I’m Sick & Tired Of These New Jersey Gubernatorial Polls: Op Ed

I’ve been covering the wildly inaccurate New Jersey political polling data for more than 33 years.

Do They Get It Wrong By Accident, Or, On Purpose?

Just look at a few recent examples. The Governor Phil Murphy versus Jack Ciattarelli 2021 race for Governor of New Jersey.

All throughout the campaign, the polls showed Governor Murphy leading by a wide margin.

The actual election ended with Murphy winning a very close election, 51.2 percent to Ciattarelli 48.0 percent.

Senator Vince Polistina Versus Former New Jersey Assemblyman Vince Mazzeo 2021

Stockton University polling actually released a poll while the election was actually underway, during Day 4 of the early voting period.

The Stockton poll gave Mazzeo an 8-point lead over Polistina.

Polistina defeated Mazzeo by about 3 percentage points.

The same Stockton University poll had Givernor Murphy leading Ciattarelli by 11 percent points.

Other credit, Stockton University retired from the polling business following this election.

Michael Testa Versus Senator Bob Andrzejczak 2019

Testa had to deal with the same Stockton University polling two years earlier than Polistina in 2019.

A Stockton University Poll gave then incumbent state Senator Robert Andrzejczak (D-NJ-1) a 14 point lead over Testa towards the end of the 2019 campaign.

Testa won over Andrzejczak by 6 points, 53 percent to 47 percent.

New Jersey Polls Are Consistently Wrong

It’s disturbing to note how the pollsters appear to always get it wrong in New Jersey and the polls appear to routinely advantage the Democrat candidates.

We Need Polling Reform In New Jersey & America

This needs to become a priority. Inaccurate polling can affect the outcome of key elections. It can dry-up fundraising for those who are placed at a disadvantage.

Most Recent Example — Mikie Sherrill Versus Jack Ciattarelli — August 21, 2025

A Rutgers-Eagleton poll released yesterday gives Sherrill a 9-point lead (44% to 35%) over Ciattarelli for Governor of New Jersey.

Sherrill is barely known in the state of New Jersey and 4 years ago, Ciattarelli came within 3-points of defeating the incumbent Governor of New Jersey (Phil Murphy).

Don’t believe the New Jersey political polls, ever.