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“We ran as the lower taxes, lower costs governor, and as a fighter for hardworking Jersey families, and we finished the campaign that way,” Gottheimer said in his concession speech. “I still believe that’s what’s best for Jersey, and for the Democratic Party in our state and beyond.”
Sherrill will take on former state Assembly member Jack Ciattarelli in November, the latter’s second try for the governorship. The easy winner in Tuesday’s Republican primary, Ciattarelli lost a closer-than-expected race to outgoing New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy four years ago.
Ashley Koning, director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, told JNS that Gottheimer wound up fighting with Sherrill over the same voters, and she had the edge from the beginning.
“She has always been the slight favorite and frontrunner,” Koning said. “She has clearly been the establishment candidate and overshadowed Gottheimer in that respect. They both took up the same lane on the same side, as being these moderate members of Congress.”
A former Navy pilot and federal prosecutor, Sherrill flipped a Republican-held House district in 2018, two years after Gottheimer did the same.
Gottheimer has been an outspoken supporter of Israel and helped lead the fight to release the hostages, whom Hamas captured on Oct. 7, 2023. He rejoiced when the terror group finally released hostage Edan Alexander, who grew up in New Jersey.
The Jewish congressman was endorsed by the Vaad, an influential group of Orthodox rabbis in Lakewood, N.J., and surrounding areas.
But Gottheimer’s pro-Israel advocacy might have invited some blowback, according to Koning. New Jersey has the seventh largest number of Arab American residents, according to the Arab American Institute, a Washington nonprofit.
“It clearly wasn’t a major issue in terms of the rhetoric, but it doesn’t mean voters didn’t consider that issue at the polls,” Koning told JNS.
Polls showed a tight contest going down to the wire, but Sherrill wound up winning easily. The Associated Press called the race for the four-term congresswoman just 39 minutes after polls closed.
“We all shared one vision: a New Jersey that works for everyone,” Sherrill said of her primary opponents in her victory speech. “Opportunity, affordability, community. That’s what we’re all fighting for.”
Gottheimer was fourth among the six candidates in the Democratic field, with more than 90% of the vote counted. He trailed Sherrill, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, but led New Jersey Education Association president Sean Spiller and former state Senate president Steve Sweeney.
Gottheimer was hoping to join Matt Meyer (Delaware), Jared Polis (Colorado), Josh Green (Hawaii), J.B. Pritzker (Illinois), Josh Shapiro (Pennsylvania) and Josh Stein (North Carolina) as Jewish chief executives of U.S. states. Instead, he said he will seek re-election to the House next year.
This was the first gubernatorial election where candidates endorsed by county political parties did not get prime spots on the primary ballots.
Congressman Gottheimer lost his bed for governor in the primary because he went a really poor campaign. He had horrible ads laughable. In fact he had a horrible campaign strategy and he comes off as Mr. nice guy. It had nothing to do with the support of Israel
The consensus was many Jewish people did not vote for him along with many others did not vote for him. Congresswoman Sherrill last I saw I had over 220,000 votes to his 60,000 something votes. He needs to be in Congress and he needs to be getting some gumption and coming out and really supporting not only his constituents but supporting democracy and supporting the constitution, if he was a speech, writer, let him write his own speeches. I think he’s been a very nice person and I’m now in his district and I’m sure his district office really cares about his constituents, but in terms of being a governor of the state of New Jersey he came across very weak, so stop trying to make his loss about his support of Israel-supporting Israel does not mean supporting the killing of all the Palestinians -Supporting the state of Israel and speaking out about the executions perpetrated by Hamas on October 7 and the tragedy of the hostages killed and wanting to free the other remaining hostages or have bodies of those who have died in captivity released that is you mean did not lose the election for Josh Gottheimer
I like Josh Gottheimer as my representative, but I voted for congresswoman SHERILL-I like what I heard… I like what I saw I admire her so much for her service to this country and yes, she can stand up against the authoritarianism that wants to overtake our state and this country. We cannot have a republican elected if so, we’re doomed, but I did not think Josh Gottheimer has the moxie to stand up to Donald Trump and all the MAGAs
Congressman Gottheimer lost his bid for Governor in and the primary because he was weak and ran a really poor campaign. He had horrible ads laughable. In fact he had a horrible campaign strategy
He lost by over 140,000 votes
It had nothing to do with the support of Israel
The consensus was many Jewish people did not vote for him
Congresswoman Sherrill last I saw I had over 220,000 votes to his 60,000 something votes. He needs to be in Congress and he needs to be getting some gumption and coming out and really supporting not only his constituents but supporting democracy and supporting the constitution. If he was a speech, writer, let him write his own speeches. I think he’s been a very nice person and I’m now in his district and I’m sure his district office really cares about his constituents, but in terms of being a governor of the state of New Jersey he came across very weak, so stop trying to make his loss about his support of Israel-supporting Israel does not mean supporting the killing of all the Palestinians -Supporting the state of Israel and speaking out about the executions perpetrated by Hamas on October 7 and the tragedy of the hostages killed and wanting to free the other remaining hostages or have bodies of those who have died in captivity released did not lose the election for Josh Gottheimer
I like Josh Gottheimer as my representative, but I voted for congresswoman SHERILL-I like what I heard… I like what I saw I admire her so much for her service to this country and yes, she can stand up against the authoritarianism that wants to overtake our state and this country. We cannot have a republican elected Governor -if so, we’re doomed, but I did not think Josh Gottheimer has the moxie to stand up to Donald Trump and all the MAGAs