New Jersey voters will soon decide who will serve the next four years as their governor. And the major-party candidates, Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy or Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli, have been locked in an increasingly heated contest.
With the state’s latest gubernatorial election almost here, NJ Advance Media is examining where Murphy, who’s seeking a second term, and Ciattarelli, a former member of the state Assembly aiming to unseat him, stand on key issues.
Election Day is Nov. 2. Early in-person voting started Saturday and runs through Oct. 31.
TAXES, SCHOOL FUNDING, AND THE STATE BUDGET
New Jersey residents frequently cite taxes as the state’s biggest issue. A big part of the reason: This is home to the nation’s highest property taxes, with the average bill in 2020 being $9,112. Property taxes are actually levied at the local government level, though governors can take some action to help lower them. The state budget is funded through other taxes, most notably the income, sales, and corporate business taxes.
MURPHY
The average property tax bill in New Jersey has risen 4% in Murphy’s first term. But his administration repeatedly touts that year-over-increases are the lowest on record for any governor, thanks to increased funding to K-12 schools and a push for local governments to share services.
Murphy, an avowed progressive, has raised a number of other taxes to bolster the state budget, including hiking the tax rate on all income over $1 million and increasing the tax on corporations’ income over $1 million.
That has helped fuel a nearly $11 billion increase in state spending under Murphy, which the governor stresses has gone toward education, child care, tuition-free college, and government-employee pensions.
Murphy told Bloomberg News on Thursday that while New Jersey is “not going to be the low-cost state to live or work in,” “highly skilled” people will will to be here because of the state’s liberal values.
Other taxes have dropped for some residents the last four years. Households with income below $150,000 and with at least one child have received up to a $500 rebate; the state has expanded the Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income workers, as well as the Child and Dependent Care Credit; and it updated the state’s Homestead property tax program to increase the average credit to seniors and disabled homeowners by more than $130 and the average benefit to low-income homeowners by $145.
Murphy has also vowed there would be no additional tax increases if he wins a second term.
CIATTARELLI
The former state lawmakers has repeatedly hammered Murphy over taxes, saying he has made the state less affordable and unattractive to businesses.
Ciattarelli has vowed to cut property taxes largely by revamping New Jersey’s school funding formula, including giving more aid to suburban, Shore, and rural districts — a move critics say would hurt poorer districts, especially in communities of color.
He has also promised to reform the state’s tax code a number of other cuts, including: freezing property taxes on anyone over 65; allowing people to deduct student loans from their state taxes; permitting first-time homeowners to deduct the interested on their mortgage for the first three to five years; allowing seniors to not pay taxes on retirement income; exempting the first $50,000 in small-business income from taxes; slashing the corporate tax rate from 11% to 5% over five years; and eliminating taxes on the sale of a family-owned business.
Plus, Ciattarelli told The Star-Ledger’s editorial board he would cut the income tax rate on the state’s wealthiest residents by 30%.
All of the cuts would cost money from the state budget. It’s unclear how much.
At the same time, Ciattarelli has vowed to cut $10 billion in spending from the state budget. But he has not outlined what programs he’d slash.
CORONAVIRUS
New Jersey, an early coronavirus epicenter, has recorded more than 27,700 coronavirus deaths in the last 20 months — the second-most per capita among U.S. states. Polls have shown the pandemic remains one of the top issues on voters’ minds as the virus lingers (albeit with lower infection and death rates) and as a national argument continues to rage over masks and vaccine mandates.
MURPHY
Murphy and neighboring governors took unprecedented action in early 2020 as the virus began to spread. They ordered businesses and schools to close, installed sweeping mask mandates, and later limited capacities as the state slowly reopened.
Now, with the arrival of vaccines, those protocols are largely gone, though Murphy has mandated masks be worn in schools. He has also ordered groups of people be vaccinated or face mandatory weekly testing, including teachers and school staff, state workers, child care workers, and health care workers. And he has not ruled out more sweeping vaccine rules, saying everything is “on the table.”
Polls have shown a majority of residents in blue-leaning New Jersey approve of the measures Murphy has taken, though Republicans have repeatedly criticized him for being too draconian as about one-third of the state’s small businesses have closed in the wake of the pandemic.
