Obama joins Mikie Sherrill on New Jersey campaign trail

🗳️ Barack Obama joins Mikie Sherrill in Newark days before Election Day.
📊 Polls show a tight race between Democrat Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli.
🚨 Independent voters likely will decide who becomes NJ's next governor.

NEWARK — With days left until Election Day, former President Barack Obama has signed up to join Democrat Mikie Sherill at a campaign rally in Newark.

The Congresswoman faces three-time candidate, Republican Jack Ciattarelli, to fill the vacancy being left by Gov. Phil Murphy.

Obama first endorsed the former Navy pilot and federal prosecutor with a video message earlier this month.

On Saturday, he would join Sherill at an event slated for Essex County College, not far from the Prudential Center.

Those attending the campaign rally were urged to bring donations for the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, as SNAP funding was set to expire Nov. 1, spiking demand on the state's food banks.

Earlier this week, Ciattarelli joined conservative media personality San Hannity for a Fox News town hall session in Point Pleasant.

On Monday, Nov. 3, his campaign has planned a "last stop" rally in Raritan Township, where he grew up.

Read More: What the latest polls say about NJ gov race

📉 2 out of 3 polls show NJ governor race nearly deadlocked

Three independent polls released on Thursday show a vast range of potential outcomes with this governor's race.

Quinnipiac University poll results among 1,166 New Jersey likely voters show Sherrill going into election day with an 8-point lead over Ciattarelli, 51% to 43%.

Also in the Quinnipiac poll, three top issues showed the following split:

🔻 87% of likely voters who say health care is the most important issue to their vote back Sherrill, while 10% back Ciattarelli.

🔻78% of likely voters who said ethics in government is the most important issue to their vote back Sherrill, while 16% back Ciattarelli.

🔻 72% of likely voters who said taxes are the most important issue to their vote back Ciattarelli, while 21% back Sherrill.

Suffolk University in Massachusetts put out a new poll of 500 likely New Jersey voters.

It shows Sherrill leading Ciattarelli by 4 points, 46% to 42%. That is within the poll's margin of error.

A poll from Emerson College, also in Massachusetts, puts the race even closer, 49% to 48% in favor of Sherrill among likely voters or those who have already voted.

“Heading into Election Day, the gender divide in the gubernatorial election has solidified: men break for Ciattarelli by 16 points, while women break for Sherrill by 18 points,” Emerson College Polling executive director Spencer Kimball said. “Since last month, Ciattarelli’s lead among men increased by four points, and Sherill’s lead among women grew by eight points.”

Final New Jersey gubernatorial debate between Mikie Sherrill and Jack Ciattarelli: