‘New Jersey Is 100% In Play’: Scott Presler On The Cycle’s Most Interesting Election

The New Jersey gubernatorial race is in its closing days, and Republican activist Scott Presler is optimistic that the state could go red.

Republican Jack Ciattarelli is running against Democratic Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill in the race to succeed outgoing Democratic Governor Phil Murphy. Presler, who rose to national attention for his efforts to flip Pennsylvania for President Donald Trump in 2024, is deploying a “21-county strategy,” trying to boost turnout in heavily-Republican districts and Democrat strongholds alike.

“This is an economic election,” Presler told The Daily Wire. “The voters of New Jersey are being crushed by property taxes. They’re being crushed by electricity taxes.”

Presler noted that, while much of this cycle’s focus has been on the Virginia gubernatorial election and New York City mayoral race, New Jersey has come into focus in the waning days of the campaign as Americans realize a Republican may take the governor’s mansion.

“Democrats are finally realizing Jack is poised to become the next governor,” Presler said. “I think the thing that is different as well is the national attention New Jersey is getting that it really wasn’t getting months ago when were were banging on every door and shouting to people, New Jersey is 100% in play.”

“I think other people are really starting to pick up on that and realize Jack has a real shot at winning this November, so there’s a lot more national attention than there was.”

A recent poll shows Sherrill is up by just one point, and it’s considered a statistical tie, Newsweek reported.

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In 2021, Murphy won re-election with just over 51% of the vote. Ciattarelli won 48% of the vote that year.

Presler has high hopes for Ciattarelli. But he’s already looking at the next race — and thinks New Jersey could be the start of a nationwide trend.

“I am looking at this race really in a nationwide kind of scale,” he said. “When we flip the New Jersey governorship from blue to red, it’s going to give other blue states permission to elect Republican governors.”

Presler mentioned Oregon, where former Republican gubernatorial nominee Christine Drazan just announced a new bid for the state’s top job. But that’s not all.

“I’m looking at Oregon. I’m looking at Washington State. I’m looking at New Mexico,” Presler said. “Even New England.”