President Donald Trump endorsed Republican Jack Ciattarelli in New Jersey’s GOP main, saying he is gone “ALL IN” on the “Make America Great Again” agenda.
Trump’s endorsement got here Monday in a Fact Social publish and provides Ciattarelli’s marketing campaign a lift as he competes in opposition to two different Trump supporters and a state senator who has been essential of the president.
The president’s endorsement and Ciattarelli’s gratitude to Trump in a social media publish of his personal mirror the president’s affect within the celebration, even in Democratic-leaning New Jersey.
Trump’s endorsement hinted at Ciattarelli’s earlier criticism of Trump throughout his first run for the White Home a decade in the past, when he stated Trump wasn’t match for the presidency.
“Jack, who after getting to know and understand MAGA, has gone ALL IN, and is now 100% (PLUS!),” Trump stated within the Fact Social publish.
Ciattarelli stated in a publish on X that he was “truly humbled and honored” by the endorsement.
“It’s time to unite our party, win big in November, and make New Jersey affordable and safe again,” he stated.
Invoice Spadea, a former radio host who’s additionally working within the June 10 main and has known as for replicating the president’s strategy in New Jersey, urged the president was backing Ciattarelli as a result of some polling indicated he was within the lead.
“(Trump) endorsed a poll not a plan,” he stated on X. “We have the only plan and core principles to restore common sense to New Jersey government.”
Trump’s endorsement comes after he met earlier this 12 months with Ciattarelli at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf membership.
Ciattarelli’s marketing campaign has stated it sought the president’s endorsement and pointed to his efficiency within the 2024 election during which the president flipped former blue counties crimson.
New Jersey has been reliably Democratic in U.S. presidential and Senate elections. However its odd-year gubernatorial contests have seesawed between Democrats and Republicans.
Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, a two-term incumbent, can not search a third-straight time period below state legislation. Democrats are additionally locked in aggressive main.
Along with Ciattarelli and Spadea, former Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario Kranjac and state Sen. Jon Bramnick are looking for their celebration’s nomination.
Ciattarelli, 63, is an accountant and small enterprise proprietor who served within the state Meeting and county workplace. He ran unsuccessfully for governor within the earlier two cycles. In 2021, he got here inside a couple of proportion factors of defeating Murphy. In 2017, he misplaced within the GOP main to then-Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno.
