Republican New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli dismissed the possibility that President Donald Trump’s endorsement will weigh him down in the general election, insisting the state is “not deep blue” when electing a governor.

Early voting for the state’s primary elections began on Tuesday. Ciattarelli is seeking the nomination after losing the 2021 general election against Gov. Phil Murphy (D-NJ) by 3 points. Trump gave his endorsement to Ciattarelli in May. The candidate was asked on Tuesday if there is any concern that the Democratic Party’s gubernatorial nominee could use this against him.

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“He got 500,000 more votes than Phil Murphy did in ‘21, that was last year’s election,” Ciattarelli argued on Fox News’s Fox & Friends First. “Right now, he’s pulling 7 points better than Phil Murphy in this supposedly deep-blue state. It’s not deep blue when it comes to gubernatorial elections! We’ve won six of the last 11, we’re going seven for 12.” 

Ciattarelli and other candidates, including Bill Spadea, are seeking to win the primary election. Ciattarelli argued that he and Spadea are “very different” in their approach to winning the election, but because Republicans are the “minority party” in New Jersey, the party must be “united” if it plans to win.

Ciattarelli wants to address crime if he wins, stating that local New Jersey police officers have been “handcuffed” by Democratic lawmakers. He pointed to the violence and arrests that occurred at the Jersey Shore over Memorial Day weekend, knocking the state’s Democratic leaders who “go easy on criminals.”

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Trump described Ciattarelli as a “terrific America First Candidate” when he gave his endorsement, saying the Republican candidate would work with the Trump administration “to advance our America First Agenda.”

Ahead of the primary election on June 10, Spadea predicted that Ciattarelli would be a “repeat loser” despite Trump’s endorsement. Ciattarelli, however, rebuffed his opponent’s claim, suggesting that his 2021 gubernatorial campaign was the “spark that lit the fuse” to help Trump in the 2024 election, as New Jersey shifted Republican despite being won by former Vice President Kamala Harris.