 3.5	810	N/A
Fairleigh Dickinson University	June 9-16, 2021	48%	33%	5%	14%	± 3.5	803	N/A
Rutgers University	May 21-29, 2021	52%	26%	11%	10%	± 3.1	1,004	N/A

Satellite spending

See also: Satellite spending

Satellite spending, commonly referred to as outside spending, describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.

This section lists satellite spending in this race reported by news outlets in alphabetical order. If you are aware of spending that should be included, please email us.

Race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

• Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
• Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
• Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.
• Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.

Race ratings: New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2021
Race tracker	Race ratings
	November 1, 2021	October 26, 2021	October 19, 2021	October 12, 2021
The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter	Solid Democratic	Solid Democratic	Solid Democratic	Solid Democratic
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales	Solid Democratic	Solid Democratic	Solid Democratic	Solid Democratic
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball	Likely Democratic	Likely Democratic	Likely Democratic	Likely Democratic
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every week throughout the election season.

Noteworthy endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please click here.

Noteworthy endorsements
Endorsement	Murphy (D)	Ciattarelli (R)
Newspapers and editorials
The Star-Ledger	✔
Elected officials
Ridgewood Mayor Susan Knudsen (R)	✔
Seaside Heights Mayor Anthony Vaz (R)	✔
Individuals
Former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley (R-S.C.)		✔
Organizations
American Federation of Teachers New Jersey	✔
Associated Builders and Contractors New Jersey Chapter		✔
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees	✔
National Organization for Women of New Jersey	✔
New Jersey Education Association	✔
New Jersey State Council of Machinists	✔
New Jersey State Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association	✔
Port Authority Police Benevolent Association	✔
Professional Firefighters Association of New Jersey	✔
Service Employees International Union New Jersey		✔
State Troopers Fraternal Association	✔

Timeline

2021

• October 2021(click to collapse)

  October 2021

  • October 29, 2021: Fairleigh Dickinson University released a poll showing Murphy leading Ciattarelli 53% to 44%.
  • October 27, 2021: Monmouth University released a poll showing Murphy leading Ciattarelli 50% to 39% with 9% of voters undecided.
  • October 21, 2021:
    • Emerson College released a poll showing Murphy leading Ciattarelli 50% to 44% with 7% of voters undecided.
    • The Star-Ledger endorsed Murphy.
  • October 12, 2021: Murphy and Ciattarelli participated in a debate in Glassboro.
  • October 5, 2021: The Associated Builders and Contractors New Jersey Chapter endorsed Ciattarelli. Oliver and Allen participated in a debate at Rider University in Lawrenceville.

• September 2021(click to expand)

  September 2021

  • September 29, 2021: Stockton University released a poll showing Murphy leading Ciattarelli 50% to 41% with 3% of voters undecided.
  • September 28, 2021: Murphy and Ciattarelli participated in a debate in Newark.
  • September 23, 2021: Service Employees International Union New Jersey endorsed Murphy.
  • September 22, 2021: Monmouth University released a poll showing Murphy leading Ciattarelli 51% to 38% with 9% of voters undecided.

Campaign advertisements

This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.

Phil Murphy

Supporting Murphy

"Parkway" - Murphy campaign ad, released October 28, 2021

"If You" - Murphy campaign ad, released October 19, 2021

"We are Union Strong" - Murphy campaign ad, released September 20, 2021

"Sidewalk" - Murphy campaign ad, released September 16, 2021

"My Job" - Murphy campaign ad, released September 16, 2021

"The heart of New Jersey" - Murphy campaign ad, released September 7, 2021

"Quality education from day one" - Murphy campaign ad, released August 27, 2021

"Easy" - Murphy campaign ad, released May 30, 2021

"Bakery" - Murphy campaign ad, released May 19, 2021

"No Other" - Murphy campaign ad, released May 11, 2021

Opposing Ciattarelli

"Imagine" - Murphy campaign ad, released October 28, 2021

"Repeated" - Murphy campaign ad, released September 30, 2021

"Echo" - Murphy campaign ad, released September 16, 2021

"Our Way" - Murphy campaign ad, released September 15, 2021

"Hired" - Murphy campaign ad, released June 21, 2021

Jack Ciattarelli

Supporting Ciattarelli

"We Will" - Ciattarelli campaign ad, released October 23, 2021

"This Election Day, you make the call." - Ciattarelli campaign ad, released September 20, 2021

