2021 New Jersey gubernatorial election

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The 2021 New Jersey gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 2021, to elect the governor of New Jersey. Incumbent Governor Phil Murphy was first elected in 2017 with 56% of the vote and won re-election to a second term. Murphy and his running mate, Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver, defeated the Republican ticket of Jack Ciattarelli and Diane Allen, 51.2% to 48%.

2021 New Jersey gubernatorial election
← 2017
November 2, 2021
2025 →
Turnout40.5% (2.0%)
 
Nominee Phil Murphy Jack Ciattarelli
Party Democratic Republican
Running mate Sheila Oliver Diane Allen
Popular vote 1,339,471 1,255,185
Percentage 51.22% 48.00%
Murphy:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%
Ciattarelli:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%
Tie:      40–50%      50%      No votes
Governor before election

Phil Murphy
Democratic

Elected Governor

Phil Murphy
Democratic

Murphy formally announced his intention to run for a second term on October 1, 2020. Primaries were held on June 8, 2021. Murphy, who won the Democratic nomination unopposed after his two primary challengers were disqualified, faced Ciattarelli, Green nominee Madelyn Hoffman, Libertarian nominee Gregg Mele, and Socialist Workers Party nominee Joanne Kuniansky in the general election. The race was considered by many media outlets to be a "safe" or "likely" Democratic hold, as Murphy had led a majority of pre-election polls by double digits. However, Murphy defeated Ciattarelli by a much smaller margin than expected.

Murphy is the first Democratic governor of New Jersey to win re-election since Brendan Byrne in 1977, as well as the first candidate of the same party as the incumbent U.S. president to win since Thomas Kean in 1985. This is also the first New Jersey gubernatorial election since 2009 where both the Democratic and Republican nominees received more than one million votes each. It also was the first New Jersey gubernatorial election where the Green Party candidate placed third. Murphy also became the first Democrat to win a New Jersey gubernatorial election without carrying Gloucester and Cumberland Counties since Robert B. Meyner in 1953, and the first Democrat to win a gubernatorial election without carrying Atlantic County since Richard J. Hughes in 1961.

Atlantic County voted for the losing candidate for the first time since 1993. Also, this was the first New Jersey gubernatorial election in which Somerset County voted more Democratic than the state as a whole since 1910. Murphy became the first New Jersey Governor since Brendan Byrne to win both of his elections with a majority of the vote each time. It was the first single-digit Democratic win in a governor's election since 1961. Murphy received the most votes for a Democrat or any governor since 1989, and Ciattarelli received the most for a Republican since 2013. Despite failing to flip the state, Ciattarelli swung the state more Republican from the 2020 presidential election than Glenn Youngkin, the Republican candidate for the concurrent Virginia gubernatorial election, did in his respective state even as he managed to flip the governorship. Ciattarelli also won three counties that Murphy won in 2017: Atlantic, Cumberland, and Gloucester.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

  • Phil Murphy, incumbent governor (2018–present)

Disqualified

  • Roger Bacon, perennial candidate
  • Lisa McCormick, candidate for U.S. Senate in 2018

Declined

  • Jamel Holley, state assemblyman from the 20th district (ran for State Senate)
  • Stephen M. Sweeney, President of the New Jersey Senate (running for re-election)

Fundraising

Primary campaign finance activity through June 28, 2021
Candidate Raised Spent Cash on hand
Phil Murphy $7,966,075 $7,752,229 $213,846
Source: New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission

Lieutenant gubernatorial nomination

Nominee

Results

Democratic primary results
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Phil Murphy (incumbent) 382,984 100.0%
Total votes 382,984 100.0%

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

  • Jack Ciattarelli, former member of the New Jersey General Assembly from the 16th district (2011–2018) and candidate for governor in 2017

Eliminated in primary

  • Brian Levine, former Somerset County commissioner (2014–2020), former mayor of Franklin Township, Somerset County (2004–2014) and candidate for governor in 2009
  • Phil Rizzo, pastor
  • Hirsh Singh, businessman, engineer, and perennial candidate

Withdrew

  • Joseph Rudy Rullo, businessman, actor and perennial candidate (endorsed Hirsh Singh)
  • Doug Steinhardt, chair of the Warren County Republican Committee (2004–present), former mayor of Lopatcong (1999–2014) and former Chair of the New Jersey Republican State Committee (2017–2020)
  • Joseph Vicari, Ocean County commissioner

