To court Desi voters, Ciattarelli distances from Trump’s tariffs, visa policies

New Jersey voters are starting to cast their ballots in the governor’s race, and it’s likely going to be a close one. As both leading candidates vie for votes, they are courting the state’s sizable South Asian population, which has become a coveted swing bloc in recent years.

At the start of the summer, polls showed Democrat Mikie Sherrill with a comfortable lead over Republican Jack Ciattarelli, pointing to a Democratic victory in November and an unprecedented third gubernatorial term for the party. 

But the tide has turned since, and with Election Day less than a month away, it is a much different race. 

Though most pollsters still favor Sherrill, a recent Emerson College poll showed her in a dead heat with Ciattarelli. The second-time Republican candidate has benefited from a national spotlight thanks to overtures from President Donald Trump and the federal government’s controversial release of Sherrill’s U.S. Naval Academy records.

In the remaining 28 days before the election, the Ciattarelli camp is capitalizing on this momentum and doubling down on community-based outreach, including that to Desi voters. 

The Sherrill campaign is also ramping out outreach to Desi voters, hoping to convert discontent with national Republican politics and the population’s long-time loyalties to the Democratic Party into votes in November.

Ciattarelli may have an advantage: As Central Desi previously reported, survey and election data suggest the state’s South Asian voters could be tilting to the right. More Asian Americans voted for Trump in the 2024 election than they did in 2020, and data suggests that support for Democrats is decreasing among Indian Americans in particular.

The question in this race is whether that tide is turning yet again. Recent Trump administration policies — including tariffs on India and a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas — have ruffled feathers in the South Asian community and put support for Trump-endorsed Ciattarelli in flux.

In this issue, we examine the Republican campaign strategy for the South Asian voting bloc in New Jersey. A subsequent issue will focus on Sherrill’s campaign and its efforts.

Taxes, affordability top concerns

Ciattarelli is running for governor of New Jersey one year after Trump gained major traction in the state during the 2024 presidential election. Last November, Trump lost the state to Democratic nominee Kamala Harris by only 6 percentage points. In 2020, he had lost by 16 percent.

Karthick Ramakrishnan, founder of AAPI Data, told NBC News in November that Trump’s messaging on economic issues — a top priority for Asian Americans — could have been a source of attraction for those voters in particular.

“[Trump] succeeded in creating an impression that the economy was doing horribly,” Ramakrishnan said. “It seems to have made a difference in the last decade.” 

Yet eight months into Trump’s term, the tariffs his administration imposed on India have driven up the cost of goods for South Asian small businesses in the state, raising concerns in the Desi community. 

“The economy here is plateauing or even going down,” Mahesh Shah, vice chairman of Edison’s Indian Business Association, told The Wall Street Journal. “Smaller businesses may not survive.”

On the campaign trail, India tariffs have come up in conversations with the South Asian community, Priti Pandya-Patel, the South Asian community liaison for Ciattarelli’s campaign, told Central Desi. 

Rather than discuss federal policies, Pandya-Patel said Ciattarelli speaks to Desi voters about statewide issues important to them, including state taxes and energy costs. 

“People are saying, ‘Why are they doing this? Why is [Trump] doing this to India?’” she said. “They shouldn't be judging Jack on the decisions that Trump makes. His focus is New Jersey.”

Additionally, Pandya-Patel said Ciattarelli has found support from South Asian business owners who appreciate the candidate’s promise to lower state corporate taxes.

“A lot of people ask me, ‘How is he going to reduce the taxes?’” said Hemant Bhatt, chairman of the New Jersey Asian American Republican Coalition. 

These sentiments align with broader data showing economic issues like cost-of-living, inflation, and affordability being top of mind for Asian American and Pacific Islander adults. 

A recent survey by AAPI Data found that among Indian adults, 57 percent ranked cost of living and inflation as the most important problems facing the country. 

