New Jersey
Is Gen Z trending more Republican in New Jersey? What polls show
A tight race faces Democratic Representative Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli in their bids to become New Jersey governor next week, according to polls.
Sherrill holds a lead among young voters, a traditional Democratic group that shifted rightward in last year’s presidential race, recent surveys suggest.
Newsweek reached out to the Ciattarelli and Sherrill campaigns for comment via email.
Why It Matters
The New Jersey gubernatorial race is a key bellwether for the mood of the electorate ahead of the 2026 midterms, when Democrats will be hoping to flip seats across the country in a 2018-style “blue wave.”
The election will be a test for Democrats’ efforts to win back support where President Donald Trump gained ground in last year’s presidential race. Gen Z is one group that swung toward Trump last year. They backed former Vice President Kamala Harris by about 11 points last year, a much tighter margin than former President Joe Biden’s 24-point margin among Gen Z four years earlier.
Sherrill will be seeking to win back those voters in New Jersey, a state that also drifted toward competitiveness. It backed Harris by only about six points, down from Biden’s 16-point victory in the Garden State in 2020.
What to Know
Polling suggests that Sherrill holds a slight—but not insurmountable—lead over Ciattarelli in the final days of the campaign. The data points to a closer race than in 2021, when Ciattarelli nearly defeated incumbent Democratic Governor Phil Murphy, overperforming his polling numbers.
Sherrill is also winning over Gen Z voters, according to polls.
A Fox News poll showed 60 percent of voters under 30 are backing Sherrill, while only 33 percent are voting for Ciattarelli. Two percent said they’d vote for someone else, and five percent of the 1,002 voters surveyed from October 10 to October 14 said they were unsure.
A co/efficient poll similarly found the 53-year-old former federal prosecutor with a lead among Gen Z voters. Sherrill led voters between the ages of 18 and 34 by 26 points (57 percent to 31 percent). It polled 995 likely voters from October 23 to October 27, 2025 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.27 percentage points.
An Emerson College poll also showed Sherrill leading voters between the ages of 18 and 29 by 38 points (56 points to 18 points), though that poll notably found a higher percentage were still undecided (15 percent) or voting for someone else (11 percent). It surveyed 935 likely voters from September 22 to September 23 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points for all voters.
A Rutgers University poll showed a more competitive race to win over Gen Z voters. In that survey, Sherrill led by only six points (49 percent to 43 percent). It surveyed 795 likely voters from October 3 to October 17 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.7 percentage points.
Joseph Patten, Professor of Political Science at Monmouth University, told Newsweek that Gen Z is a critical voting bloc for Democrats.
“When young people are energized and mobilized, it typically fares well for Democratic candidates. When they’re not, when they’re down in the dumps, that’s typically a bad sign for Democratic candidates,” he said. “So we’ll see where they are in 2025.”
He pointed to the 2020 election, when Biden defeated Trump, as an example of Gen Z proving to be one of the most important groups who decided the outcome of the election. Their rightward shift was largely due to a drop off in voting numbers from 2020 to 2024, he said.
In 2020, Gen Z turnout in New Jersey was about 67 percent. In 2024, that number was 54 percent—still higher than the national average of 47 percent, Patten said. The youth vote in New Jersey also skews more diverse, as about 56 percent of students in New Jersey schools are non-white, he said.
There’s also a notable gender gap between young men and young women, he said.
“Young women are much more likely to be liberal, and young men are more inclined to be more conservative,” he said. “There’s also a gender gap in turnout. Young women vote by nine percentage points higher than young men.”
Micah Rasmussen, director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University, told Newsweek that the election is a “departure from last year,” when Gen Z voters shifted to Trump.
“Those voters are still out there. They’re still partisan. There’s no question about that. But as a bloc, as a distinct voting group or as a generation, I think there is a reappraisal,” he said. “Have they gotten what they bargained for? Is the federal government that we’ve gotten so far what our youngest voters voted for?”
On the Republican side, the assassination of conservative pundit Charlie Kirk has been a “rallying point” for young voters, he said. There is a sense of “let’s do thus for Charlie” that could benefit the Ciattarelli campaign with more partisan voters. That will not necessarily appeal to those young voters who are less engaged and partisan, he said.
Democrats don’t have that same “inflection,” but the Sherrill campaign has also been working to engage younger supporters by having them write postcards or make phone calls, he said.
