GOP’s Jack Ciattarelli endorsed by Democratic mayors, left-leaning groups in N.J. governor’s race

New Jersey GOP gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli has received unexpected endorsements from elected Democratic officials in the state.

The cross-the-aisle endorsements came from mayors and other municipal leaders in towns such as Dover, Garfield, Branchville and North Bergen.

“When Democratic mayors are endorsing the Republican nominee, it tells you how badly people want change,” Mr. Ciattarelli said recently on Fox News.

Garfield Mayor Everett Garnto Jr. notably left the Democratic Party altogether in his endorsement of Mr. Ciattarelli over Democratic gubernatorial nominee Mikie Sherill.

The ​r​ace has tightened​ heading toward the Nov. 4 election in New Jersey. Ms. Sherill leads by about 4 points in recent polls​.

In Lakewood, New Jersey, and surrounding towns, Mr. Ciattarelli drew the support of at least six different Jewish councils, potentially accounting for tens of thousands of votes.

The groups cited Mr. Ciattarelli’s commitment to tax reform and family values, The Lakewood Scoop reported.

Others stepping forward to back Mr. Ciattarelli included the Brooklyn-based New Era Democrats, a traditionally center-left group.

“As life continues to become unaffordable for the working class and New Jersey continues to be one of the highest taxed states in the country, Jack is the right person that is needed to make life more affordable for the residents of the Garden State,” New Era Democrats President Celia Iervasi told the New York Post.

Mr. Ciattarelli, a former state assemblyman, lost the 2021 gubernatorial election in New Jersey to incumbent Gov. Phil Murphy by a margin of about 3 percentage points, although pre-Election Day projections showed Mr. Murphy with a comfortable lead of between 7 and 11 percent.

Ms. Sherrill, a current representative in the U.S. House and former naval officer, has been bruised by a pair of scandals involving the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

She has sought to tamp down allegations that she lied about a cheating scandal, which prevented her from walking with the graduating class at her 1994 commencement ceremony.

Ms. Sherrill has maintained that she was punished for refusing to turn in classmates who cheated, which some have said is disqualifying for her bid to seek higher elected office.

At the time, however, the school did not consider refusal to snitch to be an offense of moral turpitude.

“At some point in time, she lied, or she obscured the facts,” Heritage Foundation researcher Brent Sadler, a 1994 Navy graduate, told Fox News.

“I would say lying, and that’s why she didn’t graduate or walk across the stage,” Mr. Sadler added. “Because if you simply did not report something, it wasn’t grounds for honor code violations at the time.”

Sherrill faced a subsequent scandal when it came to light that her two children, Lincoln and Margaret Hedberg, were among only nine students from her district to be admitted to the ultra-selective service academy, which requires candidates to be nominated by a member of Congress.