The New Jersey governor’s race is heating up 11 months before the election

“On the Republican side, Jack Ciattarelli probably raised more money. “He was the candidate in 2021, lost to (Governor) Phil Murphy by about three points and hasn’t stopped running since,” he said.

Woolley said another GOP contender, conservative radio host Bill Spadea, has registered to campaign across the state.

“He is a staunch Trumper and is supported by one of the most important leaders of the Republican Party,” he said, referring to Ocean County Republican Chairman George Gilmore, who endorsed Spadea this summer.

New Jersey state Sen. Jon Bramnick, who did not support President-elect Trump, is also in the Republican race, as is former Republican state Sen. Ed Durr. State Senator Michael Testa has been mentioned as a possible candidate but has not officially declared his candidacy.

Among Democrats, Congressman Josh Gottheimer of North Jersey has already raised more than $20 million for his campaign, Dworkin said, and Sean Spiller, president of the New Jersey Education Association, has millions of dollars in his war chest; However, they are not currently considered the frontrunners.

“Most analysts would say it was Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill of Northern New Jersey,” Dworkin said.

Woolley agreed that Sherrill appears to have the edge.

“She’s the only woman on the Democratic side, or actually on both sides in this race, and she has the ability to raise money, but she also seems to have the ability to get a lot of very important endorsements,” Woolley said.

He said Jersey’s gubernatorial election was always some sort of reaction to a newly elected president.

“It’s likely that this will give the Democratic candidate some boost in the general election,” he said. “Simply because New Jersey voters tend to react against whoever is in the White House.”

Dworkin said Democratic voters will have a choice about what type of candidates they would vote for when they go to the primary next June.

“One focused on standing up to Trump or will the Democrats return to their roots as a mainstream working-class party that is not focused on Trump but on making New Jersey affordable,” he said.

Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and former state Senate President Steve Sweeney are running in the Democratic primary.