Ciattarelli on Wednesday immediately headed to voters who have long been part of the Democratic base, visiting a bakery in heavily Hispanic Dover, in Morris County, as his first stop. In the 2024 election, Hispanic voters in North Jersey drove much of the state’s shift toward Trump.

Ms. Sherrill, the only woman in a six-candidate race for the Democratic nomination, emphasized her service as a U.S. Navy helicopter pilot.

Republican Jack Ciattarelli will face Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill in November in a race that will be an early indicator of the country's political mood in Trump's second term.