Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill (N.J.) is the one to watch tonight in New Jersey’s gubernatorial primary.
The four-term lawmaker has led in recent public and private polling of the open governor’s race. And she’s the only woman in a crowded Democratic field. Sherrill’s opponents and their allies only confirmed her front-runner status by going negative on her in the closing weeks of the race.
The big question is whether the barrage of attack ads has knocked Sherrill out of first place. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and an outside group for Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop slammed Sherrill for taking money from a PAC tied to Elon Musk and not disclosing stock trades. They’re Sherrill’s top competition.
Sherrill and her allies weren’t the biggest spenders. But House Democrats’ Class of 2018 has been on the rise, especially women with national security backgrounds. Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) appears to be on a glide path in Virginia’s gubernatorial race. Spanberger doesn’t even have a primary.
And in Michigan, Democrat Elissa Slotkin made the jump from the House to the Senate last fall. Sherrill could be the next.
What about Gottheimer? Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) has been eyeing the governor’s mansion for years and stockpiled more than $20 million in a House account. Gottheimer can’t spend that directly, but he can transfer it to a super PAC. Two pro-Gottheimer super PACs spent nearly $17 million, according to AdImpact.
Gottheimer has racked up endorsements from Jewish groups, and Jewish turnout could help him. But he’s struggled to break through, and many operatives watching the race are unsure if Gottheimer can crack the top three.
If a House member wins, they won’t need to resign from Congress until after the general election this fall. Gottheimer and Sherrill can keep their seats if they lose.
The GOP front-runner is Jack Ciattarelli, a former state lawmaker who has the backing of President Donald Trump.
