President Donald Trump on Monday implored voters in New Jersey’s primary for governor to support Republican Jack Ciattarelli when early in-person voting begins Tuesday and said the state was ready for a change after years of Democratic control.

The president, who has golf clubs around the state and frequently stays at his Bedminster property, announced his endorsement for Ciattarelli last month.

On Monday, Trump held a telephone rally for the candidate, a former state lawmaker who transformed from a critic to vocal backer of the president.

The phone call lasted about 10 minutes, with the president saying that voters will decide whether New Jersey remains a “high-tax, high-crime sanctuary state.”

“New Jersey is ready to pop out of that blue horror show and really get in there and vote for somebody that’s going to make things happen,” the president said.

Trump’s call for early voting echoed the pitch he made to voters in the 2024 presidential election.

Ciattarelli said his first executive order if elected would be to end any sanctuary policies for immigrants in the country illegally. Currently, the state attorney general has directed local law enforcement not to assist federal agents in civil immigration matters.

There is no legal definition for sanctuary city policies, but they generally limit cooperation by local law enforcement with federal immigration officers.

Ciattarelli also said the attorney general he appoints if he wins won’t be bringing lawsuits against the White House.

New Jersey’s current attorney general has pursued several high-profile challenges to the president’s agenda, including a case challenging Trump’s order calling for the end of birthright citizenship.

Ciattarelli is running against former radio talk host Bill Spadea, state Sen. Jon Bramnick, former Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario Kranjac and a southern New Jersey contractor named Justin Barbera.

Early in-person voting begins Tuesday and goes through Sunday. Primary day is June 10, though voters have been sending mail-in ballots in since late April.

Though the primary isn’t over, Ciattarelli hinted at what attacks against his eventual Democratic challenger in the general election might be, saying the party’s eight years in the governorship and more than two decades of power in the legislature have been a failure.

The Democratic field isn’t set. There’s a six-way contest between Reps. Josh Gottheimer and Mikie Sherrill; Mayors Ras Baraka of Newark and Steven Fulop of Jersey City; former state Senate President Steve Sweeney; and teacher’s union president Sean Spiller.

New Jersey tilts Democratic in presidential and Senate elections in particular, and the party has a roughly 800,000 voter registration advantage over Republicans.

But independents make up a significant bloc as well, and voters have tended to alternate between Democratic and Republican administrations for governor.

Gov. Phil Murphy is wading further into the war among Hudson County Democrats, endorsing a pair of county party-backed Assembly candidates in one of the state’s premier legislative primaries. 

Murphy endorsed Assemblyman William Sampson (D-Bayonne) and Hudson County Commissioner Jerry Walker in the 31st legislative district primary on Monday morning.

“William has been a strong voice for the people of Bayonne, Kearny, and Jersey City — providing tax relief for homeowners and renters, funding our public schools, reducing crime, and supporting small businesses,” Murphy said in a release. “And, throughout it all, he has never forgotten his roots as a son of Bayonne. We need fighters like William in office to keep building a stronger and fairer New Jersey for every family.”

Sampson’s assemblymate, Barbara McCann Stamato (D-Jersey City), is also seeking re-election, but on a slate with Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop and Assembly candidate/Bayonne Councilwoman Jackie Weimmer.

Jersey City just barely makes up a majority of the district’s votes, with Bayonne and Kearny making up the rest of the district.

“I’m excited to endorse my friend and Hudson County Commissioner Jerry Walker for election to the New Jersey Assembly,” Murphy said in the release. “From his time at St. Anthony High School to his leadership of the non-profit organization Team Walker, Jerry has a long track record of serving his community, including establishing a brand new vocational school in Jersey City.”

Murphy has backed the Hudson County Democratic Organization thus far. Last week, the governor endorsed Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis for sheriff over five-term incumbent Frank S. Schillari, who is aligned with Fulop’s slate. 

The governor has also endorsed Assemblyman Gabe Rodriguez (D-West New York) and Larry Wainstein, who are backed by Union City Mayor/state Sen. Brian Stack.  

According to CFD Local 788, Camden firefighters are actively operating at the scene of a 2-alarm fire involving a building with extension to nearby structures. Battalion Chief 2 reported fire spreading to exposures as of early Sunday afternoon.

Cherry Hill Fire Department confirmed that Ladder 1324 is currently assisting in the firefighting efforts at the scene.

This is a breaking news.