Declined

  • Jon Bramnick, minority leader of the New Jersey General Assembly (running for State Senate)
  • Chris Christie, former governor of New Jersey (2010–2018)
  • Joe Kyrillos, former state senator and assemblyman from the 13th district, Republican nominee for New Jersey's 6th congressional district in 1992, and Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in 2012
  • Rik Mehta, pharmaceutical executive, attorney, and Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in 2020 (running for NJ-07 in 2022) (endorsed Jack Ciattarelli)
  • Holly Schepisi, state assemblywoman (2012–2021) and senator (2021–present) from the 39th district (running for State Senate) (endorsed Jack Ciattarelli)

Fundraising

Primary campaign finance activity through June 28, 2021
Candidate Raised Spent Cash on hand
Jack Ciattarelli $7,125,870 $7,045,692 $69,178
Brian Levine <$5,800 <$5,800 <$5,800
Phil Rizzo $678,619 $655,282 $23,337
Hirsh Singh $616,398 $615,931 $468
Doug Steinhardt (withdrew) $248,345 $221,819 $26,527
Source: New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission

Endorsements

Hirsh Singh

Individuals

  • Joseph Rudy Rullo, businessman, actor, and perennial candidate
Phil Rizzo

State Legislators

  • Serena DiMaso, state assemblywoman from the 13th district (2018–2022)

Individuals

  • Kimberly Klacik, Republican nominee for Maryland's 7th congressional district in the April 2020 special election and the November 2020 general election
  • Bill Spadea, New Jersey 101.5 radio personality and Republican nominee for New Jersey's 12th congressional district in 2004

Lieutenant gubernatorial nomination

Nominee

  • Diane Allen, former state senator from the 7th district (1998–2018) and candidate for US Senate in 2002

Potential candidates not selected

  • Holly Schepisi, state assemblywoman (2012–2021) and senator (2021–present) from the 39th district

On May 4, 2021, the New Jersey Globe published a list of nine potential candidates for lieutenant governor after speaking with "more than two dozen Republican leaders, strategists and activists." Diane Allen (who was selected as Republican gubernatorial nominee Jack Ciattarelli's running mate) was one of the names on this list. The others were:

  • Kristin Corrado, state senator from the 40th district (2017–present), chair of the New Jersey Senate Republican Conference (2019–present)
  • Antony Ghee, candidate for New Jersey's 11th congressional district in 2018, hedge fund manager, and U.S. Army JAG captain
  • Christine Hanlon, Monmouth County Clerk (2015–present)
  • Barbara Kim-Hagemann, New Jersey VFW State Commander
  • Nancy Munoz, state assemblywoman from the 21st district (2009–present)
  • Laura Overdeck, businesswoman and philanthropist (founder and president of Bedtime Math and co-founder of the Women for a Stronger New Jersey Super-PAC)
  • Ryan Peters, state assemblyman from the 8th district (2018–present) (will not be running for re-election to the State Assembly)
  • Michele Siekerka, President & CEO of the New Jersey Business and Industry Association (2014–present) and former New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Deputy Commissioner (2010–2014) in the Christie administration

Debates

2021 New Jersey Republican gubernatorial primary debates
No. Date Host Moderator Link Participants
Key:
 P  Participant   A  Absent   N  Non-invitee   I  Invitee W  Withdrawn
Jack Ciattarelli Brian Levine Phil Rizzo Hirsh Singh
1 May 25, 2021 WKXW Eric Scott P N N P

A second debate on NJ PBS featuring Ciattarelli and Singh and moderated by NJ Spotlight News reporters Briana Vannozzi, Colleen O'Dea, and David Cruz was planned for May 26, 2021, but later cancelled on May 24, 2021, after Singh announced that he would decline to participate.

Polling

Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin
of error 		Jack
Ciattarelli 		Brian
Levine 		Phil
Rizzo 		Hirsh
Singh 		Undecided
Public Policy Polling (D) May 24–25, 2021 591 (LV) ± 4.1% 29% 2% 8% 23% 38%
Brad Parscale (R) April 16–21, 2021 >1200 (LV) ± 3.0% 20% 3% 10% 22% –

Results

Republican primary results
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jack Ciattarelli 167,690 49.46%
Republican Philip Rizzo 87,007 25.66%
Republican Hirsh V. Singh 73,155 21.58%
Republican Brian D. Levine 11,181 3.30%
Total votes 339,033 100.0%

General election

Five candidates appeared on the general election ballot, the lowest number of candidates for a New Jersey gubernatorial election since 1953, which also featured five.

