Emerson Poll: Sherrill and Ciattarelli Favorites for Party Nominations
By Insider NJ |
May 15, 2025, 8:09 pm | in
Edward Edwards
A new Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill survey in New Jersey finds 28% of Democratic Primary voters plan to support Rep. Mikie Sherrill, while 11% respectively support Mayor Steven Fulop, Mayor Ras Baraka, and Rep. Josh Gottheimer. Ten percent support Sean Spiller, and 5% support Steve Sweeney. With about a month until the primary, 24% are undecided.
“Rep. Sherrill had the most significant movement since the January Emerson poll in the Garden State, with her 18-point increase driven by solidifying support among voters over 50, at 33%, as well as primary voters with a college degree, 31% of whom support Sherrill,” Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, noted.
A plurality of voters (44%) support former 2021 gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli for the Republican nomination, while 18% support Bill Spadea, and 8% support Jon Bramnick. Twenty-three percent are undecided.
President Trump holds a split job approval rating in New Jersey: 47% approve and 47% disapprove, 6% are neutral. Governor Phil Murphy holds a 40% job approval rating, while 45% disapprove of the job he is doing; 15% are neutral.
Fifty-three percent of voters prefer the next Governor of New Jersey to work with the Trump administration, while 47% prefer the next Governor to stand up to the Trump administration.
“Democrats want the next Governor to stand up to Trump (76%), while Republicans want the next Governor to work with Trump (90%),” Kimball added. “Independents align more with Republicans in wanting the Governor to work with the president at 60%, compared to 40% who want the Governor to stand up to the president.”
The economy remains the top issue for New Jersey voters at 45%, followed by housing affordability (12%), threats to democracy (11%), and immigration policy (9%).
“Pocketbook issues will be central in the gubernatorial race, with 57% of voters citing the economy or housing affordability as their top concern,” Kimball said. “At the same time, immigration may become an issue in the general election as voters support Trump’s deportation policy, even as they believe tariffs will hurt the economy.”
A plurality of voters (46%) think the recent deportations of undocumented immigrants by the Trump administration have made their community more safe, while 24% think the deportations have made their community less safe, and 31% think it has no impact on safety.
Forty-four percent support the recent arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka for trespassing at an immigration detention facility in Newark, while 38% oppose it, and 18% are unsure or do not know enough to say.
4 in 5 New Jersey voters note they have been paying close attention to issues at Newark Airport, while 20% have not been following events closely. Regarding who is responsible for air traffic control issues at Newark airport, 31% think the Trump administration is most responsible, 29% the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), 20% the Biden administration, 8% the Murphy administration, and 6% Congress.
“Democratic voters blame the Trump administration (49%) and the FAA (24%), Republican voters blame Biden (38%) and the FAA (33%), while independents blame the FAA (34%), Trump (29%) and Biden (16%),” Kimball noted.
Over half (53%) of voters would feel unsafe taking a flight from Newark, while 47% would feel safe.
