Sherrill is facing off against Republican nominee Jack Ciattarelli in one of the most pivotal political races of 2025. While Sherrill is the favorite, Ciattarelli came within about three points of beating Gov. Phil Murphy (D-NJ) in 2021.
“The DGA is committed to holding New Jersey’s governorship and making sure that voters up and down the Garden State understand the stakes of this election,” DGA political director Jordy Zeigler told NBC News.
The ad buy is more than Murphy and Democratic-aligned outside groups combined spent on ads in the 2021 election. The ads will be featured on television, digital, and streaming platforms.
Murphy is term-limited and cannot run for reelection. Sherrill emerged from a competitive Democratic primary field that also featured Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, and Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop. She beat them all by more than 13 points, behind a centrist congressional record and the backing of former state Govs. Richard Codey and Jon Corzine, as well as outside Govs. Janet Mills (D-ME) and Maura Healey (D-MA).
The support of Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and current Virginia gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger, two rising women within the party, likely played a role, too. The three have a text group chat together.
The former helicopter pilot has long criticized Ciattarelli in the lead-up to November, recently relating New Jersey Republicans’ support of the “Big Beautiful Bill” to him.
“New Jersey Republicans — including @Jack4NJ — backed Trump’s reckless spending bill that rips New Jerseyans off Medicaid to fund tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy. They’ll all face the voters eventually, but only one is on the ballot this November. We won’t forget this betrayal,” she wrote in a post on X.
One of Ciattarell’s stronger attacks on Sherrill is on her stock-trading history, highlighting a seemingly awkward exchange between her and The Breakfast Club host Charlamagne tha God on the subject.
Weeks later, this is STILL incredibly awkward @MikieSherrill pic.twitter.com/Tm3juAH5dJ
— Jack Ciattarelli (@Jack4NJ) July 7, 2025
A Ciattarelli-aligned super PAC has already spent seven figures along the Sherrill stock trading angle to slam her.
“More money for Mikie. Less money for us. Mikie Sherrill is wrong for Governor,” one ad says.
WHO IS MIKIE SHERRILL? MEET THE DEMOCRATIC PICK FOR NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR
A Rutgers University survey of the race showed Sherrill with a wide 20-point lead over Ciattarelli, 51% to 31%. The polling director cautioned that it should be treated as a “baseline or a barometer of how voters are feeling in the moment, not as some crystal ball predicting the future four months from now.”
The Cook Political Report rated the race “Lean Democrat” in June. The outlet also rated the Virginia governor’s race “Lean Democrat” in April.
