2025 NJ Democratic Gubernatorial Primary

In a contest with little definition outside of the eventual winner being the Frontrunner; the second place finisher Ras Baraka—enphasizing his minority roots, progressive Bona fides, and opposition to ICE (being arrested  by ICE while trying to ascess an ICE Facility)

—won minorities outside of the core of South Jersey, winning Willingboro, Trenton, Newark, Paterson, Passaic City and the African American heavy precincts in Clifton, Hackensack Teaneck and Englewood. 

Third place candidate Steve Fulop, by contrast— campaigning on being against corruption, the machine, and on building housing in NJ—only won in South Orange, Atlantic City, Jersey City, and a few scattered municipalities

besting eventual Gubernatorial nominee, CD-11 Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill by 15% with a plurality of 38%—concentrated in the northern Bergen Suburbs he's represented since 2016, while losing the Portions of Passaic and Sussex counties he's likewise represented to Sherrill and

and Jersey City Mayor Fulop's Mid-teens showing throughout North Jersey Saw the Newark Mayor take the 9th CD with a 28% Plurality, just a tenth of a point over the elected Gubernatorial nominee Mikie Sherrill

Fundamentally, the reason for his win in this Paterson-centred seat was his winning with over 50% of the vote in Paterson NJ—mostly thanks to African Americans, likewise winning Hispanics in, and thus the towns of, Passaic City and Garfield City.

By Contrast, Sherrill Kept it close thanks to holding close to Baraka's margins among Palestinians, and winning Bangladeshi Muslims, dominating thje field with white suburbanites in Rutherford, Wayne, and Clifton among others—holding down Baraka's margins among hispanics in Kearny

Here, her strength in the Educated White Suburbs of Morris County, the county gave her 62% of the vote, Italian-American areas in the northwest of Essex County, and her home in Northern Montclair allowed her to Swamp Baraka's support among the few Minorities in the seat

Her opponents, in order of Voteshare won the remaining municipalities as such: 

• Newark Mayor Ras Baraka: 33 Municipalities

• Jersey city Mayor Steve Fulop: 10 Municipalities

• NJ-05 Rep Josh Gottheimer: 60 Municipalities

• NJEA President and Former Montclair Mayor Sean Spiller: 17 Municipalities

• Former Senate President Steve Sweeney: 60 Municipalities

Here, While Baraka carried Latinos/Portuguese voters in Newark + African Americans/Latinos in Elizabeth by wide Margins, Sherrill's commanding performance with North Hudson Hispanics — holding Fulop to a 2% victory in North Bergen where the HCDO (Sacco Faction) supported Fulop allowed her to come in first place.

This was over Fulop's performance in the Jersey portion of the seat — where his base in the Downtown Ward E, and strong performance the predominantly South Asian Heights delivered a ~15% plurality over Sherrill combined.