MAGA eyes NJ governorship as Tuesdays primary looms, Dem fatigue sets in

Republicans are making a serious play for the New Jersey statehouse this year — with a possibility for the MAGA wing of the party to make inroads in a state that has usually favored more moderate GOPers.A total of 11 Democratic and Republican candidates are set to face off in their parties’ primary elections Tuesday to succeed term-limited New Jersey Dem.Gov.

Phil Murphy, who was first elected in 2017.The primaries come as New Jersey voters appear to have grown weary after eight years of Democratic control, and kitchen-table issues such as crime, the cost of living and property taxes have risen to the fore — factors that could give the GOP an edge in the blue-leaning state.Among the wide-open field of six Democrats and five Republicans, observers will be closely watching Trump-backed candidate Jack Ciattarelli to see if the president’s on-again, off-again Midas touch will help propel a MAGA Republican to be the next chief executive of the Garden State.Ciattarelli, who unsuccessfully ran for governor in 2017 and narrowly lost to Murphy in 2021, has openly embraced Trump’s endorsement, as well as the president’s anointing of the former state rep as “100% MAGA.” The hopeful is sitting at a sturdy 44% among GOP voters in recent polling from Emerson College and The Hill.Rounding out the frontrunners among Republicans is former conservative talk radio host Bill Spadea, who aggressively vied for Trump’s backing with Ciattarelli, and moderate state Sen.Jon Bramnick, whose district includes tony towns such as Bernardsville and Chatham.Spadea is polling around 18% among prospective voters, while Bramnick is at a meager 8%, leaving a strong opening for Ciatterelli to easily claim the GOP nod.“There is every chance that the Republican can win this year because there’s a sense of disgust,” longtime New Jersey political operative Hank Sheinkopf told The Post.“Jersey Dems are over the Murphy era — if they weren’t, his wife would be a senator,” She...