There is unlikely to be “the same level of engagement” in the race as a presidential contest, he said. There are certainly younger voters who are engaged—but it is unlikely to be as widespread, he added.
How Does Gen Z Polling Compare to 2021?
There were no exit polls conducted in New Jersey for the last governor’s race in 2021. In that race, Murphy won by just over three percentage points (51 percent to 48 percent), but it’s unclear exactly what percentage of Gen Z voters he ended up winning.
But an Emerson College poll from October 2021 showed that Murphy was on track to win Gen Z by nearly 16 points (58 percent to 42 percent). Meanwhile, a Monmouth University poll, which ended up overestimating Murphy’s support by a larger margin, found that he was on track to win Gen Z voters by 25 points (56 percent to 31 percent).
Whether or not polling overestimates Sherrill’s support as it did for Murphy in the last gubernatorial race is a key question facing pollsters ahead of Election Day. Many Republicans believe the support for 63-year-old businessman Ciattarelli, who missed out in the previous gubernatorial race, has been undercounted in polls.
Historically, younger voters do turn out at lower rates than older voters, and it’s yet to be seen which candidate does a better job at mobilizing their youngest supporters before next week’s election.
What People Are Saying
Sherrill wrote Monday on X: “Donald Trump’s global extortion racket is lining his pockets and costing New Jerseyans more at the register. Not on my watch—as governor, I’m going to work with our Attorney General to defend New Jerseyans against Washington’s reckless tariffs.”
Ciattarelli wrote Monday on X: “This campaign is about change. It’s about restoring hope for New Jersey’s future. Hope for families struggling to afford to stay here, seniors struggling to retire here. Hope for safer communities, better schools, and a government that finally puts you first.”
What Happens Next
Early voting has been underway, and Election Day is set for November 4. Forecasters give Sherrill an advantage—both the Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball rate the race as Leans Democratic.
JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Mile marker 113.3 on the eastern spur of the New Jersey Turnpike in Secaucus will forever be an incredible memory for one family, who scrambled to deliver their baby boy right on the side of the road.
Kristen Fast was in labor last week, with her husband driving her to the hospital on the turnpike, but when they got to the mile marker, baby Archer couldn’t wait any longer and had to be delivered on the highway.
Archer insisted on arriving three days before he was due, and maybe it was because his lovely big sister, 4-year-old Zelda, was waiting for him.
He was in such a hurry, he didn’t even let mom and dad get to the hospital for him to be born, although they tried.
“The doula said, ‘pull over, hang up, call 911.’ So we did that. We called 911. The operator started walking him through what to do,” said Archer’s mother, Kristen Fast.
“Next thing I know, I get in the back seat, and we’re making sure she’s comfortable, and I look down, and that baby is ready to go,” said Archer’s dad, Alex Fast.
New Jersey State Trooper Freddie Guacamaya responded to Alex’s 911 call.
“Cop comes, puts on his gloves, and he was fantastic,” Alex Fast said.
“I said, ‘Are you the EMT?’ And he didn’t answer. So I said, ‘You are not an EMT. I’m in danger.’ But he was fine, he was being very calm,” Kristen Fast said.
“They said, ‘you got to clamp that cord right away. If you have anything, if you have a string.’ So I panicked and just looked in the front and we just had an iPhone cable. So we just clamped the cord with an iPhone cable,” Alex Fast said.
“The EMTs came, and they said, ‘What is this?’” Kristen Fast said.
The loving, kind courtesies extended to the family just continued, helping to make their emergency experience flawless.
“There were three policemen who showed up. I said, ‘I’d love to be with her in the ambulance.’ And they were amazing. They drove our car to the hospital for us, which was so nice. They paid for our valet,” Alex and Kristen Fast said.
They were all welcomed to Hackensack University Medical Center with a healthy baby and a hearty story, backed by Archer’s exact birthplace, recorded accurately: New Jersey Turnpike I-95, mile marker 113.
“Archer’s healthy. He’s thriving. He’s a Jersey boy through and through. I don’t think you get more Jersey than being born on the New Jersey Turnpike,” Kristen Fast said.
New Jersey
What to know about Freedom Fuel Network as Trump urges cheaper gas prices in Pennsylvania, NJ
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — There are 25 new Freedom Fuel Network gas stations opening across the Philadelphia area and South Jersey as Americans closely watch gas prices.
