Brian Lehrer: Brian Lehrer on WNYC. Don't let whatever showers may be out there dissuade you from voting if you're in New Jersey on this primary day. Don't let the weather dissuade you from calling in if you're voting on this primary day or already voted for our Informal, Unofficial, Thoroughly Unscientific Exit Poll. New Jerseyans, who are you voting for in the gubernatorial primaries and what issues are top of mind for you as you cast your ballots? 212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692.

Just by way of background, many of you know this, but 11 gubernatorial candidates are on the ballot today in Jersey for the chance to succeed term-limited Democratic Governor Phil Murphy. New Jerseyans will also pick nominees for the state General Assembly, but we're not doing an informal, thoroughly unscientific call-in poll on that. The polls are open until eight o'clock tonight. Whether you voted early or voted early this morning, or even if you have yet to vote today, we will take your call now for our Informal, Unofficial, Thoroughly Unscientific Primary Day Exit Poll.

The more crowded field is on the Democratic side, as many of you know. As our colleague Nancy Solomon told us on the show yesterday, the Dems have a spectrum of progressive and more centrist candidates. On the more progressive side, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, as Nancy told us, they favor a progressive tax system that would tax the ultra-rich more and turn the so-called immigrant trust directive from policy into law. That's the policy that says local law enforcement won't work with ICE. Anyone casting their vote for the more progressive policies of these two candidates, as they have been widely characterized anyway, 212-433-9692.

Representative Mikie Sherrill is leading in the polls. She has the backing of a lot of the Democratic leadership in New Jersey. Many supporters are pointing to both her tenure in Congress as well as her background as a US Navy helicopter pilot as proof that she can win in November. Yet POLITICO reports this morning that the frontrunner "is running the most traditional machine campaign possible, all while presenting a continuation of Democratic Governor Phil Murphy's agenda." That's from POLITICO, New Jersey. If you voted for Sherrill, who is obviously a Democratic member of Congress and votes overwhelmingly with the Democrats, tell us why you're voting for her. 212-433-9692. There's fellow representative Josh Gottheimer and former State Senate President Steve Sweeney described as a more centrist vision for New Jersey than Sherrill, than the two mayors. There's teachers' union President Sean Spiller offering what's been described as a left-leaning, albeit vague, according to POLITICO, message to voters.

Briefly, on the Republican side, Trump has endorsed former state lawmaker Jack Ciattarelli in that race. He did not endorse the most MAGA Republican, Bill Spadea. Also running as one of the GOP's few anti-Trump, kind of never-Trump Republican voices, State Senator Jon Bramnick. There are other more minor candidates in the race, but that would really be getting into minuscule levels of support to talk about them. It's our Informal, Unofficial, Thoroughly Unscientific Primary Day Exit Poll. New Jerseyans, who are you voting for, and what issues are top of mind? 212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692. We'll take your calls right after this.

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Brian Lehrer on WNYC. Now, some of your calls in our Informal, Unofficial, Thoroughly Unscientific Primary Day Exit Poll in the gubernatorial race in New Jersey. We'll start with Beth and West Orange, you're on WNYC. Hi, Beth. Thanks for calling in.

Beth: Hi, Brian.

Brian Lehrer: Who'd you vote for?

Beth: I voted for Mikie Sherrill.

Brian Lehrer: Tell us why.

Beth: I think she's a very accomplished person, woman. She is the only woman who's running on either side. I just think she's terrific. I think she will represent women well. I read an article that said that the Republicans fear her the most. I wanted somebody who could beat the Republican candidates. I think she's the one.

Brian Lehrer: Beth, thank you very much. Deborah in Jersey City, you're on WNYC. Hi, Deborah.

Deborah: Hi. Good morning. I actually switched my vote about two weeks before primary. I voted for Mikie Sherrill as well because I need someone that can beat any Republican that's going to win because their policies are unacceptable. Depending on the issue, I can be a progressive, a moderate, or conservative, but I believe she has the best chance of winning. I actually voted for every woman I could in the Democratic primary because my state assembly is also up. I actually split my ticket and I voted for the women because I think it's time for us to have a hand.

Brian Lehrer: Deborah, thank you very much. Chris in Roselle, you're on WNYC. Hi, Chris.

Chris: Hi. I was going to vote for Mikie Sherrill until she got the Democratic nominations from too many counties. Then, I just considered her part of the problem. I ended up voting for Baraka because I liked the way he handled that whole arrest thing. He didn't do the typical drama you get these days. He was very mature and matter-of-fact about it. He's done a lot of good for Newark. I think he would be a great candidate.

Brian Lehrer: Thank you, Chris. Appreciate your call. Dave in Avenel, you're on WNYC. Hi, Dave.

Dave: Hi, Brian. How are you?

Brian Lehrer: Good. Who'd you vote for?

Dave: I'm going to be. I'm going to be voting for Steve Fulop. I was torn between Fulop and Baraka. My heart tends to be with Ras Baraka, but Steve Fulop has two things that sway me towards him. One is he has the most concrete and definitive plan to fix the transit crisis in New Jersey. Also, he supports ranked-choice voting, which is an absolutely necessary political reform. I'm very nervous about Mikie Sherrill winning because, contrary to your other callers, I think she's actually the least electable Democrat because she is such a normal, run-of-the-mill empty suit Democrat that people [unintelligible 00:06:50] that we learned last year, people are sick and tired of. I'm very concerned about her winning.

