BREAKING: AP projects Mikie Sherrill as winner of NJ governor’s race

NEWARK — The Associated Press has projected Democrat Mikie Sherrill as the winner of New Jersey’s closely watched governor’s race.

"We said no to Trump," Sherrill said in a victory speech to fire up New Jersey Democrats.

The wire service says its analysis of voter returns projects that Sherrill will defeat Republican Jack Ciattarelli in a contest that could foreshadow congressional midterm elections during President Trump's second term.

At the time of the call, Sherrill had 58% of the vote.

This story will continue to be updated as results are certified and reactions come in from both campaigns.

The victory makes Sherrill, 53, a former Navy helicopter pilot, federal prosecutor, and four-term congresswoman from Morris County, only the second woman ever elected governor of New Jersey, following Christine Todd Whitman’s tenure in the 1990s.

Sherrill’s campaign centered on affordability, infrastructure, and opposition to Trump-era politics. Her campaign often highlighted Ciattarelli's ties to Trump, who endorsed him earlier this year.

A fiery campaign and sharp contrasts

The race grew bitter in its final weeks. In a tense second debate, Sherrill accused Ciattarelli of profiting from opioid manufacturers through a medical publishing company he once owned — a charge he denied as “a lie” and for which he threatened to sue for defamation.

Ciattarelli raised questions about Sherrill’s Naval Academy records, a controversy that drew national attention after her unredacted files were released to a Republican operative.

Throughout the campaign, Sherrill portrayed herself as a pragmatic Democrat focused on rebuilding trust in government and protecting New Jersey’s economy amid the ongoing federal shutdown that has frozen funding for the Hudson River rail tunnel project and food stamps.

With the AP’s call, Democrats appear poised to extend their control of both the governor’s office and state Legislature for another four years. Ciattarelli has not yet conceded, saying his campaign will monitor final vote counts.