On Sunday, Jack Ciattarelli and Mikie Sherrill went head-to-head in their first gubernatorial debate at Rider University.
Ciattarelli, representing the Republican Party, served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2011 to 2018. He is a graduate of Seton Hall, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting and his master’s in business administration (MBA). Ciattarelli also spent time as an adjunct professor at SHU from 1998 to 2001, according to his LinkedIn.
Sherrill, representing the Democratic Party, served as a Navy helicopter pilot and a former federal prosecutor. She has served as a member of the House of Representatives, representing New Jersey’s 11th congressional district, which encompasses portions of Morris, Essex and Passaic counties, since 2018.
These backgrounds set the stage for a debate that highlighted their differing priorities and approaches to leading the Garden State.
Ciattarelli opened by acknowledging the state’s affordability, public safety, and education crises. He criticized overdevelopment and said New Jersey is “the worst place in the country to do business.”
“New Jersey, we need change,” he said.
Sherrill began by demanding “transparency and accountability” from the government, announcing her plan to declare a state of emergency on energy costs “on day one,” and emphasizing the need to lower taxes.
From there, the debate shifted across a range of issues central to voters this election season. The candidates sparred on topics including affordability, education, Artificial Intelligence (AI), political violence and immigration laws, with each candidate offering sharply different solutions.
Affordability
Rising costs were a point of contention for Ciattarelli and Sherrill. More so, was the question of who was to blame for the state’s current affordability crisis.
Sherrill blamed the Trump administration’s tariffs and “big, beautiful bill.” She accused Ciattarelli of supporting them.
“All he does is say that Trump’s right,” she said. “It’s okay to drive up your tariffs. It’s okay to have the one big, beautiful bill, which drives up your health care and utility costs.”
Ciattarelli blamed the affordability crisis on the Democrats, who have run the state government in recent years.
“The Democrats have controlled our state legislature for 25 years…and look where we are today,” he said.
Although both candidates expressed a deep commitment to lowering costs, neither provided specific details on how they would do so.
Education
Ciattarelli advocated for a complete restructure of the public education curriculum in New Jersey. He said more emphasis needs to be placed on “critical life skills and vocational training.”
When asked if he would force school district consolidation to lower property taxes and provide more state funding to schools, he said he would not.
“That’s up to the locals,” Ciattarelli said.
He also advocated for more charter schools.
Sherrill, however, stopped short of ruling out the possibility of requiring schools to consolidate. She encouraged the merging of school districts and advocated for the creation of “county-based school systems.”
Artificial Intelligence
When asked how he would protect New Jerseyans from the dangers of AI, Ciattarelli said he was not an “AI expert,” but would meet with professionals to discuss the topic.
He criticized AI for “social manipulation” and job loss.
Sherrill advocated for the “Kids Online Safety Act,” which requires platforms to provide safeguards for users under the age of 17, including parental controls and stronger privacy features.
Sherrill said she is going to put “guardrails around AI.”
Political Violence
Sherrill and Ciattarelli agreed that speech should never devolve into violence.
Sherrill said she “vows to defend and fight for free speech.”
Ciattarelli echoed the sentiment, saying he encourages “[engaging] in rhetoric that unites us and doesn’t divide us.”
He also said he supports the recent GOP-led state proposal to make political violence a hate crime.
Immigration
Ciattarelli took a hard stance against the Immigrant Trust Directive, which limits when state and local police can assist federal immigration authorities. The directive was created to ensure immigrants felt safe reporting crimes to local authorities and to prevent local authorities from questioning or arresting someone based on their suspected immigration status.
Ciattarelli also advocated for the abolishment of sanctuary cities within the state, saying that they restrict safety. New Jersey currently has 21 municipalities designated as “sanctuary jurisdictions.”
Sherrill said that “violent criminals should be deported,” but emphasized her belief in due process.
“I’m going to make sure people are safe and follow the law,” she said.
The lieutenant governor debate will be held on Sept. 30 at Kean University from 7 to 8 p.m. The next debate for Ciattarelli and Sherrill will be held on Oct. 8 at Rutgers University, from 7 to 8 p.m.
Megan Pitt is the head editor for The Setonian’s News section. She can be reached at megan.pitt@student.shu.edu