Candidates

  • Phil Murphy (Democratic), incumbent governor (2018–present)
    • Running mate: Sheila Oliver, lieutenant governor (2018–2023)
  • Jack Ciattarelli (Republican), former state assemblyman from the 16th district (2011–2018) and candidate for governor in 2017
    • Running mate: Diane Allen, former state senator from the 7th district (1998–2018)
  • Gregg Mele (Libertarian), activist, lawyer, and candidate for New Jersey's 7th congressional district in 2018
    • Running mate: Eveline Brownstein, activist and professor
  • Madelyn R. Hoffman (Green), environmental activist, professor, and candidate for governor in 1997 and U.S. Senate in 2018 and 2020
    • Running mate: Heather Warburton, activist and talk show host
  • Joanne Kuniansky (Socialist Workers), retail worker
    • Running mate: Vivian Sahner, militant author

Withdrew

  • Ed Forchion (Legalize Marijuana), cannabis rights activist and perennial candidate
  • Justin Maldonado
  • David Winkler

Fundraising

General election campaign finance activity through November 19, 2021
Candidate Raised Spent Cash on hand
Phil Murphy $16,747,434 $16,393,069 $354,365
Jack Ciattarelli $16,361,174 $15,828,691 $532,483
Gregg Mele $6,000 <$5,800 N/A
Madelyn Hoffman $1,874 <$5,800 <$5,800
Joanne Kuniansky <$5,800 <$5,800 <$5,800
Source: New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission

Debates

Although New Jersey State Law gives until September 1, 2021, for independent gubernatorial candidates to fundraise $490,000 to qualify for the debates, the invitees of the first debate were definitively stated at around July 20, 2021, which was over a month before the deadline.[failed verification] Despite the third-party candidates being ineligible to debate in any debates that were sponsored by the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, the New Jersey Globe held another debate for third-party lieutenant governor candidates on October 11, 2021.

2021 New Jersey gubernatorial debates
No. Date Host Moderator Link Democratic Republican Libertarian Green Socialist Workers
 P  Participant   A  Absent   N  Non-invitee   I  Invitee W  Withdrawn Phil Murphy Jack Ciattarelli Gregg Mele Madelyn Hoffman Joanne Kuniansky
1 September 28, 2021 NJPAC Sade Baderinwa
Brian Taff 		P P N N N
2 October 12, 2021 NJ PBS Briana Vannozzi P P N N N
2021 New Jersey Lieutenant Governor debates
No. Date Host Moderator Link Democratic Republican Libertarian Green Socialist Workers
 P  Participant   A  Absent   N  Non-invitee   I  Invitee W  Withdrawn Sheila Oliver Diane Allen Eveline Brownstein Heather Warburton Vivian Sahner
1 October 5, 2021 New Jersey Globe David Wildstein
Shenell McCloud
Micah Rasmussen 		P P N N N
2 October 11, 2021 Joey Fox N N P P W

Predictions

Source Ranking As of
The Cook Political Report Solid D October 5, 2021
Inside Elections Solid D November 1, 2021
Sabato's Crystal Ball Likely D November 1, 2021

Endorsements

Phil Murphy (D)

Executive branch officials

U.S. Senators

  • Cory Booker, U.S. Senator from New Jersey (2013–present)
  • Amy Klobuchar, U.S. Senator from Minnesota (2007–present)
  • Bob Menendez, U.S. Senator from New Jersey (2006–2024)
  • Bernie Sanders, U.S. Senator from Vermont (2007–present)

U.S. Representatives

  • Jim Clyburn, U.S. Representative for South Carolina's 6th congressional district (1993–present) and House Minority Whip (2011-2019)
  • Bonnie Watson Coleman, U.S. Representative for New Jersey's 12th congressional district (2015–present)
  • Gabby Giffords, former U.S. Representative for Arizona's 8th congressional district (2007–2012)
  • Josh Gottheimer, U.S. Representative for New Jersey's 5th congressional district (2017–present)
  • Andy Kim, U.S. Representative for New Jersey's 3rd congressional district (2019–2025)
  • Donald Norcross, U.S. Representative for New Jersey's 1st congressional district (2014–present)
  • Frank Pallone, U.S. Representative for New Jersey's 6th congressional district (1988–present)
  • Bill Pascrell, U.S. Representative for New Jersey's 9th congressional district (2013–2024)
  • Donald Payne Jr., U.S. Representative for New Jersey's 10th congressional district (2012–2024)
  • Mikie Sherrill, U.S. Representative for New Jersey's 11th congressional district (2019–2025)
  • Albio Sires, U.S. Representative for New Jersey's 8th congressional district (2013–2023)

