Trump Says This Is Why Sherrill Beat Ciattarelli In Governor’s Race

President Donald Trump is weighing in on why voters across the country, for the most part, turned out to back Democrats in the recent general election, including in the New Jersey gubernatorial race.

Democrat Mikie Sherrill scored a victory over Republican Jack Ciattarelli in New Jersey’s 2025 governor election, unofficial results show, making her the state's second female governor.

The candidates had each gotten a presidential endorsement: Ciattarelli from Donald Trump, and Sherrill from Barack Obama.

Trump said on Wednesday that he thinks the ongoing government shutdown, reaching day 37 as of Thursday, may have caused voters to back Sherrill.

"I thought we'd have a discussion... about the shutdown. How that relates to last night," said Trump in a press conference. "I think if you read the polls, the shutdown was a big factor, negative for the Republicans."

Sherrill has gotten more than 1.79 million votes statewide. Ciattarelli has received more than 1.38 million, according to results from the Associated Press.

Although the results remain uncertified, Sherrill has claimed victory and Ciattarelli has conceded defeat. Read More: NJ Governor Election Results: Sherrill Wins, AP Says

Sherrill said in a social media post that it is the "honor of my life to earn your trust to become this state's 57th governor."

"I promise to listen, lead with courage, and never forget who I serve," she said.

In addition to New Jersey, Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani defeated former governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa to become the New York City's next mayor. Read More: Zohran Mamdani Nets Historic Victory, Elected NYC Mayor

Also in Virginia, Democrat Abigail Spanberger made history Tuesday night by winning the governor's race over Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. Spanberger will become the Commonwealth's first woman to serve as governor. Read More: Spanberger Pledges To 'Always Put Virginia First' As Governor

The Shutdown: Day 37

The shutdown, which began on Oct. 1, came after President Donald Trump and Congress failed to strike an agreement to keep government programs and services running. Read More: Trump Threatens To Withhold SNAP Benefits As Murphy Mobilizes National Guard

Democrats wanted to reverse the Medicaid cuts in Trump's mega-bill, passed over the summer, and extend tax credits that make health insurance premiums more affordable for people who purchase through the marketplaces established by the Affordable Care Act.

The Senate, including New Jersey senators Corey Booker and Andy Kim, rejected the measure on a 55-54 vote that fell short of the 60 votes needed to advance the bill.

"We just went into a shutdown because Republicans refused to work with us to deal with the health care crisis that they created," Booker said in a video posted in October. "Donald Trump and Republicans control the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the White House. They need to do their job and put forward a budget that will help Americans."

As the blame game continues, there is no indication of when the shutdown will end, as it is on track to become the longest shutdown in U.S. history.

— With reporting by Jack Slocum