The Democrats are reeling as their lead has collapsed from 26,717 in 2021 to less than 2,500 votes this year on the first day of early in-person voting in New Jersey. Overall early turnout, including mail-in and in-person early voting, shows 60% Democrats, 24% Republicans, and 16% other, a significant improvement from the last election.
Reflecting on the situation, Micah Rasmussen says that unless they can gain, the GOP will fall short by 275,000 votes. Analysts point to massive enthusiasm in the GOP, and Ciattarelli already came close to supplanting Gov. Murphy in 2021, losing by 3 points, outperforming polls by 5.
According to current polling aggregates, Sherrill leads by 4.1 points, and these razor-thin margins signal strong GOP enthusiasm, potentially foreshadowing a highly competitive midterm landscape next year as Trump enters his second year as president.
In any case, Micah Rasmussen, Director of the Rebovich Institute for NJ Politics at Rider University, had a dim view of the election. “This was the first of nine days of in-person, early voting. An eternity is still outstanding… But, if the GOP cannot get any traction on the Dems, then they will go into Election Day with a 275,000-vote hole,” the pessimistic expert said.
Polling is not the only strong sign for Republicans in the Garden State. As we reported at the American Tribune, Alpine, NJ Councilman David Kupferschmid switched his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican, becoming the first GOP member in over 20 years, and endorsed Jack Ciattarelli for governor.
Explaining his decision, Mr. Kupferschmid slammed the current-year Democratic Party as totally “unrecognizable” thanks to its lurch to the far left, praising Ciattarelli’s common-sense approach to over-development and crime. Mr. Kupferschmid’s decision to join the Republicans comes amidst a wave of Democratic defections across the embattled state.
Additionally, David Kupferschmid justified his comments with a thorough denunciation. “The Democrat Party does not represent us anymore. With my switch, I will now be the first Republican on the council in more than 20 years. I hope that this is the beginning of a resurgence for the Republican Party in Alpine where alternate voices are much needed on the governing body,” he said.
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Making his thoughts known directly on the race, Kupferschmid savaged the Democratic candidate, Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D), noting, “While Sherrill refuses to denounce the far left radicals in her party, Jack Ciattarelli has been appealing to all sides with a common sense message that includes putting the brakes on over-development and cleaning up crime, both of which are critical issues for Alpine.”
Watch her Republican opponent’s ad calling out her cheating scandal here:
Adding to his last point, he announced the inevitable switch. “It’s time! I’ve officially switched parties, and I am giving my full endorsement to Jack Ciattarelli, the Republican candidate for Governor of New Jersey,” David Kupferschmid announced to the public, explaining his momentous decision.
Tying his decision to the GOP party platform, he added, “I’m proud to stand with our Republican leaders, and our great gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli, as we all work to elect candidates who will make our state more affordable and safe for all residents.”
Concluding his comments, he thanked the GOP for welcoming him with open arms. “I would like to thank the Bergen County Republican Organization for welcoming me with open arms, and I look forward to doing everything I can over the next few weeks to help Jack Ciattarelli become the next Governor,” the former Democrat said.