Dem Mayor Ditches Party, Sides with Republican Over Soaring Taxes and Immigration

In a stunning rebuke of Democratic leadership in the Garden State, Dover Mayor James P. Dodd, a lifelong Democrat, has crossed party lines to endorse Republican Jack Ciattarelli for governor. The move highlights growing discontent among working-class voters — particularly Hispanic residents — who say they’ve had enough of rising taxes, crime, and sanctuary policies under Democrat rule.

Dodd, who has previously supported Rep. Mikie Sherrill, said his community simply can’t afford more of the same.

“I’ve had Jack Ciattarelli come to Dover twice now,” Dodd told Fox & Friends First. “He laid out his vision, his plan to fix this broken state. He has real solutions. And that’s what we need right now.”

Ciattarelli, who has the full backing of President Donald J. Trump, is locked in a bitter contest against Sherrill. Sherrill, a Naval Academy graduate and former congresswoman, has been touted by Democrats as Gov. Phil Murphy’s chosen successor. Murphy, who is term-limited after two rocky terms, has spent the past year barnstorming for her.

But voters appear restless. Ciattarelli, who narrowly lost to Murphy in 2021, is tapping into a Republican resurgence in the Northeast fueled by Trump’s return to the White House in 2025.

“Jack’s message is simple,” Trump told supporters at a rally in Pennsylvania earlier this month. “End the sanctuary madness, cut the taxes, back the cops. New Jersey deserves better than what the Democrats have given them.”

Dodd said immigration and sanctuary city policies were deciding factors. He blasted Sherrill for refusing to clarify whether she would continue Murphy’s “Immigrant Trust Directive,” a policy that bars state and local police from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement.

“On day one, Jack promised to end sanctuary cities,” Dodd declared. “New Jersey will no longer be a sanctuary state. We need to let our law enforcement do their job. Right now, they’re handcuffed.”

The mayor added that his own town has paid the price: “We’re seeing the problems firsthand in Dover. Our community is struggling, and people are fed up.”

Perhaps most striking, Dodd noted the shift in political allegiances among Hispanic voters — a demographic Democrats once considered untouchable.

“Dover is primarily a Hispanic community,” he said. “But more and more Hispanics are walking away from the Democrats. They’re tired of promises, tired of being ignored. They’re turning Republican because they want safety, stability, and opportunity.”

Recent polling backs him up. Hispanic voters across New Jersey have trended rightward since 2020, with many citing cultural conservatism, frustration with progressive social policies, and anger over illegal immigration.

Dodd admitted his endorsement of Ciattarelli has already drawn blowback from Democratic colleagues. But he shrugged it off.

“I’ve always been taught to support the right person for the job,” he said. “This time, that’s Jack.”

He even hinted he may switch parties entirely. “I haven’t made that decision yet,” Dodd said, “but if I do, I can tell you a lot of council members will go with me.”

That warning shot is already rattling Democrats in Trenton, where Sherrill is struggling to unify her base.

For Republicans, flipping New Jersey would be a symbolic earthquake. The state hasn’t had a Republican governor since Chris Christie left office in 2018. With Trump back in the Oval Office and making immigration enforcement a centerpiece of his second term, Ciattarelli’s campaign is being viewed by party insiders as a test case for how far the GOP can expand in deep-blue territory.

As one Republican strategist put it, “If New Jersey goes red in 2025, it won’t just be a win for Ciattarelli. It’ll be a message that even the bluest states are sick of Democrat failure.”