Passaic County, New Jersey —

In the race for New Jersey governor, Democratic nominee Mikie Sherrill is trying to reverse Donald Trump’s gains with Latino voters in the 2024 election while her Republican rival, Jack Ciattarelli, is seeking to build on them.

Their dueling missions collided on recent back-to-back days in this northern New Jersey county, where Ciattarelli worked to turn out early voters in Clifton with the governor of Puerto Rico, Republican Jenniffer González-Colón.

In neighboring Paterson one day later, Sherrill campaigned with Democratic Rep. Nellie Pou, who represents the area, sprinkling in some Spanish to rev up the crowd.

“Recuerda, este estado no es rojo. No es morado. Es azul,” Sherrill said, which translates to, “Remember, this state is not red. It is not purple. It is blue.”

One year after Trump made inroads with Latino voters in the Garden State and beyond, the race for New Jersey governor is serving as a fresh test of where the key voting bloc stands 10 months into the president’s second term. The results of next week’s contest could offer roadmaps for both parties as they look to build support among one of the country’s fastest growing demographics.

“We will make the difference,” Patricia Campos-Medina, a vice chair of Sherrill’s campaign, said of Latino voters. “This is a getting-voters-out election at this moment.”

Latino residents make up nearly 22% of New Jersey’s population, and no county saw a bigger move toward Trump than Passaic, where Latinos account