The nine Gannett-owned daily newspapers in New Jersey have endorsed Democrat Mikie Sherrill for governor, saying both candidates have “both promise and flaws,” but cited Sherrill’s promise of a “new approach” to problem solving and Republican Jack Ciattarelli’s support of President Donald Trump.
“It’s time to take the leap and embrace a new generation of leadership,” the USA TODAY Network New Jersey Editorial Board stated in its endorsement, “Sherrill offers that chance.”
Still, the editorial seemed to bemoan the campaign’s tone as it struggled to choose between Sherrill and Ciattarelli.
“This has not been a good campaign for truth-telling, and both sides, frankly, owed New Jersey voters better. Both have twisted their opponents’ words shamelessly — whether it be Democrats exaggerating Ciattarelli’s musings about a sales tax or Republicans ripping Sherrill’s comments on clean energy out of context,” the editorial noted. “If this were a race for honesty and civility, the candidates would tie for last.”
They said the four-term congresswoman “has been something of a disappointing candidate” and the endorsement comes “with some reservation.”
“For much of the campaign, she struggled to articulate concrete policy positions,” the editorial board wrote. “Democratic insiders fear that a lack of broad enthusiasm could imperil her chances.”
They said Sherrill “has made improvements in articulating her positions on key issues in recent weeks, but we still worry about her capacity to connect with voters.”
The Editorial Board suggested that Trump’s support of Ciattarelli is both a blessing and a curse.
“Because of the president’s broad popularity in the Republican base, Ciattarelli has had to, whether he’s liked it or not, toe a line of loyalty to the White House,” they wrote. “In recent weeks, Ciattarelli has been angry and bellicose with the press — so much so that we have concerns about his capacity to manage his temper in a Trenton that will surely be full of tensions.”
They also called for breaking aware from “our decades-long culture wars and embrace solutions-oriented approaches to policy challenges?”
“Trenton needs new culture and new ideas. Ciattarelli, with all his clarity and experience, does not offer that kind of change — while he is a Republican, he is a Trenton insider,” the editorial board stated.
The Gannett-owned newspapers in New Jersey include: the Bergen Record, New Jersey Herald, Courier News, Home News Tribune, Asbury Park Press, Daily Record, Courier-Post, Burlington County Times, and the Daily Journal.
Gannett’s corporate policy is to allow its local editorial board to take sides in state races.
The New York Post has endorsed Ciattarelli.
The Star-Ledger shuttered its editorial page in February, and several other newspapers owned by Advance Publications, including the Jersey Journal, Trenton Times, South Jersey Times, and Hunterdon County Democrat, are no longer in operation.
The New York Times announced in 2024 that it would end its endorsements of candidates in state and local races. The Times still endorses presidential candidates.
The Philadelphia Inquirer endorsed Democrat Steve Fulop and Republican Jon Bramnick in the gubernatorial primaries last spring. The endorsement had no impact on the results.
Even the influential Jersey Hills newspaper chain is unlikely to endorse this year; it is now operated by the Corporation for New Jersey Local Media, and as a non-profit, it is not permitted to advocate for a particular candidate.
Four years ago, Gov. Phil Murphy was endorsed by the Gannett newspapers.
