Takeaways From New Jersey’s Gubernatorial Debate

New Jersey gubernatorial candidates Democrat Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli squared off on Sept. 21 as they bid for the governor’s seat that Democrat Phil Murphy is vacating because of term limits.

The debate took place in Lawrenceville and aired on NewJerseyGlobe.com and OnNJ.com just days before mail-in voting begins later this week. Election Day is Nov. 4.

Here are the key takeaways.

Opening Remarks

“I am laser focused on driving down costs for families like yours,” Sherrill said during her opening statement. “I’m going to declare a state of emergency on day one, freezing your rate hikes. I’m going to demand transparency and accountability from our government to save you time and money.”

In his opening statement, Ciattarelli said that change is needed.

“We need a hands-on CEO governor who’s from New Jersey who knows exactly what needs to be done and is willing to do it,” he said. “Overwhelmingly, New Jerseyans feel that we’re heading in the wrong direction.”

The candidates took turns answering questions posed by Rider University students, faculty, and community members, as well as New Jersey Globe and New Jersey Monitor journalists. OnNJ.com TV host Laura Jones was the moderator.

School Segregation

One of the questions was about school segregation litigation that the state has been fighting against for seven years over a rule requiring students to enroll in their hometown school district.

The complaint, filed by the Latino Action Network and the NAACP New Jersey State Conference against the state of New Jersey, is currently pending before the Superior Court of New Jersey Appellate Division.

When asked whether he would continue the state’s opposition to the lawsuit, Ciattarelli promised not to get in the way of the Latino Action Network and the NAACP New Jersey State Conference if elected governor.

“Let the lawsuit proceed,” he said. “We do have the most segregated schools, but I wonder if we would be having this discussion if the performance of schools with predominantly black student populations were outperforming schools with predominantly white populations. We need to get back on day one to improving all of our schools.”

Sherrill did not answer whether she would continue the state’s fight against the school segregation lawsuit and instead advocated for high intensity tutoring and an emphasis on increasing third-grade reading levels.

“You’re not going to be able to move on very well to your math, social studies, and history work if you can’t read your homework,” she said. “So, in these ways, we can really push in as a state, get better outcomes, and address the segregation that we have going on here.”

Cost of Living

Affordability was another topic addressed by the candidates, with Sherrill vowing to establish a permitting dashboard that would cut through regulatory issues with the goal of driving down energy costs and freezing rate hikes.

“I’ll make sure we have a report card online so you can see exactly where your money goes and hold me accountable when the state’s not performing well,” she said. “That’s the kind of transparency, accountability, and cost savings I’m bringing to government.”

A Fairleigh Dickinson poll shows that currently, 26 percent of New Jersey voters blame utility companies for higher energy bills, 19 percent blame Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, 15 percent blame the federal government, and 14 percent blame the state Legislature.

Ciattarelli noted that the closing of multiple electricity generation plants occurred while Murphy has been governor, before touting his plan for fixing New Jersey’s affordability challenge.

“How about we make all retirement income tax free,” Ciattarelli said. “How about we freeze property taxes? When you hit 87, how about we allow you to deduct 100 percent of your property taxes on your New Jersey tax return? How about we make the first two years of income post-high school, post-college, tax free so young people can get a start?”

According to the New Jersey Division of Taxation, the Garden State assesses a 6.625 percent sales tax on most tangible personal property, specified digital products, and certain services.

Sales Tax

Ciattarelli vowed not to increase the sales tax.

“What we need to do is lower the income tax and the property tax here in New Jersey,” he said. “Those are the most burdens and taxes we pay.”

The state’s income tax rate ranges from 1.4 percent to 10.75 percent based on income level and filing status, according to H&R Block. The Tax Foundation ranks the state of New Jersey’s property tax rate as the highest nationwide.

Sherrill stopped short of matching Ciattarelli’s promise not to increase the sales tax, citing the need to pay into pensions and to fund the public school system.

“I’m not just going to tell you what you want to hear,” she said. “I’m going to be fiscally responsible with your money. I’m going to drive down your cost at every level and I’m going to make sure your kids have great opportunities here in the state of New Jersey.”

Background and Current Polls

Born in Virginia, Sherrill is a former member of Congress, Navy helicopter pilot, and federal prosecutor. She lives in Montclair with her husband and four children.

Ciattarelli is a divorced father of four adult children, an inactive certified public accountant, and a Somerville entrepreneur. He served as a state representative from 2011 to 2018 and is endorsed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Sherrill is leading the race by 49 percent to 41 percent for Ciattarelli, according to a Quinnipiac University poll of likely voters.

Libertarian Party candidate Vic Kaplan and Socialist Worker Party candidate Joanne Kuniansky each received 1 percent support while six percent of polled voters are either undecided or did not provide a response.