Both the Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop ran insurgent, grassroots-styled campaigns in the left lane, hoping to nab the support of progressives to overtake Sherrill. Baraka placed second (20.5%), and ended up winning Essex — also Sherrill’s home county — and Union, which were big surprises.

Democrats will choose a nominee for New Jersey governor from among six prominent candidates, including two big-city mayors, two members of Congress and two union leaders. With a redesigned ballot intended to give all candidates a fair shot, it is the first race in decades that was not largely predetermined by local party leaders.

New Jersey voters will select their nominees for governor on Tuesday, testing the direction of the Democratic and Republican parties in a state that shifted towards President Donald Trump in the 2024 election.

The race to become the next governor of New Jersey heated up on Tuesday as voters hit the polls for the major parties' respective primaries. With Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy term-limited, six Democrats and five Republicans are now vying for the state's top job in a race that could shape the future of the Garden State.

Rep. Mikie Sherrill enters the Democratic contest for governor with several key advantages, but uncertainty looms.