New Jersey 'best place' for Trump to stop Democratic momentum: DNC chair

New Jersey might be the best place for President Trump to stop Democratic momentum against him, according to Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin (D), seemingly downplaying expectations in next month's gubernatorial contest.

“New Jersey is the best place, probably, for Donald Trump to actually stop the Democratic momentum — or at least minimize the Democratic momentum that we’ve seen throughout this year,” Martin told Politico Playbook, noting the party’s overperformance in special elections since Trump took office.

While Martin said he thinks Democratic nominee Mikie Sherrill will win the contest over Republican Jack Ciattarelli, he acknowledged that Republicans have been doing well in the state and seemed to downplay expectations there in comparison to Virginia, which also holds a governor's contest in November.

“I don’t care if we overperform or underperform,” Martin said. “What I care about is making sure we win. At the end of the day, we know that the Republicans are feeling very bullish about their chances in New Jersey for a whole host of reasons, right? Jack Ciattarelli lost to [current New Jersey Gov.] Phil Murphy by 3 points four years ago. In the Harris race last year, they significantly shrunk the presidential margin there,” Martin said, referring to last year's presidential race where Vice President Kamala Harris carried New Jersey but with a tighter margin over President Trump than former President Biden's margin over Trump four years earlier.

“And New Jersey has a history of electing Republican governors, combined with the fact that they haven't ever elected a Democrat to a third term, right, at least in the last 50 years,”  Martin said.

A Decision Desk HQ polling average shows Sherrill leading Ciattarelli 49 percent to 44 percent.

But Sherrill is looking to defy historical winds given that the Garden State hasn’t backed the same party in three consecutive gubernatorial elections for decades. She also must overcome Murphy’s underwater approval rating. 

Ciattarelli must contend with his party's actions in the White House with Trump in power and make the case to voters that the two are different individuals. Trump also has an underwater approval rating in the state.

Martin’s remarks acknowledge that Democrats see this as tighter-than-comfortable matchup, particularly amid concerns that Black and Hispanic voters may sit out the election or swing toward Ciattarelli, as they did toward Trump last cycle.