Republicans in New Jersey are taking a shrinking gap in voter registration numbers as a sign they’ll come out on top in November’s gubernatorial election despite the state’s history as a Democratic stronghold.
Four years ago, Democrats had a lead of more than 1 million registered voters over Republicans, according to the state’s voter registration statistics archive. At the start of March, that lead had narrowed to just over 800,000. While Democrats are still ahead, Republicans are optimistic that their party’s momentum will continue and help them come out victorious.
“That’s not some blip on the radar or not some anomaly,” Chris Russell, a GOP strategist in New Jersey, told NOTUS of the shrinking gap. “There’s also a ton of energy on the ground here that didn’t exist prior, and I think that’s because people now believe a victory is possible.”
The off-year election will provide an early test of how President Donald Trump’s party fares during his second term. Republicans nationally say they expect to fare well in 2026. New Jersey Republicans said they are confident this year’s gubernatorial race will break the historical trend of off-year elections that check the power of the president’s party.
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