A town-by-town snapshot of huge political change in one key state — and what it means in 2025, 2026 and beyond

New Jersey delivered some of the nation’s most dramatic coalition shifts in the 2024 presidential election. Now, those shifts are setting the table for this year’s hard-fought governor’s race — and big questions nationally about where communities like these are going in future elections. For starters, President Donald Trump’s 2024 surge among nonwhite voters in the New York City metro area caught much of the political world by surprise. But questions remain about whether Republicans can sustain this coalition long term.