TRUMP: “I’m asking you to get out and vote for a true champion for the people of your state – Jack Ciattarelli”.
One week to go until primary day in New Jersey, and Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli was getting a shoutout from the most powerful and influential politician in the GOP.
“I’m asking you to get out and vote for a true champion for the people of your state – Jack Ciattarelli. He’s been a friend of mine, and he’s been a real success story,” President Donald Trump told supporters as he dialed into a tele-rally on the eve of Tuesday’s kickoff of early voting in New Jersey.
Trump’s praise came two weeks after he endorsed Ciattarelli for the Republican nomination in a primary race that turned into a battle for the president’s support, according to Fox News.
Ciattarelli, a former state lawmaker, is making his third bid for governor. He ran unsuccessfully for the GOP nomination in 2017. Four years later, in 2021, as the Republican nominee, Ciattarelli overperformed and came close to ousting Democratic incumbent Gov. Phil Murphy, losing by just three points.