The governor has also faced scrutiny and for how he handled the virus in the state’s nursing homes and other longterm care facilities, where more than 8,500 people have died. Republicans have said the governor forced sick patients out of hospitals and returned them to nursing homes, leading the death toll to rise.
Murphy’s administration did call for residents to return to their nursing homes, citing fears that hospitals were reaching capacity at the height of the crisis. But the order called for those people to be isolated from the main nursing home populations.
The administration has not completed a promised internal review of what happened at nursing homes, and federal officials are investigating how his administration handled the crisis at state-run veterans homes.
CIATTARELLI
Ciattarelli has said he personally favors mask wearing and vaccinations and that he has been vaccinated himself. But the former lawmaker has also said he’s against masks in schools and installing sweeping mask mandates, saying it’s best to give people information and allow them to make their own choice. He does say he supports having teachers and other government workers tested if they don’t get the shots.
Murphy has accused Ciattarelli and Republicans for “putting lives needlessly at risk” for their stances on COVID-19.
GUNS
New Jersey gun laws are among the strictest in the nation, second to only California, according to rankings by the Gifford Law Center. It’s up to the governor whether to approve any new laws strengthening or rolling back restrictions.
MURPHY
The Democrat has signed multiple gun-control bills into law in New Jersey, including ones that reduced magazine capacity to 10 bullets, banned armor-piercing bullets, made it tougher to obtain a permit to carry a handgun, expanded background checks on private gun sales, banned so-called ghost guns, and pushed the development and sales of “smart guns.”
Murphy also promised to “name and shame” gunmakers whose weapons end up on the street, as well as states with weaker gun laws. State authorities began publishing monthly reports showing the source state for every “crime gun” recovered by police in New Jersey. Murphy has said about 85% of guns used in crimes New Jersey between January and July of this year came from out of state.
Plus, the governor told The Star-Ledger editorial board that if he wins, a major goal of his second term would be to pass another gun-control package of bills. He did not specify what changes he’s seeking.
CIATTARELLI
The Republican said he supports loosening New Jersey’s gun laws to make it easier to obtain a concealed-carry permit and speed up permit applications for people who face “imminent danger,” such as domestic violence victims. He also has said he’d lobby to repeal the state’s ban on magazines with more than a 10-round capacity.
“People have a right to bear arms,” Ciattarelli said in August.
He would need convince the state Legislature — currently controlled by Democrats — to reform most gun measures.
ABORTION RIGHTS
Though abortion isn’t typically a state issue, that changed after the U.S. Supreme Court, led by conservative-leaning justices, let stand the nation’s strictest abortion ban after six weeks in Texas last month, and in December, will consider Mississippi’s law outlawing abortion after 15 weeks. If the high court weakens or overturns Roe v. Wade, abortion squarely becomes a state issue and the governor will help decide how far New Jersey will go to protect abortion access.
MURPHY
Murphy has said he’d sign the Reproductive Freedom Act (S3030), a bill pending in the Legislature that would enshrine Roe in state law but also expand access in New Jersey. The measure would make contraceptives free, require insurance carriers to cover abortion services, and allow advance practice nurses to perform more abortion services in the first trimester, among other changes.
The first bill Murphy signed into law upon taking office restored $7.5 million in funding previous Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, cut to women’s clinics for health screenings and contraception in 2010.
CIATTARELLI
Ciattarelli said he supports a woman’s right to get an abortion. And he said if the Supreme Court undoes Roe v. Wade, he would sign a law that protects abortion rights in New Jersey. But he would impose limits: no abortions after 20 weeks, and minors should have to get a parent’s consent.
A a member of the Assembly, Ciattarelli repeatedly voted against legislation that would have reinstated the $7.5 million Christie cut to women’s clinics.
CRIME AND POLICING
Both shootings and gun-related homicides are up in New Jersey so far in 2021, according to data from the New Jersey State Police. Between January and May, 87 people were shot and killed, up 36% from the same period in 2020, the data shows. There have also been debates over how much the state should reform police methods, especially in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement.
MURPHY
The governor has advocated for additional gun restrictions in New Jersey.
