In some more good news for the GOP headed into the 2026 midterms, it looks the longtime blue state of New Jersey could be drifting toward becoming a red state, particularly at the state level. Particularly, voter registration drives are looking positive for the GOP, and the gubernatorial election could swing the state red, as exemplified by the recent case of a Democrat mayor in the state ditching his party to support the GOP.
That individual is Garfield, New Jersey Mayor Everett E. Garnto, Jr. He announced on Thursday, September 4, that he has decided to leave the Democratic Party for good, and as a result is endorsing Republican Jack Ciattarelli for the state’s gubernatorial race. That is major news, as Garfield is one of the largest municipalities in Bergen County, a key area in the state.
Garnto made his Thursday announcement during a campaign event in a gymnasium in Garfield, with the event being attended by a few hundred people. James O’Keefe assistant Michael Casey, breaking the news on X, said (punctuation added), “Democrat mayor of Garfield NJ has officially SWITCHED parties 🔵->đź”´ and ENDORSED Republican Jack Ciatteralli for Governor. MAJOR endorsement for @Jack4NJ in a city that has been a longtime Democrat stronghold. Standing room only as hundreds of Garfield residents were in attendance.”
During his speech, Mayor Garnto argued that “the state is broken” thanks to years upon years of misrule at the hands of Democrats, pointing to everything from soaring taxes to the disastrous levels of crime for which the state is known as his reasons for saying so and using his conclusion to justify leaving the Democratic Party and backing Ciattarelli for governor.
Commenting during that portion of the speech on how the Democrats have ruined his beloved state, Mayor Garnto said, “For the last seven and a half years, [Gov.] Phil Murphy’s policies have left us with sky-high taxes, soaring electric bills, and less safe communities.” He then added, backing the Republican gubernatorial candidate, “New Jerseyans deserve better. Jack Ciattarelli is ready to turn this state around.”
Ciattarelli spoke during the gymnasium event at well, saying that New Jersey residents across the political spectrum have realized that their state is a disaster zone thanks to the present governor and his cronies, saying, “It’s not just Republicans who are crying out for change. It’s unaffiliated, independent voters and yes, even moderate Democrats who’ve come to the realization that this current administration has failed.”
Adding to that by vowing to crisscross the state in an initiative to get out the votes by meeting voters in person, Ciattarelli said, “I do think at the end of the day, and I think the mayor would agree, it’s [about] what the candidate does. And what I do each and every day is get up and down this state and press the flesh.”
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New Jersey Congressional candidate Rosie Pino, commenting on the news of Garnto backing Ciattarelli, wrote, “Huge news! For years, the NJ Democratic machine has ignored and failed middle-class communities like Garfield. Leaders like Mayor Garnto are joining the GOP because they know the GOP is the true party of the working class, the party that will protect the American Dream, and because they know @Jack4NJ will get New Jersey moving in the right direction! #NJpol”
Watch footage from the event here:
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video