Jack Ciattarelli, the Republican former state assemblyman and two-time gubernatorial candidate, on Tuesday night formally announced he will run for governor again. Ciattarelli last ran in 2021 and was narrowly defeated by Gov. Phil Murphy.
Ciattarelli joins state Sen. Jon Bramnick on the Republican side of the field so far. On the Democratic side, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and former state Senate President Steve Sweeney have entered the race. The field is expected to grow in the coming months.
Micah Rasmussen, the director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University, told NJ Spotlight News that the recent ruling likely ending the “county-line” ballot could also bring some added drama and uncertainty to the race.
