© 2024 Allbritton Journalism Institute

‘We Have a Problem’: Democrats in New Jersey Are Trying to Figure Out How to Keep the Governor’s Seat

After New Jersey shifted right on Election Day, Democrats in the state are looking ahead to the race in 2025. Several candidates are already running.

New Jersey flag at the National Guard Armory in Toms Rover, NJ.
Julio Cortez/AP

Kamala Harris’ tight win in New Jersey has been a wake-up call for Democrats as they look to maintain party control in the state’s 2025 gubernatorial election.

New Jersey Democrats have long enjoyed easy presidential wins in the blue stronghold. But last week, Harris scraped by compared to Democrats in previous election years, carrying the state by just over 5 percentage points. With a gubernatorial race looming in 2025, last Tuesday’s results are just the latest sign that the party needs to change how it’s approaching New Jersey voters, multiple Democrats across the state told NOTUS.

“We have a huge set of elections on the ballot next year, so we need to get our shit together and do it pretty quick,” one high-ranking Democratic operative in New Jersey told NOTUS.