Ciattarelli surprised by Army son’s return from Kuwait deployment

TOTOWA, NJ — It was a shock household reunion for New Jersey Republican candidate Jack Ciatarelli on Monday, on the eve of the state’s essential election for governor.

At his first marketing campaign occasion of the day, Ciatarelli spoke to supporters packed right into a tavern on this northern New Jersey neighborhood and was interrupted by Peter Murphy, the bar’s proprietor, a longtime buddy and supporter and the Passaic County GOP chairman, who launched a particular visitor.

Ciatarelli appeared shocked when his son Jake, an Military captain deployed to Kuwait, then walked as much as him.

The GOP nominee, who has closed the hole with Democratic rival Mikie Sherrill in a extremely aggressive and explosive race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, put his hand on his head in an indication of disbelief.

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New Jersey Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciatarelli hugs his son Jake Ciatarelli, a U.S. Military officer deployed to Kuwait, throughout a marketing campaign occasion at Murph’s Tavern in Totowa, NJ, on November 3, 2025. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox Information)

As the 2 males embraced, the gang of supporters erupted in cheers of “USA, USA, USA.”

Ciatarelli checked out Murphy and the gang a second later and stated, “Let me guess. You referred to as the president yesterday. He despatched Air Pressure One to Kuwait. They picked up Jake. If I do know the younger man, he’ll most likely be on a airplane again to Kuwait this afternoon to defend our nation.’

And Ciatarelli added, “Which he most likely forgot to do as a result of he is been so busy defending our nation. He most likely forgot to fill out his mail-in poll. He is right here to vote.

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Ciatarelli later advised Fox Information Digital that he was “actually stunned. I had no concept. Had no concept. Wonderful sensation.”

New Jersey and Virginia are the one two states that maintain gubernatorial contests the yr after the presidential election, and the 2 contests usually obtain outsized nationwide consideration. The election can be seen as an vital barometer for subsequent yr’s midterm elections, when the Republican Get together will defend its slim majorities within the Home and Senate.

Democratic candidate for governor of New Jersey Mikie Sherrill poses for pictures with supporters as he campaigns in Bloomfield, NJ, on October 28, 2025. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)

This yr’s election can be seen as the primary main poll field check of President Donald Trump’s unprecedented agenda.

Whereas Democrats have lengthy dominated federal and state elections in New Jersey, Republicans have been fiercely aggressive in gubernatorial elections, profitable 5 of the earlier 10 elections.

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And Trump made massive positive factors in New Jersey in final yr’s presidential election, dropping the state by simply six share factors, an enormous enchancment from his 16-point deficit 4 years earlier. And whereas Democrats nonetheless outnumber Republicans within the Backyard State, the GOP has made vital positive factors in voter registration since Ciatarelli almost upset Murphy 4 years in the past.

Trump headlined a tele-rally for Ciatarelli per week and a half in the past on the eve of early voting. And he’ll once more headline a tele-rally for Ciatarelli on Monday night, on the eve of the election. The aim of the tele-rallies is to energise MAGA supporters, lots of whom are low-propensity voters who usually skip casting ballots in non-presidential election years.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciatarelli speaks with supporters at a tavern in Totowa, New Jersey, on the eve of the election, November 3, 2025. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox Information)

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“We admire what the president is doing to excite the bottom, and remind them that they should vote, similar to all New Jerseyans. The way forward for our state is at stake. Get out and vote,” Ciatarelli advised Fox Information Digital.

However the president’s approval rankings and favorable rankings stay underwater in blue-leaning New Jersey, and Sherrill has repeatedly linked Ciatarelli to Trump and argued that the Republican nominee won’t oppose the president.

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Throughout final month’s second and closing debate, Sherrill charged that her Republican rival had “proven zero indicators of opposing this president.” The truth is, the President himself referred to as Jack one hundred pc MAGA, and he has proven each signal of that.”

However Ciatarelli has pushed again, telling reporters Monday that “the folks of New Jersey know who I’m. I’ll fiercely defend the 9 million residents of this state day-after-day of this week.”

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And Ciatarelli is working for change, as he factors to Murphy’s eight years as governor and almost 25 years of Democratic management of the state Legislature.

“It is all about property taxes, it is all about month-to-month electrical payments, it is about public security, public schooling, overdevelopment. These are New Jersey points that my opponent needs accountable on the president. He has nothing to do with any of these issues. It has the whole lot to do together with her get together, which has managed Trenton for the final 25 years,” he argued.