Here’s what Cherry Hill voters had to say at the polls on Tuesday

Across Cherry Hill Tuesday, voters held a variety of views on a gubernatorial primary election that drew six Democrats and five Republicans and set up the November race to replace two-term Gov. Phil Murphy.

U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill won the Democratic nomination, while former state Assembly member Jack Ciattarelli was Republicans’ choice.

From healthcare access to support for law enforcement, here’s how Cherry Hill residents voted, and what brought them to the polls.

Many Democrats listed civil rights, education, and healthcare as top issues. Others said they wanted to see a governor who could push back against President Donald Trump.

Sherrill supporters said her background as a former Navy helicopter pilot, federal prosecutor, and mom stood out.

“She was a member of the House of Representatives. She knows how the system works,” said Ed Masarsky, 83.

For Masarsky and his wife, Sharon, 82, social security and the economy were at top of mind.

“At our stage of life, the issues are so important,” Sharon Masarsky said.

Others threw their weight behind Sean Spiller, president of the New Jersey Education Association and former mayor of Montclair.

Tom Love, 59, said he appreciated Spiller’s role as head of the state’s largest teachers union and saw him as “somebody fresh” who has “probably got a lot of really creative ideas.”

Standing outside of the Saint Thomas Greek Orthodox Church, Tom Guggino, 78, said Spiller seemed “the most sincere” out of all of the Democratic candidates.

A former school board member and small business owner, Guggino said he’s concerned about education and taxes.

Despite campaign signs lining the roads for “South Jersey’s Steve Sweeney,” voters said they weren’t particularly drawn to his campaign.

The Gloucester County resident and longtime state Senate president was the only candidate from South Jersey running on the Democratic ballot. He was endorsed by the Democratic committees of Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem Counties.

Sweeney has “been in there a long time,” Love said, adding that he was hoping for a newer voice in Trenton.

Linda Panna, 74, said she voted for Sweeney on her mail ballot weeks ago but wished she could change her vote to support Sherrill.

“She can handle a lot with four children. She’s got an excellent military background,” Panna said of Sherrill. “I think women tend to want to prove themselves more because we’re so overlooked.”

» READ MORE: Steve Sweeney’s comeback faces an uphill battle this election after power of South Jersey machine diminished

Dale and Denise Bauer, who voted at the Unitarian Universalist Church, intentionally register in different parties.

They don’t always follow the party line, so they read and research together to determine the best candidates — regardless of their party affiliation — and make a plan how to vote between them.

In primaries, Denise Bauer said, “the two of us vote for different parties at times, and sometimes if we want to split a ticket, one can vote on their party, and I vote on my party. So we’re each registered in two different parties in order to do that.”

“We want to have it split up so that we have some thoughts from both sides,” she added. “Wouldn’t you have two different people in a marriage do the same thing?”

For David Barg, 55, the Republican primary came down to one word: “values.”

A longtime Republican, Barg said his support of the United States and Israel pushed him to vote for Ciattarelli.

Barg said he was alarmed by Democrats on the ballot who were on the “lunatic liberal fringe” and were “really not supportive of the values of this country.”

The only Democrat Barg would consider voting for is U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer. Gottheimer is a strong supporter of Israel and has broken with Democrats on some Israel-related votes in the U.S. House.

Despite New Jersey’s blue lean, Barg thinks a Republican could break through and win in November.

“Trump almost won this state. [Gov. Phil] Murphy has been a dreadfully awful governor and he won by a very slim margin,” he said.

Trump came within six points of winning New Jersey in 2024 and threw his weight behind Ciattarelli.

» READ MORE: Is New Jersey becoming a swing state?

Outside of Cherry Hill High School East, a 48-year-old state corrections official said he voted for radio host Bill Spadea, calling him a “commonsense” candidate who promised to restore cost-of-living raises for law enforcement officers.

Staff photographer Tom Gralish contributed reporting.