Murphy’s administration also added limits to when police officers in the state can use force. New rules will require officers in the state to file reports when they unholster their gun while on duty. Since 2000, New Jersey’s use-of-force policy has only allowed officers to unholster their weapons to “establish or maintain control in a potentially dangerous situation.”
CIATTARELLI
The ex-lawmaker has accused Murphy of making the job of being a police office harder under his administration, and that this resulted in fewer people applying for jobs as cops — and in turn an increase in crime.
Ciattarelli says he’ll have the backs of law enforcement to boost morale and says Murphy has done the opposite by pushing reforms that include having to require officers to fill out new use-of-force forms after certain interactions with the public.
NJ TRANSIT AND TRANSPORTATION
NJ Transit, the state’s bus and rail agency, has been plagued for years by issues, including delayed and canceled trains and funding pitfalls. New Jersey also has aging infrastructure, and drivers along the state’s major highways have shelled out more for tolls.
MURPHY
At the start of his term, Murphy called NJ Transit “a national disgrace” that needed new funding and leadership, and he has repeatedly vowed to fix the agency “if it kills me.”
On the plus side, the state met the Jan. 1 deadline to implement the Positive Train Control safety system approved and operating to avoid a rail shutdown threatened by the federal government. It has increased the depleted ranks of NJ Transit locomotive engineers to cut down on train cancellations, which Murphy’s administration said are down 15%. Trains and buses have increased their on-time performance. NJ Transit unveiled its first strategic plan and five-year capital plan. The aging Portal Bridge is on its way to being replaced and Murphy has lobbied heavily to bring the long-awaited Gateway Tunnel under the Hudson River to fruition. The state has more than $4 billion in capital projects underway. And there is no fare hike for commuters on the immediate horizon.
But issues remain with with how NJ Transit’s customer advocate should operate. Four board of directors positions remain unfilled. And there are still questions and concerns about a stable, permanent funding source for the agency’s operating budget.
Meanwhile, Murphy approved toll hikes along the New Jersey Turnpike, Garden State Parkway, and Atlantic City Expressway in 2020 to fund construction projects. And starting in January, tolls will rise in an amount to be determined annually, provided that the indexed increase doesn’t exceed 3%.
CIATTARELLI
Ciattarelli promises to “dedicate every penny possible” of the state’s Transportation Trust Fund to conduct emergency track repairs for NJ Transit. He also said he’d stop the practice numerous recent governors have used of taking money from the agency’s capital budget to cover daily operating costs.
Plus, he says he would revamp the state Department of Transportation to complete projects “more quickly.” And he vows to work with federal officials to support the Gateway project. But other details about his transportation plans have been scant.
ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate change is seen as a threat to New Jersey, an East Coast state that has been hit by numerous significant storms in recent years — most recently Hurricane Ida in September.
MURPHY
Murphy returned New Jersey to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a cap-and-trade program aimed at fighting climate change. He also set a goal to reach a 100 percent clean energy economy in the state by 2050.
In one of its most heralded initiatives, Murphy’s administration has increased the number of wind farms in the state. And the governor recently signed laws to spur solar energy and electric vehicles.
But Murphy has also faced criticism for diverting money from the state’s clean-energy fund. And Republicans have warned that Murphy’s clean energy plan will be costly to ratepayers. The governor told The Star-Ledger editorial board that ratepayers “won’t pay any more than their fair share.”
CIATTARELLI
Ciattarelli has opposed RGGI in the past, saying it would put the state at an economic disadvantage. But in the wake of Hurricane Idea, he said “climate change is real and human activity contributes to it” and that fighting it would be “near the top of the priority list.”
The former assemblyman has said he would support a national energy plan that “puts all 50 states on an equal footing in reducing carbon emissions,” though he has not been specific. And he says his administration would reduce carbon emissions “through incentives and other means” until “emerging energy sources are found safe.”
IMMIGRATION
New Jersey is one of the nation’s most diverse states. Nearly one in four residents is an immigrant and more than a quarter-million U.S. citizens in New Jersey live with at least one family member who is undocumented. The governor can enact — and remove — policies that affect their lives.
