The race to be the GOP nominee in the next New Jersey governor’s race may come down to who has the best relationship with Washington, D.C.

In the 2024 election, President-elect Donald Trump had the best finish for a Republican in New Jersey since former President George H.W. Bush came within 2.5 points in 1992. That kind of pull, along with his control over the party generally, means he can have an outsize effect on a deep-blue bastion Republicans think could be ripe for flipping.