GEOFF BENNETT: New Jersey is one of only# two off-year gubernatorial races this fall,## and it's seen as a bellwether# ahead of next year's midterms.

As William Brangham reports, after President Trump# made inroads with some voters of color in the last## election, they have continued to be a major# focus for both candidates in this close race.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Outside MetLife Stadium in# New Jersey, football fans are hyped for a fierce## cross-state rivalry, the Philadelphia# Eagles against the New York Giants.

Among the crowd is Republican gubernatorial## hopeful Jack Ciattarelli, an# equal opportunity campaigner.

JACK CIATTARELLI (R), New Jersey# Gubernatorial Candidate: Go, birds.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: This former state legi.. years ago to incumbent Democrat Phil Murphy.# This year, he's hoping to build on President## Trump's surprisingly strong showing in the state# in 2024 and focusing on the cost of living.

JACK CIATTARELLI: Property taxes,# electricity bills, housing,## and childcare for families with young# children, we got to fix all that across## New Jersey.

It's becoming unaffordable,# and the middle class is getting crushed.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: That message is also# central for Ciattarelli's opponent,## Democratic Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill.

REP.

MIKIE SHERRILL (D-NJ), Gubernatorial# Candidate: For too long, we have just seen## prices going up and up and up.

As someone# who served this country my entire life,## I now want to fight incredibly hard# for families here in New Jersey.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Sherrill is a former Navy# helicopter pilot and federal prosecutor who## won a seat in Congress in a swing Northern New# Jersey district during the blue wave election of## 2018.

And like she did back then, she's hoping to# make President Trump a key issue in this campaign.

REP.

MIKIE SHERRILL: People are furious that# Trump's tariffs and the One Big Beautiful## Bill are driving up their cost.

That is# really angering people across the state.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: While Donald# Trump lost New Jersey last year,## he dramatically improved his# numbers compared to his last run.

Nowhere was that swing more dramatic than here# in Passaic County, and this reflected a larger## national trend for Trump.

This county has the# largest share of Latinos anywhere in the state,## and Trump boosted his margins here by 19 points,## making him the first Republican to# win this county since the early 1990s.

Angel Castillo runs El Primito in Passaic,# a Dominican restaurant started by his family## more than 30 years ago.

Once a Democrat, now a# Republican, he supports Ciattarelli.

He says the## high cost of utilities, which has nearly doubled# for his restaurant, is squeezing his bottom line.

ANGEL CASTILLO, Jack Ciattarelli Supporter: I# always tell people, we always like the same,## and we expect different results.

And, to me,# it's like, let's give somebody else a try.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Ciattarelli# visited El Primito in August,## part of his push to capitalize on Trump's# inroads with minority communities.

Castillo## immigrated from the Dominican Republic# as a kid and voted for Trump last year.

Some people are a little concerned# about Trump's immigration policies,## grabbing people off the streets, sometimes people# who are here legally.

Does that bother you at all?

ANGEL CASTILLO: It doesn't bother me# because I have people approach me like,## oh, how can you still like Trump?

I go, listen.

I believe every country has the# right to enforce its laws.

That's what I believe.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Ciattarelli sees## Trump's immigration policies# as part of his.. JACK CIATTARELLI: He did his job in securing# the border.

I will make New Jersey more secure## by not having sanctuary cities or us# being a sanctuary state that encourages## illegal immigration, and we don't want# to handcuff our local police in any ways.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Just a few miles from Angel# Castillo's restaurant, Maria Del Pilar Rivas## has been pounding the pavement for Mikie Sherrill# in the heavily Latino neighborhoods of Paterson.

Pilar Rivas immigrated from Peru when she# was 18 and has been a longtime Democrat.

MARIA DEL PILAR RIVAS, Mikie Sherrill Supporter:# I believe in her as a woman, as a mother,## as a woman who works hard for the people.

And# each time when she talks, you can feel it.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: She says lower taxes# and the cost of living are important,## but says Trump's masked ICE agents# have gone too far, arresting more## than 3,000 immigrants in New Jersey this year.

MARIA DEL PILAR RIVAS: Not everybody# is a criminal.

It's also hardworking## people.

They came to this country# for a different life.

So he has to## make a difference between criminals# and hardworking immigrant people.

DAVID OROZCO, Brisas Restaurant and# Bakery: We're open seven days a week.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Brother and sister Kimberly# and David Or.. actions on tariffs and on immigration have# taken a toll on their family's Colombian## bakery and restaurant in Elizabeth, another# heavily Latino city in Northern New Jersey.

KIMBERLY OROZCO, Brisas Restaurant and Bakery:# The first few months were a ghost town here.## No one was coming in.

People maybe never came# back.

And it's about that fear.

Thankfully,## we have been here for many years, but our# neighbors are closing.

Our neighbors are closing.

DAVID OROZCO: I think a lot of it has# to do with the immigrant mentality of,## well, we might go out and something might happen,## even if you're here legally, just because# you might be profiled in a certain manner.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Mikie Sherrill visited the## Orozcos' restaurant as part of# her push to reach Latino voters.

Do you think that the# president's enforcement actions,## the aggressiveness of those actions is going# to play out in this state, in this campaign?

REP.

MIKIE SHERRILL: I think people are very# concerned about whether agents are following the## law and the Constitution.

They're hearing about# raids where there are no warrants.

They're hearing## about kids coming home from school and no parents# being there.

That is really upsetting people.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Polls show# Sherrill with a single-digit lead,## but that is tightened over the last# month.

In recent weeks, Trump's attacks## on blue states during the shutdown have# also added a new wrinkle to this race.

DONALD TRUMP, President of the# United States: It's terminated.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: The president says he's# eliminatin.. rail tunnel project connecting New York and# New Jersey that is already under construction.

REP.

MIKIE SHERRILL: Such an important project,# and my opponent tried to kind of play it off,## saying, oh, that's not a New# Jersey problem.

I thought that## was shocking.

I think it's a complete# lack of connection to the community.

JACK CIATTARELLI: I think the president is just## doing right now what he has to# do, which is tough negotiations.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: But many voters remain focused# on their more immediate financial concerns.

Giants fan William Spann approached Ciattarelli# with his worry about just making ends meet.

WILLIAM SPANN, New Jersey Voter: My question# was, what can you do for the middle class?

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Spann is a truck# driver and says he's still not sure## who he will vote for.

But he says some of# Trump's actions have hurt his finances.

WILLIAM SPANN: Right now, it's so bad for us out# there.

And that's all because this trade stuff and## all this other stuff that's going on.

It's hard# for us to make our money.

You're putting us at## risk, yet alone, you OK.

You know why?

Because you# got billions.

But yet what about the middle class?

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Inside the stadium,## the underdog Giants pulled off an upset,# blowing out the .. But the race between Ciattarelli and# Sherrill will likely be a lot closer.

For the "PBS News Hour," I'm# William Brangham in New Jersey.