The race for Governor of New Jersey between Democrat Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli is tied, 43%-43%, with 11% still undecided, according to a new Emerson College Polling/Pix 11/The Hill poll released his morning.
This is the first poll since 2024 in which Sherrill, a four-term congresswoman, is not in the lead, either in the Democratic primary or in a head-to-head matchup with Ciattarelli in the general election. This independent poll mirrors an internal poll conducted by Ciattarelli campaign pollster Adam Geller that put the race at one point: 46% for Ciattarelli and 45% for Sherrill.
The poll puts Donald Trump underwater at a 41%-51% job approval rating, while Gov. Phil Murphy is upside-down at 35%-44%.
“The first Emerson College general election survey of New Jersey’s 2025 election for governor reveals a tightly contested race in the Garden State,” Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, said. “Young voters, under 40, break for Sherrill by large margins, 58% to 24%. The race tightens to seven points among voters in their 40s, with Sherrill leading 47% to 40%, then Ciattarelli flips the script among voters over 50, leading Sherrill 52% to 36% among this group.”
Almost one-third of voters (30%) believe utility companies are responsible for the rising utility costs; 22% think the governor is responsible, 7% think the federal government is responsible, and 4% think the grid operator is responsible; 35% think all of these are responsible.
“New Jersey Democrats blame utility companies for the cost of utilities at 36%, whereas Republicans blame Governor Murphy at 36% — independents are split between the governor (27%) and utility companies (23%),” Kimball added.
The Emerson College Poling survey was conducted between September 22-23 with a sample size of 935 likely voters and has a margin of error of +/- 3.5%.