"Differences" - Ciattarelli campaign ad, released August 19, 2021

Opposing Murphy

"Help Wanted" - Ciattarelli campaign ad, released October 22, 2021

"Too Extreme" - Ciattarelli campaign ad, released October 21, 2021

"Kitchen Table" - Ciattarelli campaign ad, released October 19, 2021

"Threat" - Ciattarelli campaign ad, released October 19, 2021

"Death Sentence" - Ciattarelli campaign ad, released October 18, 2021

"Who" - Ciattarelli campaign ad, released October 13, 2021

"Ignored" - Ciattarelli campaign ad, released September 24, 2021

"Failed" - Ciattarelli campaign ad, released September 23, 2021

"Phil Murphy's Orbit" - Ciattarelli campaign ad, released August 30, 2021

"Sick" - Ciattarelli campaign ad, released August 30, 2021

"Not A Priority" - Ciattarelli campaign ad, released August 23, 2021

"One Issue" - Ciattarelli campaign ad, released August 12, 2021

"Blame The Heat" - Ciattarelli campaign ad, released August 8, 2021

Satellite group ads

Click "show" to the right to see satellite group ads.
Opposing Ciattarelli "Real New Jerseyans React to Jack Ciattarelli's Swearing Ban" - New Jersey Democratic State Committee ad, released October 11, 2021

Debates and forums

The following debates were scheduled for this election:

October 12, 2021

Murphy and Ciattarelli participated in a debate at Rowan University in Glassboro. A video of the debate is embedded below.

October 12 debate

October 5, 2021

Oliver and Allen participated in a debate at Rider University in Lawrenceville. Click here to view a full video of the debate.

September 28, 2021

Murphy and Ciattarelli participated in a debate at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark. A video of the debate is embedded below.

September 28 debate

Campaign themes

See also: Campaign themes

Phil Murphy

Campaign website

Murphy’s campaign website stated the following:

“	Affordable Housing Phil Murphy is committed to strengthening New Jersey’s position as the best place in America to raise a family. Clean Energy and the Environment Phil Murphy has proudly taken steps to combat climate change and protect New Jersey’s air, water, and natural resources for a stronger, fairer, and more sustainable future. COVID-19 Response Phil Murphy faced up to the challenge from the very beginning, following the data and science to help New Jersey get through the worst of the pandemic. Through his leadership, millions of New Jerseyans have been vaccinated, moving our state forward. Criminal Justice Reform Phil Murphy believes a stronger New Jersey is one that ensures and protects justice for all. Although much work remains, he has placed New Jersey at the forefront of the national fight for fairness in the criminal justice system. Economy and Jobs Phil Murphy believes that the economy thrives when every New Jerseyan, in every community, benefits from its growth. Education New Jersey has the number one public education system in the country, bolstered by large investments under Phil Murphy’s leadership. Equality and Justice Phil Murphy wants to build a stronger, fairer, and more equitable state for the over nine million residents who call New Jersey home. Gun Safety In his first campaign, Phil Murphy committed to standing up to the gun lobby and combating senseless gun violence. In his first term, he has lived up to that commitment, making communities across New Jersey safer. Health Care Despite the Trump administration’s repeated attacks on the Affordable Care Act, Phil Murphy has fought hard to make health care in New Jersey more accessible, more affordable, and more transparent. Mass Transit and Infrastructure Restoring NJ TRANSIT to its rightful place as a national model for safe, efficient, and customer-driven mass transit is at the core of Phil Murphy’s vision for a stronger and fairer New Jersey. Property Taxes Phil Murphy is focused on delivering real and lasting property tax relief. Small Businesses Phil Murphy has deployed relief to help hard-hit small businesses get back on their feet and encourage new ones to grow. Veterans Phil Murphy is upholding New Jersey’s commitment to honor veterans and active-duty servicemembers who have answered the call to serve. Voting Rights Phil Murphy knows that democracy is stronger and more representative when more people vote. That’s why he has fought to make it easier — not harder — for New Jerseyans to participate in the political process.	”
—Phil Murphy’s campaign website (2021)

Jack Ciattarelli

Campaign website

Ciattarelli’s campaign website stated the following:

