Getting to know the candidates New Jersey’s race for governor may offer insights about the national mood on President Donald Trump’s agenda, as well as how voters are reacting to Democrats’ messaging.

Ciattarelli on Wednesday immediately headed to voters who have long been part of the Democratic base, visiting a bakery in heavily Hispanic Dover, in Morris County, as his first stop. In the 2024 election, Hispanic voters in North Jersey drove much of the state’s shift toward Trump.