This comes after President Trump announced the privately-owned network on social media last week, saying it will help drivers save money at the pump.
There are 25 new Freedom Fuel gas stations opening across the Philadelphia area and South Jersey as Americans closely watch gas prices.
The first location in Dresher, Montgomery County, opened on Friday, with the price of $3.47 per gallon.
This cost was a nod to President Trump serving as the nation’s 47th president.
However, that price has already started to rise after the president announced new U.S. strikes, sending oil and gas prices higher.
Some of those locations with gas stations participating in the Freedom Fuel Network include Lansdowne, Bensalem and Pottstown in Pennsylvania; and Marlton in New Jersey.
Gas Calculator: Find out how much it costs to fill your tank
A White House official told ABC News the administration is not involved with the company and is not providing any funding or subsidies.
Instead, the company says it is cutting its own profit margins to offer lower prices.
Some drivers are applauding this move while others, including gas analysts, are skeptical.
“$3.47 a gallon is a Godsend, honestly,” said one consumer. “Great price because this was a Sunoco before and prices were a lot higher.”
“I want Americans to be asking, ‘Where is that money coming from? Why are corporations and businesses willing to subsidize gas 50-cents a gallon for people, to make President Trump look good,” said another consumer.
Trump is also encouraging other gas retailers to lower their prices. He has not identified the company behind Freedom Fuel, saying only that it’s a private retailer.
Action News is still working to learn how long these lower prices will last and whether more stations will open.
Copyright © 2026 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.
JAMESBURG, New Jersey (WABC) — When it comes to home deliveries, having your order stolen right off your doorstep can be infuriating, so one New Jersey man did it right.
Peter Tsistinas had his brand-new cell phone delivered to a so-called safe pickup site, designated by the seller, where it was stolen.
Delivery services can drop off your item at any number of safe locations, where you can later pick up your order. But as exclusive video obtained by 7 On Your Side shows, porch pirates are upping their game.
Captured on a security camera, a man calmly walks into the CVS store, asks for a delivery, shows an ID, signs for it, and walks off with a brand-new iPhone. There’s just one problem.
“They saw somebody that was not me getting my package,” said Tsistinas when asked what the police were seeing on the tape.
The real Peter, a popular DJ for hire, was dumbfounded. He chose the safe drop to avoid being porch pirated, but the thief still got the goods.
“Yeah, I actually paid extra for it. It wasn’t much. It was $7.99,” Tsistinas said.
Tsistinas got a notification from UPS that the phone was dropped off at 12:39 p.m., less than two hours later, he got a notice it was picked up.
But Tsistinas didn’t pick it up. It was the unknown suspect who went into the CVS, walking off with the brand-new iPhone for Peter’s son.
Tsistinas reported the crime to the police and alerted UPS, CVS and T-Mobile, which shipped the smartphone. The response to the DJ was what he called, “crickets.”
“I was watching, you know ABC News, and I saw 7 On Your Side and I’m like, ‘you know, you’re the first thing I thought of,’” Tsistinas said
7 On Your Side reached out to both CVS and the cell phone provider.
Within a week, T-Mobile responded, saying, “Our care team is working with Mr. Tsistinas directly to get him the device he ordered from us, and we’re working closely with CVS and our other partners to further protect our customers’ orders from theft. Our dedicated fraud, crime and logistics teams collaborate with vendors to address these issues and improve delivery processes.”
CVS also sent 7 On Your Side an official statement, saying, “We’ve connected with the customer and apologized for his experience. T-Mobile is now working directly with Mr. Tsistinas to help resolve the matter. Anyone picking up a UPS package at CVS Pharmacy must present identification matching the person and name on the package to be released. We’re working with the store team to help prevent similar situations from occurring in the future.”
After weeks of back and forth with the companies, Tsistinas could finally focus on his beats again.
“I paid almost $500 in deposit, and then it was going to be like so much per month. So, they just squashed all that,” Tsistinas said.
Referencing the Rolling Stones, he says he not only got his satisfaction, but also his money back.
“Nina, you’re the best!” Peter said.
Police are still looking for the suspect in the video and say he’s part of a crime ring. If you recognize him, call Jamesburg police in New Jersey.
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