State legislators

  • Craig Coughlin, state assemblyman from the 19th district (2010–present) and Speaker of the New Jersey State Assembly (2019–present)
  • Vin Gopal, state senator from the 11th district (2018–present)
  • Teresa Ruiz, state senator from the 29th district (2008–present) and President pro tempore of the New Jersey Senate (2018–2022)
  • Loretta Weinberg, state senator from the 37th district (2005–2022) and majority leader of the New Jersey State Senate (2012–2022)

County executives

  • Thomas DeGise, Hudson County Executive (2002–2023)
  • Joseph DiVincenzo, Essex County Executive (2003–present)

Local officials

  • Ras Baraka, mayor of Newark, New Jersey (2014–present)
  • Ravinder Bhalla, mayor of Hoboken, New Jersey (2018–present)
  • Steven Fulop, mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey (2013–present)
  • Susan Knudsen, mayor of Ridgewood, New Jersey (Republican)
  • Anthony Vaz, mayor of Seaside Heights, New Jersey (2015–present) (Republican)

Individuals

Organizations

  • AAPI Victory Fund
  • Make the Road Action
  • Moms Demand Action
  • New Jersey Coalition of Latino Pastors and Ministers
  • New Jersey League of Conservation Voters
  • Working Families Party
  • Garden State Equality
  • Sierra Club

Labor unions

Newspapers

  • Asbury Park Press
  • Courier News
  • Daily Record
  • Home News Tribune
  • New Jersey Herald
  • New York Daily News
  • The Philadelphia Inquirer
  • The Record
  • The Star-Ledger
Jack Ciattarelli (R)

Executive branch officials

Governors

  • Doug Ducey, Governor of Arizona (2015–2023) and the Chairman of the Republican Governors Association (2020–2022)
  • Donald DiFrancesco, former Governor of New Jersey (2001–2002) and president of the New Jersey Senate (1992–2002)
  • Larry Hogan, Governor of Maryland (2015–2023)

U.S. Representatives

  • Frank LoBiondo, former U.S. Representative from New Jersey's 2nd congressional district (1995–2019)
  • Jeff Van Drew, U.S. Representative from New Jersey's 2nd congressional district (2019–present)

State legislators

  • Diane Allen, former state senator from the 7th district (1998–2018)
  • John F. Amodeo, former state assemblyman from the 2nd district (2008–2014)
  • Christopher "Kip" Bateman, state senator from the 16th district (2008–2022)
  • Chris A. Brown, state senator from the 2nd district (2018–2021)
  • Anthony M. Bucco, state senator from the 25th district (2019–present)
  • Larry Chatzidakis, former state assemblyman from the 8th district (1997–2008)
  • Kristin Corrado, state senator from the 40th district (2017–present), Chair of the New Jersey Senate Republican Conference (2019–present)
  • BettyLou DeCroce, state assemblywoman from the 26th district (2012–2022)
  • Christopher DePhillips, state assemblyman from the 40th district (2018–present)
  • Aura Dunn, state assemblywoman from the 25th district (2019–present)
  • Thomas Kean Jr., state senator from the 21st district (2003–2022) and Senate Minority Leader (2008–2022)
  • J. Edward Kline, former state assemblyman from the 2nd district (1985–1990)
  • Kenneth LeFevre, former state assemblyman from the 2nd district (1996–2002)
  • Gerry Nardello, former interim state assemblywoman from the 8th district (2011–2012)
  • Ryan Peters, state assemblyman from the 8th district (2018–2022)
  • Vincent Polistina, former state assemblyman from the 2nd district (2008–2012) and candidate for state senate in the 2nd district in 2021
  • Kevin J. Rooney, state assemblyman from the 40th district (2016–2024)
  • Gerard Scharfenberger, state assemblyman from the 13th district (2020–present)
  • Holly Schepisi, state assemblywoman (2012–2021) and senator (2021–present) from the 39th district
  • Jean Stanfield, state assemblywoman from the 8th district (2020–2022)
  • Mike Testa, state senator from the 1st district (2019–present)