Sherrill has also recognized South Asian voters’ focus on affordability. Plainsboro resident and Sherrill supporter Arun Bantval told Central Desi that the Democrat has tried to root her messaging in policy, focusing on specific programs to reduce cost of living.

Sherrill has also capitalized on community concerns over Trump’s tariffs on India, linking them to the Ciattarelli campaign and upping outreach to Desi business owners.

Vin Gopal, state senator and chair of the Sherrill campaign, told Central Desi that Ciattarelli’s alignment with Trump is a liability in the eyes of South Asian voters.

“I think South Asians want a governor who, when they agree with the president — whoever they are — they work with them. And when they disagree, they work against them,” he said. “I think that’s a lot of Desis I’ve talked to’s concern with Ciattarelli.”

Outreach into NJ’s Desi community

To build relationships with South Asian voters and refocus his campaign away from Trump, Ciattarelli has been meeting with Desi voters at community events and local meet-and-greets.

Pandya-Patel said the campaign has been getting its message across through local South Asian television and fundraisers in counties with large Desi communities such as Middlesex, Bergen, and Burlington.

“We did a really great job getting Jack out into the South Asian community the first time,” she said. “His name is out. Everybody knows him. Everybody loves him. But again, we just need to get to the finish line.”

Pandya-Patel told Central Desi that while Ciattarelli did make inroads with South Asian voters in the last gubernatorial election, it did not translate into sufficient votes.

“One of the things that we had an issue with in the last election is our community, we just don't go out to vote,” she said. “And so this time, what we're really doing is focusing on getting people out to vote.”

One way the campaign is mobilizing voters is through community-based groups, including a South Asian Coalition consisting of Desi Republicans across New Jersey.

In addition to spearheading official campaign events, coalition members engage with voters within their personal networks through WhatsApp groups and social activities, Bhatt said.

“I am a businessman, so whenever somebody calls me for a business matter, I also touch upon this subject: ‘Okay, so what are you doing this election?’” he said.

The Sherrill campaign’s approach is similar. Gopal said they worked with the New Jersey Democratic Coordinated Campaign and the state party to build community-based coalitions, including one for South Asians. 

Currently, the coalition is led by volunteers who coordinate with Sherrill’s campaign to drive WhatsApp- and event-based outreach.

“Mikie just went on TV Asia. I believe she’s going to some Diwali events in different places in the next few weeks,” Gopal said. “So, she's out there, and she's pushing it.”

For Bantval, outreach from either candidate to the South Asian community will be a net positive for Desis.

“It is a positive thing that both the campaigns recognize that the South Asian community plays a large role in and carries a lot of weight in elections,” he said, “both at the local level and at the state level.”

This story is part of the NJ 2025 Reporting Fellowship, in collaboration with 15 local and community news organizations, the Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University, and NJ Spotlight News. The stories in this collaboration focus on immigration, education, healthcare, the economy, and the environment from the perspectives of diverse communities in New Jersey.

Astha Lakhankar is a freelance reporter for Central Desi. While at Rutgers University, she served as managing editor of the student-run newspaper, The Daily Targum.

Upcoming events this week (Oct 8 - 14)

October 8th: Pluralistic Education Conference
9 AM - 3 PM
Carl A. Fields Center
58 Prospect Avenue, Princeton, NJ
The E Pluribus Unum Project invites educators, parents, students, allies, and community leaders nationwide to our annual hybrid conference. The in-person conference is reserved for educators only, but the virtual conference is open to all. Learn about Black, Asian American, Latine, and LGBTQIA+ histories and the solidarity between these groups in the movement for civil rights.
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81 Sip Ave, Jersey City, NJ
The 8th Annual Red Saree Event is a signature celebration for women, by women. Join for a day of recognizing womanhood and empowerment, as awareness is raised on social issues experienced by the South Asian community. The event is hosted by Bolo Behen (Speak Sister) and Hudson S.P.E.A.K.S. Against Sexual Violence. Learn more here.

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Parlor Banquet
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