Brian Lehrer: Dave, thank you very much. John in Fanwood, you're on WNYC. Hi, John.

John: Hi, Brian. Thanks for doing this. I voted for Mikie Sherrill. I'm on the Democratic committee in Fanwood. We did meet and greets with all candidates. I went to three of them. Baraka, Fulop, and Mikie Sherrill. They were all very impressive. The empty suit thing kind of got me because she's a naval academy, Georgetown lawyer, [unintelligible 00:07:34] Oxford, a US attorney from Newark, and a pilot. How could that be an empty suit?

Brian Lehrer: What about since you're on a Democratic committee in your town, the other critique from, I think, that same caller who said that they're put off by the fact that she has so much of the New Jersey Democratic party establishment behind her now.

John: Well, I will admit it, the Democratic committee for Fanwood went for Mikie Sherrill in the Union County straw ballot. I don't buy that. I'm sorry. Our town is very, very small. It's 1 square mile. It's a very active Democratic community. I think Mikie Sherrill is going to do a great job if she gets elected. My second choice would have been Fulop because he was extremely impressive in the meet and greet and answered lots of really good questions, and I went to Saint Peter's college.

Brian Lehrer: [chuckles] John, thank you very much for your call. Valeria in Union City, you're on WNYC. Hello, Valeria.

Valeria: Hi, Brian. Nice to be on the air with you.

Brian Lehrer: And nice to have you. Who's your candidate?

Valeria: I voted for Sean Spiller. I voted for him because he's a former teacher and I think head of a teacher's union. I'm a teacher myself, so maybe I'm a little biased, but all the teachers I've ever met went into the profession because they want to really better humanity and I think they have the right moral compass. That really sways me because I think too many politicians I just can't trust, as far as are they in it for kickbacks or other things, or where are their priorities?

Also, as a former teacher in Newark, I had a heart. I wanted to vote for Ras Baraka, but having taught in Newark schools, I can't trust him as a manager because the people running the schools there are not competent, in my opinion. Even though he's done good things for Newark, I can't fully trust him to govern, and that he would hire the right people.

Brian Lehrer: Valeria, thank you very much for your call. It's our Informal, Unofficial, Thoroughly Unscientific Primary Day Exit Poll. For those of you in New Jersey voting in either gubernatorial primary today, looks like our next caller is in a split marriage on this primary day. Frank in West Orange, you're on WNYC. Hi, Frank.

Frank: Good morning, Brian, and thank you for doing this. Yes, we are, we're a little bit split on this, but not a whole lot. Our view is to vote your heart, vote your conscience on the primary, and then vote whoever the Democrats elect for the election because we have to be united in that. My candidate is Ras Baraka. His handle is "reimagine" and I think we need to do a lot of that. My wife is voting for Steve Fulop. Sheena Collum is running mate as lieutenant governor and she's a friend, so that was part of the reason. I think they both have good programs, will fight Trump, and will approach the management of the state in a fair way that will address the issues of taxation for the wealthy. It's fighting Trump and reducing or getting proper tax payments from the wealthy.

Brian Lehrer: Well, I imagine you don't have the stress in your marriage being a Baraka and a Fulop household that some people we heard from in the fall had, being a Trump and Kamala Harris household. I guess this is a little easier than that, right?

Frank: Much easier. I could not imagine living with my wife if she were a Trump supporter, nor could she imagine being with me if that were the case. So, no, we are really together on that.

Brian Lehrer: Thank you very much, Frank. Here's a text from a listener who was debating with themselves. "I'm a New Jersey resident who wrestled for months on whether to vote for Fulop or Sherrill. I like Fulop's fight, but not his ties to developers. I like Sherrill's love of country and wisdom, but don't like her safe campaigning style, but-" the listener writes, "in the end, I voted for Sherrill." Jim in Jersey City, you're on WNYC. Hi, Jim.

Jim: Hello, Brian. I voted for Mikie Sherrill. The main reason is because I hope and believe she's the most best chance to win in November.

Brian Lehrer: Electability. Thank you very much, Rosemary in Monroe Township, you're on WNYC. Hello, Rosemary.

Rosemary: Hi, Brian. I voted for Steve Fulop. I was going to vote for Mikie Sherrill, but then I read an article in POLITICO that listed all their positions, and I found that Fulop was strong and definite in all his positions and I agreed with them, so I went with him.

Brian Lehrer: Thank you very much. Tracy in Ridgewood, you're on WNYC. Hi, Tracy.

Tracy: Hi. Thanks for taking the call. I just voted and it was for Ras Baraka because, as I said to your screener, he lit my fire. It restored in me the energy that I need to go further and onward. Fulop was my second choice. Because they're both managers, I think they've managed a municipality, they have that experience. There was a previous caller who was saying she voted for Sherrill, or was going to because that she's a woman. I just want to say voting for a woman because she's a woman is just as stupid as voting for a man because he's a man.