Individuals

Newspapers

  • New York Post

Trade associations

  • ABC
  • NFIB
Declined to endorse

Labor unions

  • New Jersey Fraternal Order of Police

Organizations

Newspapers

  • The Jersey Journal

Polling

Aggregate polls

Source of poll
aggregation 		Dates
administered 		Dates
updated 		Phil
Murphy (D) 		Jack
Ciattarelli (R) 		Other/Undecided
 Margin
Real Clear Politics October 15–31, 2021 November 1, 2021 50.5% 42.7% 6.8% Murphy +7.8%
Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin
of error 		Phil
Murphy (D) 		Jack
Ciattarelli (R) 		Other Undecided
Research Co. October 31 – November 1, 2021 450 (LV) ± 4.6% 50% 44% 1% 5%
The Trafalgar Group (R) October 29–31, 2021 1,085 (LV) ± 3.0% 49% 45% 1% 4%
Fairleigh Dickinson University October 23–28, 2021 823 (RV) ± 3.4% 53% 44% 3% –
Rutgers-Eagleton October 21–27, 2021 901 (RV) ± 4.1% 50% 42% – 8%
Stockton University October 17–26, 2021 522 (LV) ± 4.3% 50% 41% 6% 3%
48% 40% 7% 5%
Monmouth University October 21–25, 2021 1,000 (RV) ± 3.1% 50% 39% 2% 9%
Emerson College October 15–18, 2021 600 (LV) ± 3.9% 50% 44% – 7%
Schoen Cooperman Research (D) October 9–12, 2021 500 (LV) ± 4.4% 50% 41% – 9%
Stockton University September 17–25, 2021 552 (LV) ± 4.1% 50% 41% 6% 3%
47% 39% 6% 8%
Monmouth University September 16–20, 2021 804 (RV) ± 3.5% 51% 38% 3% 9%
National Research Inc. (R) September 13–16, 2021 600 (LV) ± 4.0% 45% 42% – 10%
Fabrizio Lee & Associates (R) August 24–29, 2021 600 (LV) ± 4.0% 43% 41% 3% 14%
46% 45% – 9%
Monmouth University August 11–16, 2021 810 (RV) ± 3.5% 52% 36% 3% 9%
National Research Inc. (R) June 17–22, 2021 600 (LV) ± 4.0% 49% 37% – 14%
Fairleigh Dickinson University June 9–16, 2021 803 (RV) ± 3.9% 48% 33% 5% 14%
Rutgers University May 21–29, 2021 493 (A) ± 5.4% 52% 24% 13% 12%
467 (RV) ± 5.6% 52% 26% 11% 10%
Change Research (D) May 15–20, 2021 1,215 (A) ± 3.9% 47% 36% – 17%
National Research Inc. (R) April 11–13, 2021 600 (LV) ± 4.0% 47% 30% – 23%
Hypothetical polling

Phil Murphy vs. generic opponent

Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin
of error 		Phil
Murphy (D) 		Generic
Opponent 		Other Undecided
Rutgers-Eagleton May 21–29, 2021 461 (RV) – 42% 31% 21% 6%
Monmouth University April 29 – May 4, 2021 706 (A) ± 3.7% 48% 43% – 9%
661 (RV) ± 3.8% 48% 44% – 8%

Results

During the election, several technical problems with internet connections were reported across the state after newly installed voting machines were used for the first time, resulting in machine malfunctions that were eventually resolved. This caused a delay in the final results. With 98% of the vote tallied, Ciattarelli conceded to Murphy at a news conference on November 12, 2021, and announced he would run again in 2025. This was the first time since 1949 that the winning gubernatorial candidate did not win a majority of counties, and the first since 1940 that a Democrat did so.

2021 New Jersey gubernatorial election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic
  • Phil Murphy (incumbent)
  • Sheila Oliver (incumbent)
 		1,339,471 51.22% –4.81
Republican
  • Jack Ciattarelli
  • Diane Allen
 1,255,185 48.00% +6.11
Green
  • Madelyn R. Hoffman
  • Heather Warburton
 8,450 0.32% –0.15
Libertarian
  • Gregg Mele
  • Eveline Brownstein
 7,768 0.30% –0.19
Socialist Workers
  • Joanne Kuniansky
  • Vivian Sahner
 4,012 0.15% N/A
Total votes 2,614,886 100.00%
Turnout 2,648,814 40.47% +1.97
Registered electors 6,575,904
Democratic hold

By county

By congressional district

Murphy and Ciattarelli each won six of 12 congressional districts. Four districts won by Ciattarelli were represented by Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

District Murphy Ciattarelli Representative
1st 56.8% 41.5% Donald Norcross
2nd 40.2% 58.9% Jeff Van Drew
3rd 42.5% 56.2% Andy Kim
4th 39.6% 59.6% Chris Smith
5th 45.9% 53.2% Josh Gottheimer
6th 51.3% 47.7% Frank Pallone
7th 46.5% 52.7% Tom Malinowski
8th 73.3% 25.8% Albio Sires
9th 57.9% 41.9% Bill Pascrell
10th 81.4% 15.6% Donald Payne Jr.
11th 46.4% 53.0% Mikie Sherrill
12th 62.3% 36.8% Bonnie Watson Coleman

See also

  • 2021 United States gubernatorial elections
  • 2021 New Jersey State Senate election
  • 2021 New Jersey General Assembly election

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