N.J. Gun Owners Gear Up for 2nd Amendment Showdown

Gun freedom is on the ballot in New Jersey next week.

Republican Jack Ciattarelli, a staunch supporter, is taking on Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., who has been vocal about gun control.

The stakes are high: The governor's race could decide whether the Garden State moves toward restoring Second Amendment rights — or tightens its already suffocating gun laws.

Sherrill has been endorsed by nearly every major gun-control organization, including Everytown for Gun Safety, Moms Demand Action, the Giffords PAC, and the Brady PAC.

She has called allowing "untrained and unchecked individuals" to carry firearms "unconscionable," even though New Jersey requires both training and background checks to obtain a carry permit.

Her record has earned her a solid "F" rating from the NRA Political Victory Fund, which brands her a "gun-ban extremist."

Ciattarelli, by contrast, has evolved into a champion for gun owners.

He now says clearly, "People have a right to defend themselves. They have a right to bear arms."

In the 2021 governor's race, Ciattarelli came within just 84,000 votes of unseating Democrat Phil Murphy, a stunning result in a deep-blue state.

Back then, the polls showed Murphy leading by 20 points.

Gun owners turned out in force to make the race competitive — and they could do it again.

This year, the numbers are shifting.

Since 2021, Republican voter registration is up by 167,000, while Democrats have lost about 47,000 names from their rolls.

The NRA and local gun-rights groups say enthusiasm is higher than ever.

That surge coincides with a national change in gun politics.

After the Supreme Court's 2022 Bruen decision, which confirmed the right to carry outside the home, concealed-carry permit applications in New Jersey jumped 5,000%.

The ruling has energized gun owners who feel the state's laws — banning so-called "assault weapons," limiting magazine capacity, and restricting handgun purchases — go too far.

Sherrill has tried to downplay her anti-gun stance during the campaign, but her record is clear. In a 2019 op-ed, she called for a federal "assault weapons ban" and universal background checks.

Her military service gives her credibility with some voters, but gun-rights advocates say she uses it to mask a radical record.

"She hides behind her uniform to sell gun bans," Scott Bach, executive director of the Association of New Jersey Rifle and Pistol Clubs, told the NRA's "America 1^st Freedom" magazine.

"She's a real threat to the Second Amendment."

Ciattarelli has earned an "A" rating from the New Jersey Firearms Owners Syndicate, whose leaders say he's proven he can win tough races and lift other Republicans with him.

Conservative activist Scott Presler has helped build a bigger GOP base, fueling optimism that 2025 could mirror 2021 — but with a different ending.

Ciattarelli has pulled into a statistical tie with Sherrill, trailing by a single point (47%-48%, respectively) which is well within the margin of error in the latest Co/efficient poll released Monday.

For New Jersey voters, this election isn't just about party lines.

It's about whether the state believes in the constitutional right to self-defense — or keeps surrendering that freedom to politicians who don't.