With the 2024 presidential election over, many voters around the country will enjoy an off-year cycle with few races on their ballots beyond town or county. But not New Jersey. In 2025, New Jersey voters get to head to the polls to determine the successor of term-limited Gov. Phil Murphy.
And while election fatigue may have set in for some people, there are 10 candidates — six Democrats and four Republicans — vying for the chance to appear on the November ballot.
With the upcoming primary election season shaping up to be as contentious as ever, here are quick introductions to each of the candidates and what they would prioritize in office. The list is alphabetical. Answers have been trimmed for clarity and length.
Poll: How well do New Jersey voters recognize their candidates for governor in 2025?
Democratic candidates for New Jersey governor
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, 54, Newark
Why did you decide to run?
I am running because New Jersey needs a leader who sees working-class families and truly understands their issues. Now I’m ready to take that fight to the state level, because New Jersey deserves leadership that isn’t afraid to fight for working people. We need to ensure every resident — not just the privileged — has a path to the middle class.
What is your first priority if elected?
My first priority is to deliver real relief for working families by cutting taxes for the majority of households across this state and addressing the housing crisis. In concert with lowering taxes, we’ll kick-start the construction of housing, and dismantle antiquated zoning laws, so people can afford to live and raise their families in dignity in New Jersey.
Will you support the winner of your party’s primary if it is not you? Why?
Yes, because the stakes are too high. Republicans are actively trying to take us backward, stripping away women’s reproductive freedom and gutting our education system. I’m a different kind of Democrat — one who leans into our values and takes on big fights — but no Democrat in this race would jeopardize our fundamental rights the way Republicans will.
More: Who is running for New Jersey governor in 2025 and who might still jump in
Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, 47, Jersey City
Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop gives a press conference across the street from the Jersey City Kosher Supermarket the morning after a shootout with police in Jersey City, N.J. on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019. One police officer, the two shooters and three civilians were killed.
Why did you decide to run?
For 11 years, I have been the chief executive of one of the largest cities in New Jersey, and we have experienced unparalleled success as an administration. Over this time, I have also seen firsthand the challenges and obstacles put in place by Trenton, and I know that, for New Jersey to be a livable state for my three young children ages 1, 4 and 6, meaningful change needs to happen.
What is your first priority if elected?
My campaign is more substantive on policy to fix housing, taxes, health care and education than any other campaign. The first thing that needs to be changed in Trenton, however, is the culture of boss politics that impedes progress. People in New Jersey pay a corruption tax because the system is unaccountable to residents.
Will you support the winner of your party’s primary if it is not you? Why?
Primaries are essential to a healthy democracy. The competition pushes us to find better ways to serve the public. I will support the policies that best address our state’s challenges, and I will support a government that holds itself accountable.
More: Steve Fulop is making enemies, not friends of the NJ Democratic Party. Why: Stile
Rep. Josh Gottheimer, 49, Tenafly
Rep. Josh Gottheimer speaks on stage as he announces his candidacy for New Jersey governor at the Runway Diner in South Hackensack on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024.
Why did you decide to run?
I love Jersey, but here’s the thing: Life has become too damn expensive here. We pay too much in taxes and too much just to live. That has to change. I launched my campaign for governor to cut taxes and costs, like child care, rent and utilities, and to make Jersey affordable again.
What is your first priority if elected?
I’m running as the “Lower Taxes, Lower Costs Governor.” My No. 1 priority is to bring down taxes and make life more affordable. That means getting property and income taxes down, cutting bureaucracy, and making sure local businesses can afford to stay, grow and create more jobs in Jersey.
Will you support the winner of your party’s primary if it is not you? Why?
Yes, as ever, we must ensure Democrats are elected up and down our great state and protect our Jersey values.
More: Rep. Josh Gottheimer makes it official: He’s running for governor of New Jersey
Rep. Mikie Sherrill, 52, Montclair
Woodland Park, NJ — October 11, 2024 — Editorial board meeting with Mikie Sherrill when she was running for reelection to Congress from New Jersey’s 11th District.
Why did you decide to run?
I’m running for governor because it’s time for new leadership and a fresh perspective in Trenton. Everyone knows the challenges we face: Too many people can’t afford to live here, from housing and groceries to child care and SALT. Opportunity isn’t available to all New Jerseyans. And our rights and freedoms are going to be under attack from Trump’s Washington.
What is your first priority if elected?
We need to tackle the issues that are keeping New Jerseyans up at night. And for so many people, that is the cost of living. We can lower costs and make sure people can live here in the Garden State by building more housing.
Will you support the winner of your party’s primary if it is not you? Why?
Yes. Strong Democratic leadership is going to be critical for New Jersey with Trump and Republicans in control of Washington. We need a governor who will ensure that funding is delivered to finish construction of the Gateway Project, to make sure New Jersey can continue its federally funded flood prevention projects, and to protect our rights and freedoms.
More: Rep. Mikie Sherrill is running for New Jersey governor. She joins a crowded field
New Jersey Education Association President Sean Spiller, 49, Montclair
Sean Spiller waves to his two-year-old son Tyson (not pictured), after being sworn in as mayor of Montclair at Montclair Town Hall on Wednesday, July 1, 2020.
Why did you decide to run?