“	Lower Property Taxes Lower property taxes to make home ownership more affordable Reform the tax code to help families and make New Jersey competitive Stronger Economy Build an open economy to promote growth and opportunity for all Upgrade infrastructure to improve safety and facilitate commerce Stand With Law Enforcement Restore respect for the rule of law Protect police and fire pensions Rights & Freedoms Fix our broken immigration system Defend the rights of law-abiding citizens Promote healthy children and families Secure & Fair Elections Affordable Healthcare Make healthcare more affordable and protect medical freedom Freedom for Freelancers New Jersey workers deserve the freedom to decide their own employment arrangements. They don’t need - or want - big government to limit their dreams of being an entrepreneur, or hinder the high-earning potential that independent, self-employed... Improve Education & Empower Parents Education is the foundation upon which our children’s futures are built, and no one understands a child’s educational needs better than the child's parents. However, the jarring experience of school closures and remote learning during the pandem... Revitalize New Jersey Cities Create a cabinet-level position exclusively dedicated to transformative urban community planning that will oversee the further development, implementation, and accountability of these policies Honoring And Thanking Veterans Fully investigate the high death and infection rates from Covid-19 in our state-run veterans’ nursing homes, hold those responsible to account, and ensure nothing like that ever happens again. Preserve funding for military and veterans’ affairs and the earned benefits of veterans	”
—Jack Ciattarelli’s campaign website (2021)

Madelyn Hoffman

Campaign website

Hoffman’s campaign website stated the following:

“	Madelyn Hoffman and Heather Warburton have a comprehensive, inclusive, and transformative plan to create a more sustainable, more democratic, and more just Garden State. Environmental Justice Social and Racial Justice Economic Justice and COVID-19 Relief Grassroots Democracy Education Healthcare	”
—Madelyn Hoffman’s campaign website (2021)

Gregg Mele

Campaign website

Mele’s campaign website stated the following:

“	End the Lockdowns Lockdowns don't provide any significant added safety benefit, according to science. They especially hurt small business and the poor. They serve to expand the wealth gap and advance crony capitalism. We have never quarantined the healthy. Everyone should have the choice to stay home or go out. Address Small Business, Taxes, and Leaving the State Our current governor suggests that, if you don't like paying taxes, you are welcome to leave New Jersey. His strategy is working for the people of our state, who can no longer afford to stay here. The mass exodus we are experiencing in New Jersey is unprecedented, and will continue until policies change. Small businesses are struggling with fees and taxes that are crippling their ability to stay afloat and provide jobs for others. This is causing many businesses to close permanently, and many others to leave the state. Meanwhile, many small businesses have been shut down while mega-stores were kept open to benefit the current governor's cronies. We are now left with a budget gap that can't be closed without a federal bailout, money that also comes from you. With the talent pool in our workforce, there is no need for government dependency, if spending were even marginally responsible. Then the people could continue to support their families, with no need for any increase in government spending. Promote School Choice/Home Schooling Consumer Options Competition always incentivizes better performance, and education is no different. School choice will foster competitive educational institutions, to the benefit of our children. With more efficiently-organized administrations, costs can come down dramatically. By encouraging school choice and home schooling, where tax revenue follows the student, we can lead the way in academic performance. Reduce Medical Regulation / Enable Consumer Choice With COVID-19 cases rising, there is more need for increased hospital and treatment capacity. Obstacles to our private-sector health care workers need to be removed, and COVID-19 patients need access to drugs that have already been approved elsewhere. Most disturbing, under the current governor's direction, our vulnerable seniors have been slaughtered in nursing homes receiving COVID-19 patients. Maintaining Transit and Roadway Infrastructure Once again, in spite of raising taxes on a number of occasions for infrastructure projects, our public transit rail system is still rated the worst. Our roads cost more to maintain per mile than in any other state. Where does the money go? Where is the improvement? Clearly, we can't count on funds being spent effectively and efficiently by our current governor. It will take a more competitive contracting and bidding process to improve this situation for everyone. Encourage Private Sector Innovation to Fight Climate Change American innovation has already led to a competitively low level of carbon emissions, due to government enabling the private sector to respond to consumer demand for responsible, clean-energy options. New Jersey, however, has the most business- and innovation-unfriendly environment in the nation. Our state needs to take a reality-based look at the pros and cons of all energy options and encourage innovative techniques as an example to the world. Adherence to the Second Amendment Everyone has a right to protect themselves and their families. There are already too many rules and regulations that make gun ownership difficult, and ever-increasing, unduly prohibitive fees and costs of gun ownership. This is an end-around way of violating people's Second Amendment rights, simply to close the current governor's irresponsible budget gap, and it has to be reversed. What's Next for the Legalization Issue The People have already spoken regarding legalization. The next step must be to immediately release all prison inmates currently held for simple possession. Going forward, this should not turn into a government/pharmaceutical monopoly with extraordinarily high taxation, just to further fund wasteful spending in the current governor's budget.	”
—Gregg Mele’s campaign website (2021)

