Trump-endorsed businessman and former New Jersey Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli prevailed in the GOP primary for governor Tuesday, setting the stage for a MAGA Republican to potentially helm the Garden State.
Ciattarelli, 63, of Somerville came out on top against a field of four Republican opponents after leading by double-digits for much of the run-up to the primary.
He had won 67.4% of the vote when the Associated Press called the race in his favor at 8:17 p.m. ET.
Ciattarelli’s closest opponent during the race had been former conservative talk radio host Bill Spadea — who courted and failed to obtain the president’s endorsement.
Spadea received 20.9% support, good for second place, when the race was called.
Moderate state Sen. Jon Bramnick, whose district includes upscale towns such as Bernardsville and Chatham, also was a contender and garnered about 7% of the vote.
Ciattarelli ran on a platform consisting chiefly of kitchen-table issues, such as capping property taxes, reducing state spending and slashing income taxes for overburdened NJ residents.
Despite his past as a Trump critic — including calling the president a “charlatan” and “not fit” to be commander-in-chief in 2015 — Ciattarelli has come around to backing much of his agenda.
In turn, the president enthusiastically embraced Ciattarelli as a “terrific, America-first candidate” who is “best positioned to stand tall against the radical left Democrats.”
In line with the Trump administration’s stance on illegal immigration, Ciattarelli pledged to ban municipalities statewide from declaring themselves sanctuary cities, under threat of having aid from Trenton withheld if they fail to comply.
Evelyn Jinenez Kiernan, 55, told The Post at a polling site in Belleville that she voted for Ciattarelli and touted his position on illegal immigration.
“He’s the only one who – and I’m sorry to say this – has the balls to face somebody and say no, this is not going to happen in my state,” Kiernan said. “We’re trying to get New Jersey out of being a sanctuary state.”
As a Hispanic Puerto Rican who had immigrant parents who came here from Puerto Rico, I do believe in everyone having the American dream,” the registered Republican continued. “I don’t care who you are or where you’re from, but do it legally. Don’t think that you’re gonna come on our tax dollars and get free phone and free benefits when you’re insulting the previous immigrants that came to this country and had to learn English and had to get an education like my parents did.”
“Look at that crime. Look what’s going on in this country,” Kiernan lamented.
“People are coming in expecting to be gifted for committing the crime of crossing the border. We want someone who’s going to come in here with empowerment and take care of New Jersey, bring New Jersey to what it once was, the hard working Americans that came to this country because they wanted to be Americans.”
Ciattarelli also said he would explore creating a Garden State Transportation Authority, a single governing body into which New Jersey Transit, the Turnpike Authority and the South Jersey Transportation Authority would be folded.
Ciattarelli ran against outgoing Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy in 2017 and 2021, coming within just 3 points of defeating him in his second attempt.
The state’s gubernatorial election is scheduled for Nov. 4.
