The New Jersey gubernatorial race has descended into chaos following the controversial release of unredacted military records of Democratic nominee Rep. Mikie Sherrill to an ally of GOP candidate Jack Ciattarelli. The incident has sparked widespread accusations of political malpractice, with federal investigators now under pressure to launch an investigation into the breach. Ciattarelli’s campaign is now demanding access to Sherrill’s military records, citing her involvement in a 1994 cheating scandal at the Naval Academy as grounds for scrutiny. The controversy has intensified the already close race, as both candidates continue to frame each other as pawns in a larger political strategy tied to President Donald Trump. With polls showing a tight contest, the state’s political landscape is now poised for a dramatic shift as the race enters its most contentious phase.
The controversy reached a fever pitch when the National Personnel Records Center, a branch of the National Archives, admitted to releasing Sherrill’s unredacted military files, including sensitive personal information, to a campaign ally of Ciattarelli. This error, attributed to a clerical mistake, has been met with outrage from Sherrill’s campaign, who accused the Trump administration of deliberately targeting political opponents. House Democrats, including top-ranking figures like Rep. Hakeem Jeffries and Rep. Robert Garcia, have called for a criminal investigation, citing federal law violations.
Meanwhile, Ciattarelli’s campaign has defended the release as a mere clerical error, urging Sherrill to cooperate by releasing her own records to justify her past actions. The campaign claims that Sherrill was implicated in a major cheating scandal at the Naval Academy and that her punishment—excluding her from the graduation ceremony—reflects complicity. This narrative has intensified the campaign’s focus on personal accountability and has drawn scrutiny from both sides of the aisle.
As the race heats up, the political stakes have never been higher. New Jersey, long a Democratic stronghold, has seen a shift in presidential support since 2020, with Trump closing the gap from a 16-point deficit to a 6-point loss in the last election. The state’s gubernatorial race has become a critical barometer for national politics, with the outcome seen as a potential preview of the 2026 midterm elections. Both candidates, however, continue to position themselves as the more competent and transparent leadership for the state’s citizens.