The gubernatorial primaries were vigorously contested; Assembly nominees were chosen in all 21 counties; and while President Donald Trump wasn’t on the ballot, he was very much on the minds of candidates and voters.

Jack Ciattarelli easily won the Republican nomination for New Jersey governor on Tuesday with President Donald Trump’s endorsement, setting up a November general election expected to be an early national bellwether for voters’ views in the first year of Trump’s second term.

Term-limited, current New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, will wrap up eight years in the governor's mansion after the end of this year. Sherrill looks to extend her party's hold on the state's top spot for another four.