Republicans continue voter registration gains in March

More than 9,000 New Jerseyans registered to vote last month, most of whom registered as Republicans, according to new state data. 

Republicans bolstered their ranks by 5,212 last month, while Democrats added just 717 registrants in March. The relative improvement for Republicans follows recent trends as the state GOP looks to close its gap with Democrats.

Another 3,370 New Jerseyans registered as unaffiliated/independent voters.

Democrats outnumber Republicans 2,449,041 to 1,619,352, though unaffiliated voters account for 2,415,997 registrants.

The continuing GOP gains come as Republicans campaign this year to win the governor’s mansion for the first time since 2013. Republicans hope now is the chance to turn the state purple after major right swings in both the 2021 gubernatorial race and November’s presidential election.

The consistent GOP growth is the opposite of what happened during Trump’s first term, when Democrats boosted their voter registration advantage to nearly 1 million.

Republicans are gaining in competitive legislative districts. In the 8th legislative district, which elected one Democrat and one Republican to the Assembly in 2023, Democrats lost 38 registered voters, while Republicans added 38. The GOP is now a couple of hundred registrants away from passing Democrats in that district.

Voter registration data can offer some insight into public sentiment, but more than a third of the state’s voters are still unaffiliated.

Voters should check the status of their voter registration here.