The political earthquake shaking blue states across America has now reached New Jersey. Once considered a Democrat stronghold, the Garden State is showing unmistakable signs of shifting red—just in time for the 2026 midterms.

The latest—and perhaps most telling—indicator came on September 4, when Garfield Mayor Everett E. Garnto, Jr. stunned the political establishment by announcing he is ditching the Democratic Party and throwing his support behind Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli.

Garfield, one of the largest municipalities in Bergen County, has long been run by Democrats. But as the crowd packed into a local gymnasium Thursday evening, it was clear the tide is turning. Hundreds of residents gathered, standing-room-only, to hear Mayor Garnto declare what many frustrated New Jerseyans have felt for years: the state is broken, and the Democrats are to blame.

“For the last seven and a half years, Phil Murphy’s policies have left us with sky-high taxes, soaring electric bills, and less safe communities,” Garnto told the cheering crowd. “New Jerseyans deserve better. Jack Ciattarelli is ready to turn this state around.”

The announcement, first reported by James O’Keefe’s team on X, was described as a “MAJOR endorsement” in a city that has been a Democrat fortress for decades.

Ciattarelli, who came within striking distance of Murphy in the 2021 governor’s race, seized the moment. Speaking alongside Garnto, he reminded voters that this movement is bigger than party labels—it’s about common sense and survival.

“It’s not just Republicans who are crying out for change,” Ciattarelli said. “It’s unaffiliated, independent voters and yes, even moderate Democrats who’ve come to the realization that this current administration has failed.”

Indeed, the numbers back him up. New voter registrations are trending Republican, a fact Democrats can no longer ignore. Voters are fed up with runaway costs of living, surging crime, and progressive policies that punish the middle class.

Ciattarelli promised to continue crisscrossing the state, meeting voters face-to-face, and building a coalition that includes everyone tired of Murphy’s failed leadership. “At the end of the day, it’s what the candidate does,” Ciattarelli said. “And what I do each and every day is get up and down this state and press the flesh.”

The endorsement drew praise from across the New Jersey GOP. Rosie Pino, a congressional candidate, called it a turning point: “For years, the NJ Democratic machine has ignored and failed middle-class communities like Garfield. Leaders like Mayor Garnto are joining the GOP because they know the GOP is the true party of the working class, the party that will protect the American Dream.”

For decades, New Jersey has been written off as deep-blue territory. But with Democrats abandoning ship, voters fed up with progressive mismanagement, and Republicans gaining ground, the Garden State may soon sprout something Democrats fear most—red roots.