A Statistical Overview of Passaic County’s Voting Patterns
The comparison of the 2024 and 2025 election results in Passaic County, New Jersey, highlights a significant shift in voter sentiment, underscoring the lasting appeal of President Donald J. Trump and the crucial role of Dr. Assad Mujtaba’s grassroots leadership.
In 2024, President Trump received 100,954 votes, edging out Kamala Harris’s 95,146 votes by a margin of 5,808 votes (2.96%) — a rare Republican victory in a predominantly Democratic stronghold.
Similarly, in the County Commissioner race, John Bartlett received 91,226 votes, while Dr. Assad Mujtaba was close behind with 85,900 votes, a narrow margin of 5,326 votes (3%). This marked the closest Republican margin in recent county history, thanks to crossover support from minorities, independents, and the large patient community at Mujtaba Clinics — over 20,000 loyal supporters across Clifton and neighboring areas.
The 2025 Regression: Lost Names, Lost Momentum
Fast forward to 2025: with Trump absent from the top of the ballot and Dr. Assad Mujtaba not running locally, the Republican vote share dropped significantly.
In the gubernatorial race, Mikie Sherrill (Democrat) received 82,152 votes, while Jack Ciattarelli (Republican) earned 60,649 votes, a margin of 21,503 votes (14%).
The County Commissioner race showed a similar trend: Shratz (Democrat) received 75,980 votes, while Gallo (Republican) got 57,481 votes, a difference of 18,499 votes (13.86%).
These gaps — nearly five times larger than those seen in 2024 — highlight the strong influence of charismatic leadership and community involvement. Without Trump’s national appeal and Dr. Mujtaba’s local trust, Republican momentum sharply declined.
Interpreting the Swing: Leadership, Loyalty, and Legacy
The 2024 results marked a rare Republican breakthrough, mainly attributed to:
1. President Trump’s personal appeal among working-class and immigrant voters, including Muslims, Hispanics, Jews, and South Asians.
2. Dr. Assad Mujtaba’s medical and community leadership, rooted in his service to tens of thousands of patients, fosters bipartisan trust.
3. Localized turnout mechanics, where personal relationships exceeded party machinery.
In 2025, the void left by their absence allowed traditional Democratic patterns to regain dominance. However, the data indicate that with both Trump and Mujtaba on the ballot, Passaic County’s Republican vote nears parity — or even a potential win — in future cycles.
Conclusion
Passaic County’s data confirms what political strategists have long observed: leadership matters more than party machinery. The narrow margins of 2024 were not coincidences but reflect the personal appeal and trust built by President Trump nationally and Dr. Assad Mujtaba locally. Their absence in 2025 restored the Democratic default, but the groundwork they laid remains fertile for future Republican victories — should both leaders reappear on the ballot.
