By: Fern Sidman

In a rare act of political defiance, Jeff Lewis, a Democratic councilman from Branchville, New Jersey, has publicly broken with his party to endorse Republican Jack Ciattarelli in the state’s increasingly heated 2025 gubernatorial race. The endorsement, reported on Wednesday by Fox News Digital, calls attention to growing unrest among moderate Democrats who say their party has drifted too far left — and who believe Ciattarelli represents a pragmatic alternative capable of addressing the state’s deepening economic and fiscal challenges.

Appearing Wednesday on America Reports, Lewis explained his decision with candor unusual in an election season dominated by partisan loyalty. “She hasn’t done anything to enthuse me,” Lewis said of his party’s nominee, Rep. Mikie Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter pilot and mother of four who has built her campaign around middle-class affordability. “All she keeps running with in her commercials is the fact she’s a helicopter pilot and a mom of four, and she thinks she’s going to be able to lower electrical bills — which I think she’s going to have a very hard time doing.”

His blunt assessment, as the Fox News Digital report noted, struck a chord with voters weary of what many describe as formulaic campaign rhetoric and an absence of tangible solutions.

Lewis joins several other Democratic mayors and local officials across New Jersey who have crossed party lines to endorse Ciattarelli — an indicator that, despite New Jersey’s deep-blue leanings, the race remains far from decided.

The New Jersey Democratic leaders who have endorsed Ciattarelli include:

Nick Sacco, longtime Democratic mayor of North Bergen (and former state senator), endorsed Ciattarelli at a campaign event this month.

James P. Dodd, Democratic mayor of Dover, endorsed Ciattarelli in early September.

Everett E. Garnto Jr., Democratic mayor of Garfield (who also announced a switch to the GOP), endorsed Ciattarelli in late August.

Jamel Holley, Democratic former Assemblyman (LD-20), publicly backed Ciattarelli.

Anthony Vainieri, former Hudson County Democratic Organization chair (a prominent county Democratic leader), endorsed Ciattarelli.

Allen Pascual, North Bergen Democratic commissioner, endorsed Ciattarelli alongside Sacco.

Lewis’s endorsement of Ciattarelli, the Republican businessman and former assemblyman who narrowly lost to Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy in 2021, is more than a symbolic gesture. It reflects what the Fox News Digital report characterized as “a slow but meaningful migration” of centrist Democrats and independents frustrated by the state’s political establishment — particularly on issues of taxation, cost of living, and energy policy.

The timing of Lewis’s announcement is significant. It comes amid a high-profile show of unity among Democrats, who have rallied behind Sherrill’s campaign with endorsements from former President Barack Obama, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Yet, as the Fox News Digital report observed, the orchestration of such heavyweight endorsements has done little to quell internal discontent within the party’s base.

In his Fox News Digital interview, Lewis elaborated on his political evolution, describing a sense of estrangement from a party he once embraced by default rather than conviction. “My mom was a Democrat. When it came time to actually register, you just automatically register as a Democrat,” he said. “But it doesn’t necessarily mean that through the years I always vote to be with the Democratic Party.”

He went further, acknowledging that he voted for Donald Trump in the general election — a statement that, while controversial, reflects the shifting allegiances among suburban and rural voters who once formed the bedrock of New Jersey’s Democratic coalition. “People are kind of tired of the same old… shoving down things, saying this is the way it must be,” Lewis said.

According to the Fox News Digital report, this refrain echoes sentiments expressed by an increasing number of registered Democrats who feel alienated by their party’s stance on taxes, law enforcement, and energy policy — issues that resonate deeply in New Jersey’s economically diverse communities.

A Fox News poll conducted from October 10th to the14th highlighted the economic anxiety driving this election. Thirty-four percent of voters identified high taxes as the number-one issue facing the state, followed closely by rising housing and living costs. Ciattarelli has sought to capitalize on these concerns, presenting himself as a fiscal realist committed to lowering property taxes, trimming bureaucratic waste, and encouraging small-business growth.

