A number of high-profile Democrats, including former President Obama, are racing to shore up support for New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill amid signs the race is tightening even more than expected.

Sherrill has been single digits ahead of Republican Jack Ciattarelli in public polling, with one recent survey from Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill showing the two essentially tied.

Democrats are cautiously optimistic that she will pull off a win on Tuesday despite no political party successfully winning three consecutive terms in the governor’s mansion since 1961. But in a sign they’re not leaving anything to chance, Obama and Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) are set to stump for Sherrill this weekend.

“If the race comes down to party preference, that is a framework that should favor Democrats,” said Democratic strategist Henry de Koninck.

Democrats have a nearly 860,000 voter registration advantage over Republicans, de Koninck said. He added that the party out of power immediately following a presidential election usually sees a turnout advantage, which would also benefit Democrats.

The race to succeed term-limited New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) is in its final stretch as Sherrill and Ciattarelli work to turn out their respective bases for the gubernatorial election on Tuesday.

Recent public polling has shown Sherrill leading Ciattarelli to varying degrees. The Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill poll released on Thursday found the New Jersey congresswoman barely edging out Ciattarelli 49 percent to 48 percent, well within the margin of error.

A Suffolk........

© The Hill