Sherrill, Ciattarelli Clash Over Affordability, Trump Ties in Final Debate Before Election
The debate, held at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center and broadcast statewide by ABC7 and WPVI, brought months of campaigning to a climactic close.
NEW BRUNSWICK — With just weeks to go before Election Day, Democratic Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill and Republican former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli faced off in their final debate on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, offering sharply contrasting visions for New Jersey’s future on affordability, energy, and leadership style.
The debate, held at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center and broadcast statewide by ABC7 and WPVI, brought months of campaigning to a climactic close. It centered on familiar but potent themes — the high cost of living, taxes, immigration, and the influence of former President Donald Trump — in one of the nation’s most closely watched gubernatorial races.
Clashing Over Affordability
Both candidates acknowledged that the cost of living remains the defining issue for New Jersey families.
Sherrill vowed to declare a “state of emergency on energy costs” if elected, pledging to freeze rate hikes and tackle the middlemen driving up prescription drug prices. She also promised to confront landlords she accused of colluding to raise rents.
“I’m laser focused on driving down your costs,” Sherrill said. “Housing, healthcare, and utilities — those are my top priorities.”
Ciattarelli dismissed her plan as unrealistic and politically convenient, touting his own proposal to withdraw from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) — which he called a “carbon tax” — and to reform the state’s school funding formula to reduce property taxes.
“We need change,” Ciattarelli said. “We have an affordability crisis because of property taxes, electricity bills, and overregulation. I’ll fix what’s broken in New Jersey.”
Trump Takes Center Stage
Although the debate focused on state issues, Donald Trump’s shadow loomed large. Sherrill repeatedly accused Ciattarelli of being “100% MAGA,” citing the former president’s endorsement and arguing that New Jersey “can’t afford that brand of politics.”
“Jack’s job isn’t to support Trump,” she said. “It’s to stand up for the people of New Jersey.”
Ciattarelli sought to distance himself from Trump’s controversies while defending his policies. “I’m part of a New Jersey movement, not a MAGA movement,” he said, while praising Trump’s border security measures and economic record. He gave the former president an “A” for his second term — a remark that drew sharp contrast with Sherrill’s “F.”
Military Records and Transparency
The candidates also revisited questions surrounding Sherrill’s Naval Academy record, after unredacted documents were released earlier in the campaign. Sherrill said she was barred from walking at graduation because she refused to identify classmates involved in a cheating scandal — an act she framed as one of principle.
She accused Ciattarelli’s campaign of benefitting from the illegal release of her records, calling it a “weaponization of government files.”
Ciattarelli countered that voters deserve transparency, saying Sherrill “needs to come clean” about the episode.
Immigration and Public Safety
On immigration, Ciattarelli reiterated his plan to end New Jersey’s sanctuary policies, arguing that local police should be able to cooperate with federal authorities. “Anyone here illegally who commits a crime has to go back,” he said.
Sherrill, a former federal prosecutor, rejected that approach and instead called for comprehensive immigration reform that includes a pathway to citizenship for DACA and TPS recipients.
“I’ve prosecuted violent criminals and deported offenders,” Sherrill said. “But hardworking families paying taxes deserve a fair process.”
Final Appeals to Voters
In their closing statements, Sherrill promised to make government “more accountable, safer, and affordable” for working families, while Ciattarelli urged voters to choose “an honest, hands-on CEO governor” who can manage the state like a business.
Polls show the race within a few points, echoing Ciattarelli’s narrow loss to Governor Phil Murphy four years ago. Analysts said the outcome may hinge on independent voters and turnout in suburban and urban counties.
As debate moderator Bill Ritter summed up, the choice for New Jersey voters is now clear: two sharply different paths — one shaped by experience in Washington, the other grounded in Trenton’s traditional politics — both claiming to be the key to the Garden State’s next chapter.
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