There aren’t many candidates for governor in this country who look like me. I’m a teacher, a working dad, the son of immigrants, a Black man in America, and a proud union leader who has led the fight to give our kids the future they deserve.
What is your first priority if elected?
Every single day I talk with teachers, support professionals, parents and small-business owners who are struggling just to keep their heads above water. From child care to housing to health care to the cost of groceries, New Jersey is facing an affordability crisis. We have to make this state a place where raising a family or starting a business is within reach for everyone — not just the wealthy.
Will you support the winner of your party’s primary if it is not you? Why?
Absolutely. There is simply too much at stake. With Donald Trump in the White House, our values and our pocketbooks will be under attack every single day — and we need a governor who will fight back against his extreme policies and protect what matters most to New Jersey families.
More: Montclair Mayor Sean Spiller enters race to be NJ’s next governor
Former state Senate President Steve Sweeney, 65, West Deptford
Why did you decide to run?
I’ve had a career where we fix things that they say can’t be fixed, and honestly, we have work to do, and unlike the outsiders that would come in, I know how this place works, and I know how to get things done. I want to fight and fix this place. It’s that simple.
What is your first priority if elected?
Fixing the budget process. I would be doing multiyear budgeting and consensus forecasting with the Legislature, which requires the governor to give up some power so that we can get accurate budget forecasts. And housing, because there’s so many housing problems. We have a shortage for the elderly and disabled people.
Will you support the winner of your party’s primary if it is not you? Why?
Yes. Whoever wins, we have to work together as Democrats to win in November.
More: Can Steve Sweeney make the big lift needed for 2025? NJ Dems will have to decide | Stile
Republican candidates for New Jersey governor
State Sen. Jon Bramnick, 71, Westfield
Jan 27, 2024; New Brunswick, NJ, United States; State Sen. Jon Bramnick, a Republican, announces his run for NJ governor at The Stress Factory.
Why did you decide to run?
I decided to run for governor because under the Democrat monopoly New Jersey government has become increasingly bloated and inefficient, making the state more expensive, our communities are being forced to overdevelop, and law enforcement has been handcuffed instead of repeat offenders, and residents feel unsafe in their own homes. If any of that is going to change, Republicans need to win the governorship, and with my history of winning tough elections and my track record of creating consensus to solve problems, I believe I am the best candidate for the job.
What is your first priority if elected?
If elected, my first priority is convening a government efficiency panel made up of private residents and business leaders to examine every facet of our state government and find waste, overregulation and areas for improvement. This will make our state government smaller, more responsive, and provide savings and sustainable tax cuts that do not require an application for the more than 9 million residents of our state.
Will you support the winner of your party’s primary if it is not you? Why?
I will support the party’s nominee if I do not win the primary because New Jersey cannot afford another four years of complete Democrat rule.
More: State Sen. Jon Bramnick, a Never Trump Republican, announces a 2025 run for NJ governor
Former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, 63, Somerville
Jack Ciattarelli comes out to address his supporters at 12:30 a.m. at the Marriott in Bridgewater, NJ, on November 3, 2021. The supporters of the New Jersey gubernatorial candidate were told to wait for all the votes to be counted as Ciattarelli tries to unseat incumbent Gov. Phil Murphy in a tight race that was too close to call.
Why did you decide to run?
Because after two decades of one-party Democrat control of the Legislature and eight years of Phil Murphy’s absurd policies, New Jersey is less affordable and less safe, and I have the skills to fix it. My grandparents came here as Italian immigrants over 100 years ago, my parents ran a restaurant/bar, and through their example I created and ran two successful small businesses in the state. I want today’s New Jerseyans and their children and grandchildren to feel they can do the same.
What is your first priority if elected?
We have an affordability crisis driven by rising taxes, tolls, and fees across the board. I will cap property taxes to 1% of a home’s assessed value, reform the school funding formula, audit state spending to find significant cuts, repeal the sanctuary state directive that made us a magnet for illegal immigrants, and push for term limits on state legislators to bring in fresh ideas and new blood.
Will you support the winner of your party’s primary if it is not you? Why?
Yes.
More: ‘It’s time’: Republican Jack Ciattarelli enters 2025 NJ race for governor
Former state Sen. Ed Durr, 61, Logan Township
Durr did not respond to inquiries.
Radio personality Bill Spadea, 55, Princeton
NJ101.5 radio host Bill Spadea moderates a Morris County mayor’s roundtable discussion on the state affordable housing mandate and other redevelopment challenges at the Sheraton Parsippany Hotel.
Why did you decide to run?
I decided to run when I realized that Republicans were going to try and nominate the same failed brand of candidates that lose election after election in New Jersey. The problems facing our state are serious. After years of extreme budget creep from the Murphy administration the next governor is going to be faced with tough decisions, and it will take bold leadership to make those decisions and begin to make New Jersey affordable again.
What is your first priority if elected?
We must immediately end the illegal immigration crisis in New Jersey. Studies have pegged the cost to taxpayers at more than $7 billion annually. We cannot make our state affordable until we stop giving handouts to lawbreakers.
Will you support the winner of your party’s primary if it is not you? Why?
Yes — provided they have pledged to work with the Trump administration to fix New Jersey and the country.
More: Can Bill Spadea host radio show while running for governor? What we know
Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: sobko@northjersey.com
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Here’s who is running for New Jersey governor in 2025
