Army Captain Surprises Father, Republican Candidate Jack Ciattarelli, in Heartwarming Reunion Before Election
In Newark, New Jersey, Jack Ciattarelli, a Republican candidate for governor, received a heartwarming surprise from his son, Army Capt. Jake, who returned home from Kuwait to show his support on the eve of the election. Ciattarelli was at Murph’s Tavern in the northern part of the state when his son, dressed in his Army uniform, approached him and gave him a hug. The room erupted in cheers and chants of "USA" as Ciattarelli embraced his son.
Ciattarelli seemed surprised by his son's sudden appearance and made light-hearted jokes about his return. He speculated that his son might have hitched a ride on Air Force One to come back to the US to vote. Jake, who has been serving as a captain in the Army since late 2023, shared that he planned to stay in the US to support his father through Thursday.
Ciattarelli has previously mentioned his son's military service, including posting a picture of him pointing to a "New Jersey Ave" sign in the Middle East. The gubernatorial candidate has a busy schedule on Monday, with a tele-rally planned with President Trump, as well as stops in Neptune City and Raritan to close out the day.
In the latest polling aggregate by RealClearPolitics, Ciattarelli is trailing his Democratic opponent, Rep. Mikie Sherrill, by 3.3 percentage points. The unexpected visit from his son provided a touching moment of support for Ciattarelli as he heads into the final stretch of the election campaign.