Former President Barack Obama during a campaign event for Representative Mikie Sherrill, Democratic gubernatorial candidate for New Jersey, not pictured, in Newark, New Jersey, US, on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. (Adam Gray/Getty Images)
Prominent rally speakers and attendees alike celebrated hearing from Obama on Saturday, but also repeatedly spoke about President Donald Trump, slamming him for efforts to deport illegal aliens, and pinning blame for the ongoing federal government shutdown on Trump and Republicans.
A handful of voters who spoke to Fox Digital relayed that their ballot was not one solely focused on Sherrill, but also a vote against Trump and his administration.
"Well, the top issue is Trump," said Robert from Spring Lake. "There's nothing else other than that. … Trump is absolutely the worst," he added, citing that Trump is allegedly "anti-science" and against education.
Vendors set up tables of anti-Trump gear outside of Democratic New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill's rally in Newark, N.J. (Fox News Digital )
"Let's face it, our country and our politics are in a pretty dark place right now," Obama told the audience on Saturday. "It's hard to know where to start, because every day this White House offers up a fresh batch of lawlessness and carelessness and mean spiritedness. And just plain old craziness."
Comments targeting Trump and his administration extended to attacks on Ciattarelli, as well, with Obama casting him as the president's toady and a "suck up" to the Republican Party.
Trump made inroads with New Jersey voters just a year ago, in his decisive general election win over former Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump cut his 2020 loss from 16 points in the Garden State to six in 2024, and flipped five counties to the GOP, invigorating Republicans in the state to keep the momentum going as GOP gubernatorial candidate Ciattarelli launched his bid for Drumthwacket.
"Please go out and vote," Irvington Councilwoman Charnette Frederic told Fox Digital. "And I'm hoping Obama is the last push to remind you."
WITH LEGACY ON THE LINE, OBAMA HITTING CAMPAIGN TRAIL TO BOOST DEMOCRATS IN KEY GOVERNOR ELECTIONS
Former President Barack Obama during a campaign event for Representative Mikie Sherrill, Democratic gubernatorial candidate for New Jersey, not pictured, in Newark, New Jersey, US, on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. (Adam Gray/Getty Images)
Sherrill, DNC chair Ken Martin, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, and other local Democrats took the stage of the auditorium to rally support for Sherrill, while also criticizing the Trump administration as top voter concern.
The entrance to the "Get Out the Vote" rally for New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rep. Mikie Sherrill at Essex County College Gymnasium. (Fox News Digital )
"But my fight doesn't and can't end at the border of New Jersey. We've got to take on all those hits coming from Trump and Washington, D.C. Because right now the president is running a worldwide extortion racket. You pay more for everything from the coffee you drink in the morning to the groceries you're cooking dinner with at night as Trump pockets billions. His energy plan is designed for just one audience. The fossil fuel industry," Sherrill claimed.
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2025 is an off-year election cycle, with just New Jersey and Virginia holding gubernatorial elections, while other jurisdictions such as New York City are holding mayoral races and other local races.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/obama-draws-big-crowds-voters-who-admit-nj-gubernatorial-race-mostly-about-trump