Joanne Kuniansky

Kuniansky’s official candidate statement said the following:

“

Joanne Kuniansky is a union fighter who has worked in oil refineries, railroads, meat packing. She currently is a Walmart deli-worker. The Socialist Workers Party builds solidarity with todays’ labor battles, from striking Alabama coalminers to Nabisco workers. Workers face defending themselves from bosses demanding we give up hard won gains. Kuniansky travelled to Alabama to join a miners’ support rally and got messages of support and contributions from her co-workers to their strike fund. Unions must lead workers to get vaccinated and get back to work, putting us in the best position to fight bosses’ attacks and build solidarity with union struggles, fights against cop brutality. With millions unemployed and rising inflation, unions need to fight for a federally funded public works program to put millions to work at union-scale wages building hospitals, schools, housing that workers need. Shorten the workweek with no cut in pay to stop layoffs! Cost-of-living clauses in every contract that raise pay and retirement benefits to offset every price rise! Workers must break from the bosses’ Democratic and Republican parties and build a political party of our own, a labor party, based on our unions. The SWP aims to be part of building the leadership we need to unify all those exploited by the capitalist class and replace their rule with a workers and farmers government. Deaths in the wake of Hurricane Ida are an indictment of capitalist rule and all the parties that defend it. Workers were swept away in their cars, drowned in basement apartments. Thousands left to fend for themselves, homeless and without power. The deadly lack of preparedness and belated government response turned a “natural” disaster into a social catastrophe. The government in Cuba organizes workers and farmers to confront these deadly forces of nature with minimal loss of life. That is only possible because workers and farmers were organized by their communist leadership to make a socialist revolution – to take political power into their own hands and take control of the factories, land and banks from the capitalists, transforming themselves in the process. My campaign points to the necessity of working people in the U.S. emulating that example and building a party here that can lead millions to make a socialist revolution. Along that road working people need to fight for the right of women to family planning, including safe and secure birth control and abortion, essential for winning women’s emancipation. Protest ongoing attacks on the right to choose abortion. The working class needs our own foreign policy, we share common class interests with working people worldwide. We oppose all Washington’s wars and demand an immediate end to its embargo of Cuba and the sanctions it inflicts on the peoples of Iran, Venezuela and North Korea. The SWP calls for unconditional recognition of Israel as a refuge for Jews. We urge unions to protest Jew hatred - a deadly danger to advancing the class interests and solidarity of all workers and toiling farmers.

”

Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

Two of 21 New Jersey counties—9.5 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County	Trump margin of victory in 2016	Obama margin of victory in 2012	Obama margin of victory in 2008
Gloucester County, New Jersey	0.48%	10.77%	12.16%
Salem County, New Jersey	15.00%	1.31%	3.92%

In the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton (D) won New Jersey with 55.5 percent of the vote. Donald Trump (R) received 41.4 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, New Jersey voted Democratic 46.67 percent of the time and Republican 53.33 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, New Jersey voted Democratic all five times.

Election history

New Jersey state government organizational chart

See also: Gubernatorial election cycles by state and Election of governors

New Jersey belongs to the handful of states that hold off-year elections, that is, elections in off-numbered years that are neither presidential nor midterm years. In New Jersey's case, elections are held in the year after a presidential and before a midterm; thus, 2021, 2025, 2029, and 2033 are all gubernatorial election years. Legally, the inauguration is always held the third Tuesday in the January after an election.

2017

See also: New Jersey gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2017

New Jersey held an election for governor and lieutenant governor on November 7, 2017. Governor Chris Christie (R) was term-limited and ineligible to run for re-election. New Jersey elects its governor and lieutenant governor together on a joint ticket.

