'Very close' race for NJ governor less than two weeks away

TRENTON, N.J. (WPVI) -- New Jersey voters have less than two weeks to decide who gets their vote in the race for governor: Republican Jack Ciattarelli or Democrat Mikie Sherrill.

"Very competitive, very close and no one is absolutely confident who's going to end up on top," said Ben Dworkin, director of the Rowan Institute for Public Policy and Citizenship.

A Rutgers-Eagleton poll out Wednesday has Sherrill up by five points.

Fifty percent said they would vote for Sherrill, 45% said they would vote for Ciattarelli, 3% said they would vote for neither or someone else, and 2% are undecided.

SEE ALSO | Mikie Sherrill and Jack Ciattarelli clash in final NJ governor's debate | Watch the full debate

Action News spoke with voters for both candidates on Thursday.

"I'm voting for Jack because we really need a drastic change in New Jersey," said Julianne from Monmouth County.

"I like how Sherrill seems to be standing up for New Jerseyans," said Ed Bennett from Hammonton, N.J.

As voters weigh their choices, the candidates are hitting the campaign trail and spending big bucks while they're at it. It's a massive effort to get voters to turn out during an off-year.

According to the state, $145 million was spent on primary, and so far $47 million has been spent on the general election.

And in the final weeks, some big-name endorsements are coming in. Former President Barack Obama is expected to campaign for Sherrill on November 1, and President Donald Trump posted an endorsement for Ciattarelli on Truth Social this week.

Dworkin says these big names can help with voter turnout.

"When you have only 4 out of 10 registered voters coming to actually cast a ballot, every little bit makes a difference," said Dworkin.

Dates to know

• Mail-in voting is already underway.

• Early in-person voting starts Saturday and runs through November 2.

• Election Day is November 4.