Brian Lehrer: Tracy, thank you very much. Jim in Brick, you're on WNYC. Hi, Jim.

Jim: Oh, hi. Yes, I'm voting for Sean Spiller. I had called yesterday when Nancy Solomon was on. He's the most progressive of the lot. I would echo what the teacher in Union City said about perhaps the questionable management skills of Ras Baraka. Yesterday one of the callers made a disparaging remark about Spiller's mayoral time in Montclair. I don't know that much, but Fulop has a lot of real estate interests behind him from Jersey City. Sherrill, there's other questionable things as far as on the progressive.

Brian Lehrer: On Spiller, your candidate, when you say he's the most progressive, what issues or positions are you thinking of?

Jim: I just think he's less tainted. Well, first of all, the thing that he's gotten criticized for, the publications he sent around, he's the only one who addressed and had boldly put a photo. He's like clearly running against Trump. He had Musk doing the Nazi salute. Not a Roman salute. I'm half Italian. It was a Nazi salute that Musk did. We all know it. Sean Spiller was brave enough to put that on his literature. Everybody else is, "Oh, happy face. I'm going to cut taxes," and the same old, same old. I'm sorry.

Brian Lehrer: Thank you very much. Christine in Jersey City, you're on WNYC. Hello, Christine.

Christine: Hello, Brian. I'm in Jersey City, but I'm one of the handful of Democrats who lives in Western Northern New Jersey. I voted for Mikie Sherrill. She's a badass babe. With her Navy experience, I think she's the best chance for a victory in November. She's just so great on the environment and good on everything else. She was officially endorsed by Sierra Club recently and is help saving the Drew Forest in Madison.

Brian Lehrer: Christine, thank you very much. Nora in Bloomfield here on WNYC. Hi, Nora.

Nora: Hi. Let me turn you off speaker.

Brian Lehrer: Thank you. We got you.

Nora: Sorry. Okay, here I am. I'm voting for Steve Folup. I was moved to call when you made a little question to an earlier caller about whether they were concerned about Mikie's involvement with the political machine. That is 100% why I'm voting for Folup. I live in Bloomfield and we've been really poorly treated by the Essex counting political machine. I like it that Steve is so against it. Also, he's running with some of my friends and neighbors for a more local election, so I support him.

Brian Lehrer: What about the concern that several callers have raised regarding his ties to the real estate industry?

Nora: I have a good friend who says that if you agree 100% with anyone's platform, then you're in a cult, period. Everybody has problems.

Brian Lehrer: I think the once-upon-a-time mayor of New York, Ed Koch once said, or maybe this is apocryphal, and maybe said something like this, "If you agree with me 75% of the time, you're a genius. If you agree with me 100% of the time, you're insane." Something like that. Nora, thank you very much. All right, one more. Gene in Somerset, you're on WNYC. Hi, Gene.

Gene: Hi. Good morning. Well, first of all, let me just say I think all of them were very, very good and any one of them would make a great governor. However, I did vote for Mikie Sherrill. I did want to vote for Steve Sweeney. The reason I did not, I did not think he could win. Although I think, and I'll go on a little bit of a tangent, I think that Steve Sweeney is the most capable to run the state being a former union leader or he still as a union leader. Also, the former president of the Senate, I think he really knows what he's doing, but he got in a lot of trouble with the teachers' union a few years back. I don't think they forgot about that. That's why so much money was given to Mr. Spiller.

I voted for Mikie Sherrill because I think, number one, I like the way she presents herself and I think she'll do the best job she can. Frankly, any one of them would do a good job, I think.

Brian Lehrer: Gene, thank you very much. I want to correct one thing that my editor is putting in front of me that came up on yesterday's show. I do remember that it came up, it was spoken by a caller about Mikie Sherrill that we fact-checked and it turned out to be false. I think in fairness, because it might have sounded really bad, we did fact-check it and it was false. Just to clarify, Sherrill, in Congress, did vote no on the so-called Big Beautiful Bill. Somebody had called in, in our segment with Nancy yesterday and said she didn't even vote on it or didn't vote no on it. We're just clarifying because we looked it up because that kind of surprised us. Yes, she did vote and she did vote no in the House on the Trump so-called Big Beautiful Budget Bill. That's not an endorsement. That's not the be-all and the end-all, but we felt that that was one incorrect assertion that was stated on yesterday's show that at least deserved to be clarified.

Listeners, thank you for all your calls. So many callers. We could keep going. Our lines are still full. Obviously, we could do this all day. People, have this conversation with your friends, your neighbors, and your family members. If you are eligible to vote in New Jersey today, please go out there, buck the weather if the weather is bad at the time you want to go out. If you have not voted already, go out and vote in whichever primary you are voting in. Choose the candidate of your choice.

We will lead tomorrow's show with the results and set up whoever wins the Democratic primary against whoever wins the Republican primary. We'll talk about it right at ten o'clock tomorrow. It is primary day in New Jersey. Thank you for participating in our Informal, Unofficial, Thoroughly Unscientific Primary Day Exit Poll. Brian Lehrer on WNYC. We turn the page, more in a minute.

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