The general election took place on November 7, 2017. The primary election was held on June 6, 2017. The filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in the primary election was April 3, 2017.

The following candidates ran in the election for Governor and Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey.

New Jersey Gubernatorial and Lieutenant Gubernatorial Election, 2017
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Phil Murphy/Sheila Oliver	56.03%	1,203,110
	Republican	Kim Guadagno/Carlos Rendo	41.89%	899,583
	Independent	Gina Genovese/Derel Stroud	0.57%	12,294
	Libertarian	Peter Rohrman/Karese Laguerre	0.49%	10,531
	Green	Seth Kaper-Dale/Lisa Durden	0.47%	10,053
	Constitution	Matt Riccardi	0.32%	6,864
	Independent	Vincent Ross/April Johnson	0.23%	4,980
Total Votes (6385/6385 precincts reporting)				2,147,415
Source: New Jersey Division of Elections

Kim Guadagno defeated Jack Ciattarelli, Hirsh Singh, Joseph Rudy Rullo, and Steve Rogers in the Republican primary.

New Jersey Republican Gubernatorial Primary, 2017
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Kim Guadagno	46.82%	113,846
Jack Ciattarelli	31.08%	75,556
Hirsh Singh	9.76%	23,728
Joseph Rudy Rullo	6.51%	15,816
Steve Rogers	5.84%	14,187
Total Votes		243,133
Source: New Jersey Division of Elections

Phil Murphy defeated Jim Johnson, John Wisniewski, Ray Lesniak, Bill Brennan, and Mark Zinna in the Democratic primary.

New Jersey Democratic Gubernatorial Primary, 2017
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Phil Murphy	48.42%	243,643
Jim Johnson	21.91%	110,250
John Wisniewski	21.57%	108,532
Ray Lesniak	4.83%	24,318
Bill Brennan	2.24%	11,263
Mark Zinna	1.04%	5,213
Total Votes		503,219
Source: New Jersey Division of Elections

To view the full electoral history for Governor of New Jersey, click [show] to expand the full section.

2013 See also: New Jersey gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2013 General On November 5, 2013, Chris Christie and Kim Guadagno (R) won re-election as Governor and Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey. They defeated the Buono/Silva (D), Kaplan/Bell (L), Welzer/Alessandrini (I), Sare/Todd (I), Araujo/Salamanca (I), Schroeder/Moschella (I) and Boss/Thorne (I) ticket(s) in the general election. Governor and Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey, 2013 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Chris Christie & Kim Guadagno 60.3% 1,278,932      Democratic Barbara Buono & Milly Silva 38.2% 809,978      Libertarian Kenneth Kaplan & Brenda Bell 0.6% 12,155      Independent Steven Welzer & Patricia Alessandrini 0.4% 8,295      Independent Diane Sare & Bruce Todd 0.2% 3,360      Independent William Araujo & Maria Salamanca 0.2% 3,300      Independent Hank Schroeder & Patricia Moschella 0.1% 2,784      Independent Jeff Boss & Robert Thorne 0.1% 2,062 Total Votes 2,120,866 Election Results Via: New Jersey Department of State Primary Governor of New Jersey Republican Primary Election, 2013 Candidate Vote % Votes Chris Christie Incumbent 91.9% 205,666 Seth Grossman 8.1% 18,095 Total Votes 223,761 Election results via New Jersey Department of State. 2009 Christie first won election as Governor of New Jersey in 2009, unseating Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine. Christie ran on a ticket with Kim Guadagno. Governor and Lt. Governor of New Jersey, 2009 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Chris Christie and Kim Guadagno 48.5% 1,174,445      Democratic Jon Corzine and Loretta Weinberg Incumbent 44.9% 1,087,731      Independent Christopher Daggett and Frank Esposito 5.8% 139,579      Independent Kenneth Kaplan and John Paff 0.2% 4,830      Independent Gary Steele and Theresa Nevins 0.1% 3,585      Independent Jason Cullen and Gloria Leustek 0.1% 2,869      Independent David Meiswinkle and Noelani Musicaro 0.1% 2,598      Independent Kostas Petris and Kevin Davies 0.1% 2,563      Independent Gregory Pason and Costantino Rozzo 0.1% 2,085      Independent Gary Stein and Cynthia Stein 0.1% 1,625      Independent Joshua Leinsdorf and Ubaldo Figliola 0% 1,021      Independent Alvin Lindsay, Jr. and Eugene Harley 0% 753      (None) Personal Choice 0% 108 Total Votes 2,423,792 Election results via New Jersey Secretary of State 2005 On November 8, 2005, Jon Corzine won election to the office of Governor of New Jersey. He defeated Douglas Forrester, Hector Castillo, Jeffrey Pawlowski, Matthew Thieke, Richard Codey, and Ed Forchion in the general election. Governor of New Jersey, 2005 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Jon Corzine 53.6% 1,224,551      Republican Douglas Forrester 43.1% 985,271      Independent Hector Castillo 1.3% 29,452      Libertarian Jeffrey Pawlowski 0.7% 15,417      Green Matthew Thieke 0.5% 12,315      Independent Richard Codey Incumbent 0.4% 9,668      Legalize Marijuana Ed Forchion 0.4% 9,137 Total Votes 2,285,811 Election results via http://nj.gov/state/elections/election-results/2005_official_gen_elect_gov.pdf. 2001 On November 6, 2001, James McGreevey won re-election to the office of Governor of New Jersey. He defeated Bret Schundler, William Schluter, Jerry Coleman, Mark Edgerton, George Watson Jr, Michael Koontz, Constantino Rozzo, and Kari Sachs in the general election. Governor of New Jersey, 2001 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic James McGreevey 56.4% 1,256,853      Republican Bret Schundler 41.7% 928,174      Independent William Schluter 1.1% 24,084      Green Jerry Coleman 0.3% 6,238      Libertarian Mark Edgerton 0.2% 4,684      Free New Jersey George Watson Jr 0.1% 2,568      NJ Conservative Michael Koontz 0.1% 1,949      Socialist Constantino Rizzo 0.1% 1,537      Socialist Workers Kari Sachs 0% 1,078 Total Votes 2,227,165 Election results via .

