On June 10, voters across New Jersey will participate in a pivotal primary election to select nominees for the state’s highest office, for the first time in decades without power brokers putting a thumb on the scale.
Governor Phil Murphy—a Goldman Sachs millionaire who virtually bought the office in 2017, when party bosses still controlled the selection process—is ineligible to seek a third term due to consecutive term limits enshrined in the state constitution.
The contest features six Democrats and five Republicans vying for their parties’ nominations, unfolding against a backdrop of dramatic electoral reforms and record candidate participation.
The Democratic Field
The Democratic primary showcases a stark ideological spectrum.
Ras Baraka, the 54-year-old Mayor of Newark, anchors the progressive wing. His recent detention by federal immigration authorities during a protest, though charges were dropped, has amplified his profile as a critic of former President Donald Trump’s policies.
Steven Fulop, the 48-year-old Mayor of Jersey City, positions himself as an outsider challenging entrenched political machines. A former Marine who left Wall Street after 9/11, Fulop has upended tradition by naming South Orange Mayor Sheena Collum as his lieutenant governor choice and fielding 37 Assembly challengers statewide.
Many observers argue that the other four Democratic contestants would be comfortable as Republicans.
Josh Gottheimer, a 50-year-old conservative Congressman from Bergen County, faces scrutiny for courting Republican voters who favor his support for genocide in Gaza. His campaign’s use of an AI-generated video depicting him boxing Trump has drawn mixed reactions, since his congressional voting record aligned with the Trump administration 76.7% of the time during its first term—the highest among House Democrats.
Mikie Sherrill, a 53-year-old former Navy pilot and congresswoman who joined the conservative Blue Dog Coalition. Progressives have criticized Sherrill for failing to challenge establishment interests and raking in $7 million in stock trades while she was supposed to be serving her constituents. Sherrill has also taken heat for lying about her military rank in more than 20 fundraising emails.
Gottheimer and Sherrill have both made the ludicrous claim that they could get more federal aid for New Jersey by sitting in the governor’s office than they can as members of Congress, which holds the nation’s purse strings.
Sean Spiller is a 50-year-old scandal-plagued former Montclair mayor, whose campaign benefits from a $35 million NJEA independent expenditure despite allegations of illegal coordination between his campaign and the teachers’ union, of which he is president.
Steve Sweeney, a 65-year-old former State Senate President. Sweeney’s legacy includes a controversial alliance with Republican Governor Chris Christie that diverted $1 billion in tax incentives to allies of South Jersey power broker George Norcross, contributing to his 2021 loss to a Republican truck driver 10.
The Republican Contenders
Republicans present their own contrasts.
Jack Ciattarelli, 63-year-old former Assemblyman who narrowly lost to Murphy in 2021, secured Trump’s endorsement and leads in polls.
Bill Spadea, a 56-year-old ex-Marine and radio host, campaigns as a staunch Trump loyalist, opposing vaccine mandates and LGBTQ-inclusive school policies.
State Senator Jon Bramnick, 72-year-old centrist, leverages his stand-up comedy background to connect with GOP voters, most of whom are thoroughly enthralled by Trump’s MAGA cult.
Mario Kranjac, a 59-year-old former Englewood Cliffs mayor, explicitly models his platform after Trump’s reckless governing style.
Justin Barbera is 44 years old and claims he has worked as a real estate developer, general contractor, insurance claim mitigator, dryvan freight carrier, and CDL truck driver.
Unprecedented Ballot Changes and Down-Ballot Surge
This primary marks a historic shift following a court ruling that abolished New Jersey’s unique “county line” system. Previously, party-endorsed candidates enjoyed preferential ballot placement. Now, all names will appear in randomized order—a change expected to boost lesser-known contenders and increase electoral unpredictability 10.
Simultaneously, all 80 Assembly seats are contested, with 209 candidates running—the highest primary turnout since 1977. Fulop’s slate of 37 challengers exemplifies the anti-establishment energy reshaping local races 10.
The Stakes
Despite New Jersey’s lean toward Democrats—with Cook Political Report rating the general election as “Lean Democratic”—the primary’s outcome will test the parties’ internal cohesion.
For Democrats, the choice between progressive reform and centrist pragmatism could redefine the state’s policy direction on education, housing, and taxes.
Republicans, meanwhile, weigh Trump’s influence against broader electability in a state where no Republican has won statewide since 2009. Ciattarelli is all but certain to emerge as the Republican nominee, but also to become the eventual loser in the race to succeed term-limited Governor Phil Murphy.
As voters prepare to cast ballots, the dismantling of the county line system signals a potential democratization of New Jersey politics.
Yet, with powerful interests still maneuvering behind the scenes, the June 10 results may reveal whether institutional gatekeepers retain their grip—or if an unsettled electorate will chart a new course.