Lewis, for his part, said his decision was rooted in confidence that Ciattarelli “will do the right thing for the state.” As Fox News Digital reported, Lewis described Ciattarelli as “a gentleman” with the integrity and pragmatism necessary to restore balance to Trenton’s political culture.

“Jack understands what families in this state are going through,” Lewis said. “He’s not caught up in the slogans — he’s focused on solutions.”

For Ciattarelli, Lewis’s endorsement is both symbolically powerful and strategically useful. As the Fox News Digital report observed, Ciattarelli’s campaign has actively courted disillusioned Democrats, independents, and moderate suburban voters — the very constituencies that nearly propelled him to victory in 2021. His messaging, centered on economic stability and government accountability, stands in deliberate contrast to what he calls “ideological grandstanding” from the current Democratic leadership.

At campaign stops across the state, Ciattarelli has emphasized his bipartisan credentials, pledging to represent “all New Jerseyans — not just the politically connected.” He has also framed his race as a referendum on Murphy’s legacy, portraying Sherrill as a continuation of policies that have driven businesses and families out of the state.

In a statement highlighted by in the Fox News Digital report, Ciattarelli’s campaign responded to Lewis’s endorsement by saying: “This race isn’t about red or blue — it’s about competence, accountability, and trust. Councilman Lewis’s support is proof that common-sense leadership can bridge party lines.”

While Sherrill entered the race with strong name recognition and a national profile, Fox News Digital has reported that her campaign has struggled to generate momentum beyond the Democratic base. Her television ads, which highlight her military service and family life, have drawn criticism from voters seeking substantive policy commitments.

Lewis’s comment that Sherrill “hasn’t done anything to enthuse me” reflects what the Fox News Digital report described as a growing perception that her campaign is “a polished biography in search of a governing philosophy.”

Governor Murphy’s endorsement of Sherrill was expected — but some analysts told Fox News Digital that it may prove a mixed blessing. While Murphy remains popular within Democratic circles, his administration’s record on taxes, education, and pandemic management remains divisive among independents and moderates.

Lewis’s defection is part of a quiet but mounting rebellion within the state’s Democratic apparatus. Fox News Digital recently reported that several other local officials — including mayors from smaller towns in Sussex and Warren counties — have privately expressed frustration with the state party’s leadership, describing it as “out of touch with real voters.”

In interviews, these officials have cited overregulation, unfunded mandates, and an entrenched political hierarchy as reasons for their disillusionment. “They’re hearing from voters who feel abandoned,” one political strategist told Fox News Digital. “It’s not just ideology — it’s a sense that Trenton doesn’t listen.”

Ciattarelli’s campaign has seized on this sentiment, positioning him as a reformer willing to challenge both parties’ complacency. His slogan — “Let’s Fix New Jersey” — resonates as both critique and call to action.

With just weeks remaining before Election Day, the race is tightening. Polling conducted by Fox News Digital suggests that while Sherrill retains a slight lead among registered Democrats, Ciattarelli is outperforming expectations among independents — a demographic that could determine the outcome. The same polls show that nearly 40% of voters remain undecided or open to changing their minds.

As the Fox News Digital report noted, these figures highlight the volatility of an electorate weary of partisanship and anxious about the state’s economic trajectory. “High taxes and rising costs are uniting voters in frustration,” said one analyst. “What remains to be seen is whether that frustration translates into a political realignment.”

Lewis’s endorsement may not singlehandedly alter the race, but it symbolizes something larger — a crack in the Democratic facade of invincibility in one of the nation’s bluest states. His candid admission of political fatigue and pragmatic defection to Ciattarelli’s camp echoes a broader trend across suburban America, where voters are increasingly willing to cross party lines in search of leadership grounded in results rather than ideology.

In the closing moments of his Fox News Digital interview, Lewis summarized his decision with characteristic simplicity. “I believe that he’s definitely a gentleman that will do the right thing for the state,” he said.

For Ciattarelli, those words could not come at a better time. For Sherrill — and the Democratic establishment backing her — they serve as a warning: loyalty, like patience, has its limits.