Overview
- Former President Barack Obama headlined a get-out-the-vote rally for Mikie Sherrill in Newark after stumping for Abigail Spanberger in Norfolk earlier in the day.
- The latest Atlas Intel survey puts Sherrill at 50.2% and Jack Ciattarelli at 49.3%, within the margin of error, with multiple other polls also showing single-digit gaps.
- Democrats point to a sizable raw mail-in ballot advantage in New Jersey — about 221,000 as of Thursday, per Decision Desk HQ — positioning turnout as the decisive factor.
- Ciattarelli is backed by President Donald Trump, who held a recent tele-rally, and he has highlighted endorsements from some local Democrats as evidence of crossover appeal.
- Campaigns are centering messages on affordability, energy costs and the Gateway Tunnel fight, with polling showing a sharp gender split and total spending projected to exceed $200 million.