TRENTON — New Jersey Democrats and prominent state leaders have expressed concern that Black and Hispanic voters — historically forming the backbone of the party — may not turn out for Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D) in her quest to succeed term-limited Gov. Phil Murphy (D).

Some have chalked up the apathy as lingering from last year’s election between former Vice President Harris and President Trump, as well as years of failed outreach between the two parties. Others say Sherrill simply isn’t doing enough to court their votes.

“I believe that although our next governor has to represent the entire state — and we're okay with that — but where [do] Black people land in the conversation? We should be at the top of the food chain, particularly from the Democratic Party side,” Dr. John Harmon, the founder, CEO and president of the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey, said last week.

Some of the same concerns around anemic turnout, coupled with Republicans’ recent gains within the voting blocs, are resurfacing ahead of the gubernatorial election next month.

While New Jersey has typically been thought of as a reliably blue, the Democratic Party can’t take the Garden State for granted in November.

Murphy fended off a challenge from Jack Ciattarelli, the GOP's 2025 gubernatorial candidate, in 2021 by 3 percentage points. Harris, meanwhile, won the state by roughly 6 points — a far cry from the roughly 16 points former President Biden won the state by in 2020 or the 14 points Democrat Hillary Clinton won it by as the 2016 presidential candidate.

A Decision Desk HQ polling average of surveys on the race shows Sherrill........

© The Hill