Highlights From New Jersey’s Final Gubernatorial Debate

Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) and Jack Ciattarelli, a Republican, debated on Oct. 8 in an attempt to succeed term-limited Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat.

(Left) Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli speaks in Raritan, N.J., on Nov. 12, 2021. (Right) Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) speaks at the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 28, 2021. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images; Mary Altaffer/ AP

New Jersey gubernatorial candidates Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) and Jack Ciattarelli, a Republican, squared off on Oct. 8 in a final bid for the seat that Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, is vacating because of term limits.

The debate took place at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center and aired on WABC-TV just days before the Oct. 14 voter registration deadline. Election Day is Nov. 4.

Opening Remarks

“I am laser-focused on driving down your costs, making New Jersey more affordable,” Sherrill said during her opening statement. “I’m going to start by declaring a state of emergency on energy costs, make government more accountable to you, making it safer and more affordable, and I’m going to ensure that I am always fighting for all of you.”

Sherrill, who took her seat in Congress in 2019, is a former Navy helicopter pilot and federal prosecutor. She lives in Montclair, New Jersey, with her husband, Jason, and four children.

In his opening statement, Ciattarelli said the state needs change and vowed to provide New Jerseyans with a plan.

“We have an overdevelopment crisis in our suburban communities,” Ciattarelli said. “We have an affordability crisis because of property taxes and electricity bills. We have a public safety crisis because we don’t let our police do their jobs any longer.”

The father of four adult children is an inactive certified public accountant and the owner of a small business in Somerville, New Jersey. He served as a state representative from 2011 to 2018 and is endorsed by President Donald Trump.

The candidates answered questions posed by two moderators, Eyewitness News anchor Bill Ritter and WPVI-TV anchor Tamala Edwards.

One of the questions referenced statistics by the World Population Review claiming that the cost of living in New Jersey is 14 percent higher than in the rest of the nation.

Cost of Living

Sherrill said that if she is elected, she will investigate landlords who, according to her, are colluding to drive up rental prices and freeze rate hikes on energy prices.

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

In a September debate, Ciattarelli noted that multiple electricity generation plants have closed while Murphy has been governor. In the Oct. 8 debate, he was more specific about his plan to pull the state out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.

“It’s a carbon tax policy that has cost New Jersey $300 [million] to $500 million a year for homeowners, tenants, and businesses and it’s been a failure,” Ciattarelli said. “Electricity is at its all-time high. The air is no cleaner, and rate-payer dollars are going to other states.”

Accusations

During the debate, Sherrill accused her opponent of making millions of dollars off the opioid crisis by saying the drugs were safe.

“As if that wasn’t enough, then he was paid to develop an app so that people who were addicted could more easily get access to opioids,“ Sherrill said. ”As he made millions and opioid companies made billions, tens of thousands of New Jerseyans died.”

More than 2,800 people died from drug use in the state in 2023, according to the most recent state data.

Ciattarelli denied Sherrill’s opioid allegation during a three-minute heated exchange, which was posted on X, and accused her of supporting illegal immigration during President Joe Biden’s administration without understanding the impact on communities with regard to fentanyl trafficking.

“Talk to your local police and county prosecutors in [New Jersey],” he said. “Since the border’s been secured, the fentanyl crisis has decreased significantly. She supported those open-border policies.”

Current Polls

A Sept. 25 Emerson College poll found that New Jersey voters equally support Sherrill and Ciattarelli, at 43 percent, with 11 percent saying they are undecided.

“The first Emerson College general election survey of New Jersey’s 2025 election for governor reveals a tightly contested race in the Garden State,” Emerson College Polling executive director Spencer Kimball said in a statement.

“Young voters, under 40, break for Sherrill by large margins, 58 percent to 24 percent. The race tightens to seven points among voters in their 40s, with Sherrill leading 47 percent to 40 percent, then Ciattarelli flips the script among voters over 50, leading Sherrill 52 percent to 36 percent among this group.”

A Sept. 17 Quinnipiac University poll of likely voters showed Sherrill leading by eight points.