Ballot access requirements

The table below details filing requirements for gubernatorial candidates in New Jersey in the 2021 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in New Jersey, click here.

Filing requirements for gubernatorial candidates, 2021
State	Office	Party	Signatures required	Signature formula	Filing fee	Filing fee formula	Filing deadline	Source
New Jersey	Governor	Democratic	1,000	Fixed number	N/A	N/A	4/5/2021	Source
New Jersey	Governor	Republican	1,000	Fixed number	N/A	N/A	4/5/2021	Source
New Jersey	Governor	Unaffiliated	800	Fixed number	N/A	N/A	6/8/2021	Source

About the office

Governor

See also: Governor of New Jersey

The New Jersey governor is an elected constitutional officer, the head of the executive branch and the highest state office and only elected statewide office in New Jersey. The governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality and is limited to two consecutive terms. The 64th and current governor is Phil Murphy (D). He was first elected in November 2017.

Lieutenant governor

See also: Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey

The New Jersey lieutenant governor is an elected constitutional officer, the second-ranking officer of the executive branch and the first officer in line to succeed the governor of New Jersey. The lieutenant governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality. The current lieutenant governor is Sheila Oliver (D). She was first elected in 2017.

See also: New Jersey State Legislature, New Jersey General Assembly, New Jersey State Senate

State profile

Demographic data for New Jersey
	New Jersey	U.S.
Total population:	8,935,421	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	7,354	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	68.3%	73.6%
Black/African American:	13.5%	12.6%
Asian:	9%	5.1%
Native American:	0.2%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0%	0.2%
Two or more:	2.5%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	19%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	88.6%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	36.8%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$72,093	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	12.7%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in New Jersey. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in New Jersey

New Jersey voted for the Democratic candidate in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

Pivot Counties (2016)

Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, two are located in New Jersey, accounting for 0.97 percent of the total pivot counties.

Pivot Counties (2020)

In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. New Jersey had one Retained Pivot County and one Boomerang Pivot County, accounting for 0.55 and 4.00 percent of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.

More New Jersey coverage on Ballotpedia

• Elections in New Jersey
• United States congressional delegations from New Jersey
• Public policy in New Jersey
• Endorsers in New Jersey
• New Jersey fact checks
• More...

See also

2021 Elections

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External links

Suggest a link

• Office of the Governor of New Jersey