New Jersey Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli told Newsmax on Monday that Democrat Mikie Sherrill's decision to bring former President Barack Obama onto the campaign trail in the final days before Tuesday's election is "another desperate tactic by a desperate campaign on behalf of a desperate candidate."
Appearing on "Rob Schmitt Tonight," Ciattarelli said Sherrill's campaign is faltering even among key Democrat constituencies.
"They're in serious trouble, Rob, including with Black New Jerseyans all across the state," Ciattarelli said. "They had to move the venue on that one because the turnout was so low."
Ciattarelli pointed to strong grassroots energy across the state, saying his campaign is drawing "a really positive and overwhelmingly positive response" in minority communities that Democrats have long taken for granted.
The Sherrill campaign's rollout of Obama — who appeared in Newark for a Saturday get-out-the-vote rally — comes amid tight polling and early voting numbers showing lagging Democrat enthusiasm compared with the party's 2021 turnout levels.
According to the New Jersey Globe, Republican participation in early voting has surged, narrowing the traditional Democrat advantage heading into Election Day.
A Monmouth University poll released Monday showed Sherrill's lead within the margin of error, signaling a race that has tightened considerably in the final stretch.
"We like what we see in our minority communities," Ciattarelli told Schmitt. "Every time I've been there, the response has been overwhelmingly positive."
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