In the race for New Jersey’s governorship, Rep. Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat from New Jersey, is leading her opponent, former Republican Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, by eight points, according to a recent poll. The election is set for next Tuesday.

The survey conducted by Quinnipiac University and released on Thursday reveals that Sherrill is favored by 51% of likely voters, while Ciattarelli trails with 43%. Only 3% of voters remain undecided. Meanwhile, minor party candidates Joanne Kuniansky from the Socialist Workers Party and Vic Kaplan from the Libertarian Party each garner 1% of the vote.

This latest poll indicates a slight shift from a previous Quinnipiac poll earlier this month, which had Sherrill at 50% and Ciattarelli at 44%.

Beyond the overall numbers, Sherrill appears to have several advantages. Her favorability rating stands at 47%, higher than Ciattarelli’s 43%. Additionally, Ciattarelli faces a higher unfavorable rating of 47%, compared to Sherrill’s 38%. Interestingly, 13% of respondents have not heard of Sherrill, while only 9% are unfamiliar with Ciattarelli.

The poll also reflects on the state’s current political climate, noting that Governor Phil Murphy, who is term-limited, holds a 45% approval rating—higher than former President Trump’s 40% in New Jersey. However, both leaders see more disapproval than approval among the state’s residents.

Trump has a higher disapproval rating – 56 percent – compared to Murphy, who has a 47 percent disapproval rating. 

The top issue that respondents said was the most important in their selection for governor was taxes at 25 percent. That was followed by ethics in government at 16 percent and health care at 14 percent.  

Sherrill and Ciattarelli are vying for Murphy’s seat on Tuesday to helm the Garden State. The race has turned increasingly competitive in the final stretch as more voters are tuning into the race and both campaigns bring in last-minute surrogates to rally their bases.  

The poll shows Sherrill with a more comfortable lead over her GOP opponent compared to most recent public polls, which have shown her leading by less than 8 percent. An Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill survey released on Thursday showed Sherrill barely edging out Ciattarelli 49 percent to 48 percent, well within the poll’s margin of error. 

A Decision Desk HQ polling average of surveys on the race shows Sherrill at 50 percent while Ciattarelli is at 45 percent.  

The Quinnipiac University poll was conducted between Oct. 23 and Oct. 28 with 1,166 New Jersey likely voters surveyed. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.