3:29Republican Jack Ciattarelli, left, and Democrat Mikie Sherrill participate in the final debate in the New Jersey governor’s race, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, in New Brunswick, N.J. Heather Khalifa/AP
NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY — Gubernatorial contenders Jack Ciattarelli and Representative Mikie Sherrill from New Jersey engaged in their second discussion on Wednesday. The event was broadcasted by WABC-TV from New York City and WPVI-TV from Philadelphia, held approximately a month before Election Day.
Current polling data suggests Sherrill, the Democratic candidate and a prior Navy helicopter pilot, has a lead over Ciattarelli, the Republican nominee and a previous state assemblyman. A fresh survey by Quinnipiac indicated Sherrill ahead in a direct comparison, 51% to 42%.
Here are key moments from the debate on Wednesday:
Trump becomes a focal point; hopefuls evaluate his time in office
President Donald Trump emerged as a prominent figure during the discussions on Wednesday. Ciattarelli affirmed core principles of Trump’s presidency, while also seeking to maintain some separation from Trump’s broader political actions. Sherrill, on the other hand, frequently targeted Trump, aiming to firmly connect the former president with Ciattarelli.
Early in the debate, Ciattarelli avoided directly answering whether he aligns with Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, stating instead that he supports “the New Jersey movement.”
Republican Jack Ciattarelli, left, and Democrat Mikie Sherrill participate in the final debate in the New Jersey governor’s race, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, in New Brunswick, N.J.Heather Khalifa/AP
“I'm part of the New Jersey movement. We need change in New Jersey. We've got various crises that are raging across the state that are punishing the middle class," Ciattarelli stated.
Nonetheless, Ciattarelli conveyed his agreement with Trump’s stance on immigration and asserted that having a positive rapport with whoever resides in the Oval Office is advantageous. He noted his divergence from the administration solely on the establishment of a wind farm near Long Island, New York.
“But let me be clear, no matter who it is, it's in the White House, my job is to stand up for the 9.3 million citizens of this state, and I, we, I will, I will fiercely advocate for them at all times. But let me also say this […] it's best to have a relationship with whoever occupies the White House,” Ciattarelli remarked.
During a media briefing after the debate, Ciattarelli mentioned that the White House is “happy to help us in any way that we think they bring value to the campaign” and that his team is “looking at every opportunity to see what brings value.”
He said he would give Trump an A grade for his job in the White House thus far. In contrast, Sherrill said she'd give Trump an F, placing the responsibility for increasing expenses squarely on the shoulders of Trump’s government.
Both participants were then questioned on their assessment of Democratic Governor Phil Murphy, who is leaving office after meeting his term limit. Sherrill rated Murphy with a B, expressing a desire for Murphy to be more attentive to the concerns of constituents.
“I'm going to have a culture shift in Trenton. I'm going to make sure that we have more accountability in government, driving down costs for people,” Sherrill commented.
Ciattarelli awarded Murphy an F, arguing that New Jersey has suffered multiple problems under what he described as the “worst governorship of our lifetime.”
“It's been a failure across the board, and we need change,” he stated.
Diverging Opinions on Managing Government Shutdown
Sherrill, a current Democratic U.S. congresswoman, expressed opinions shared by numerous Democrats in Washington, blaming the government shutdown on resistance to Republicans allegedly trying to deprive millions of Americans of their health insurance.
“I think we've seen at every level, cuts to affordability for working people. So we've seen these tariff cuts, we've seen these health care costs. We've seen hikes on utility costs as we go forward with the one big, beautiful bill. And now they've taken away health care in the one big, beautiful bill for millions of people, and they now want to cut health care support for people who still have it with the markets, the Affordable Care Act markets, that's what we're fighting for,” Sherrill explained.
Ciattarelli contended that Sherrill bears partial responsibility for the government shutdown and the resultant furlough of thousands of New Jersey residents.
“I hope the shutdown ends within moments. I hope it ends tomorrow. We've got 22,000 New Jerseyans that are being furloughed because of the shutdown, but this is what happens in Washington, D.C. The job of the governor is to get things done. I have relationships with people in the legislature. We’ll be able to work together to get things done,” he said.
Hudson Gateway Funding
Both candidates also touched on the Trump administration’s recent choice to suspend funding for the Hudson Tunnel Project — designed to improve rail connections between New York City and New Jersey — a decision disclosed by Russell Vought, the White House Office of Management and Budget Director, on October 1.
“You need a shutdown for two or three months before the shovels stop working,” Ciattarelli stated, linking the funding freeze to the government shutdown.
Sherrill interrupted, “This doesn't have to do with the shutdown. This is the President freezing those funds.”
Sherrill accused Trump of exceeding his authority and suggested she’d initiate a lawsuit against Trump if elected governor.
“This is simply the president saying he's freezing the Gateway tunnel funds, which he should not be able to do. And in my administration, I take him to court over it, because those are congressionally appropriated funds for the gateway tunnel,” Sherrill declared.
Addressing Political Violence
The pair also gave their thoughts on the increase in political violence and polarized language.
Sherrill commented that such aggression was unacceptable.
“It really undermines, I think, our democracy and the idea that people want to come forward and serve. And I worry very much that with this kind of political violence, we are going to see people trying to step away from public life. So here in New Jersey, as governor, I will always work to make sure everyone is safe, to ensure that people can speak freely and yet not face political violence,” she remarked.
Ciattarelli initially commended Sherrill for voting in favor of a resolution honoring Charlie Kirk, then accused Sherrill of being inconsistent with her beliefs, and criticized her for criticizing some of Kirk’s statements.
“The way to tamp down the hateful rhetoric is by having the right kind of leadership in place. I've always conducted myself the respectful way, even when I disagree with people. I'm never going to tarnish the name my parents gave me, and I'm never going to embarrass my four children. I've always been respectful with my rhetoric, and I think that that's more important than ever,” he stated.
Abortion Access
When prompted about supporting the inclusion of abortion access in the state constitution, Ciattarelli answered that he has “always supported a woman’s right to choose” but does not want women traveling to Jersey from other states to seek abortions.
Ciattarelli also expressed that parents should be informed if their children younger than 18 years of age seek an abortion.
Sherrill suggested that Ciattarelli is distorting his actual views and is “peddling misinformation.”
“We also have the fact that when he was last in office, he voted to defund Planned Parenthood. So these are not pro-choice positions. I know he's getting up here to tell everyone what they want to hear right now as he desperately tries for the third time to become the next Governor of New Jersey. But this is not credible,” Sherrill said.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
