Jack Ciattarelli has won the backing of the Somerset County GOP chair, giving him his first county chair endorsement and the one from his home county.
“Jack Ciattarelli is the strong leader Republicans need to secure victory in the 2025 gubernatorial election,” said Tracy DiFrancesco. “Conversations with my fellow chairs and local leaders have reinforced the overwhelming commitment for Jack throughout Somerset County.”
DiFrancesco was elected earlier this year in a contest that was, at least in part, driven by gubernatorial politics. DiFrancesco was a Ciattarelli supporter, and the incumbent, Tim Howes, was not prepared to commit to the former 16th district assemblyman.
Still, without county organization lines, a county chair endorsement, especially in a county where their party is out of power, does not hold the same weight as in the old days of Luke Gray – or even in the semi-modern times of Dale Florio.
DiFrancesco, the daughter of former Gov. Donald DiFrancesco, praised Ciattarelli for “tirelessly dedicated himself campaigning seven days a week to uplift Republicans across our state and demonstrating unwavering commitment to making lives better for all New Jersey residents.”
“With his dynamic energy and pragmatic conservative vision, Jack is uniquely positioned to win in 2025, and I am honored to offer him my full endorsement,” she said.
Ciattarelli is the favorite son of Somerset County: he started out as a Raritan councilman in his 20s and served as a freeholder and state legislator. He came within three percentage points of ousting Gov. Phil Murphy in the last election.
In 2021, Ciattarelli carried Somerset 54%-25% in a four-candidate Republican primary; he outpolled Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, 57%-26%, in a five-way GOP primary in 2017.
See here for a full list of endorsements in New Jersey’s 2025 gubernatorial contest.