MURPHY
Under Murphy, the state attorney general unveiled a directive limiting when local police can ask someone’s immigration status and turn unauthorized immigrants over to federal officials for deportation.
The governor also signed a law banning local jails in New Jersey from signing contracts to house federal immigration detainees, another law that gives unauthorized immigrants in New Jersey access to college financial aid, another allowing undocumented immigrants here to get drivers licenses.
But Murphy faced criticism for how the state has doled out coronavirus aid to undocumented immigrants. After months of lobbying, Murphy set aside $40 million for them and other workers excluded from COVID-19 aid.
CIATTARELLI
Ciattarelli has said the state attorney general he appoints would “never tell” any town it can’t work with federal immigration officials.
He also supports the state using a national E-Verify system to allow employers to confirm eligibility of job applicant. And more broadly, he supports a national immigration policy that “secures our borders, aligns with American’s principles, and respects the rule of law,” as well as a “tough but fair pathway to citizenship for those who stay out of trouble, pay taxes, and learn English and American civics.”
MARIJUANA
Legalizing marijuana in New Jersey was a key goal of Murphy’s first term. After a failed legislative push, the state’s voters approved legal weed with 67% of the vote in November 2020. But sales have not started yet, advocates are calling for a broader program, and there have also been debates surrounding police policies related to pot.
MURPHY
Murphy said he wanted to legalize marijuana to increase tax revenue for the state but to reduce the arrest and conviction rates of minorities.
But even after voters passed the referendum, rollout of the new industry has been slow. The state’s cannabis commission didn’t adopt its initial rules and regulations until August. The commission says it will begin licensing new marijuana businesses soon.
Plus, some advocates argue that Murphy’s pot policies haven’t gone far enough, especially when it comes to helping people of color. Some have lamented New Jersey won’t allow people to grow their own marijuana at home. Murphy said this week he’d be “open-minded” to allowing home grow.
Meanwhile, the governor signed a law in March that allows police in New Jersey to notify parents when their children are caught with marijuana or alcohol, walking back part of the original legal marijuana law that Republicans had vehemently opposed.
CIATTARELLI
Ciattarelli has said he supports decriminalizing marijuana (and thus ending arrests) but not full legalization.
During a Republican primary debate, he also said he’d support putting the issue back on the ballot if the rollout is “a failure.” But doing that would be difficult. The Legislature — currently controlled by Democrats — would need to approve a new ballot question by either three-fifths majority in one year or by simple majorities in two consecutive years.
Ciattarelli is also against new criminal penalties for police officers in New Jersey who stop and search underage people for marijuana and alcohol.
COLLEGE TUITION
The cost of going to college is higher than it’s ever been, and taking steps to reduce the burden has become a national issue. Governors can enact some measures to help residents pay for college, though they have only so much control over what colleges charge for tuition.
MURPHY
One attention-grabbing part of Murphy’s platform during his 2017 campaign was a plan to offer tuition-free community college to all New Jerseyans. The governor begun implementing that plan, though only for lower-income residents so far.
Murphy and the Legislature have set aside an additional $50 million this year to expand tuition-free community college so students earning $65,000 or less can get another two years tuition free at four-year colleges to complete a bachelor’s degree.
Overall, the price to attend New Jersey’s public and private colleges has continued to rise since Murphy took office.
CIATTARELLI
Ciattarelli has promised to help reduce college costs. He has said he will work to lower tuition at public colleges by $5,000 to $10,000 per year by “executing a top-to-bottom cost-savings audit at each state college and university.”
VOTING RIGHTS
A number of states have moved to change voting laws in the wake of the 2020 presidential election, in which former President Donald Trump has claimed without evidence the race was stolen from him because of fraud. Some states have moved to tighten regulations, while others have expanded rights.
MURPHY
The governor has vowed to make it easier to vote in New Jersey. He has signed laws to automatically register people to vote if they apply for a driver’s license or non-driver ID card, allow residents to register to vote online, and permit them to cast their ballots in person up to 10 days before Election Day. This is the first election that has early in-person voting in New jersey.
CIATTARELLI
The former lawmaker says it’s time to reform voting laws because voters have lost confidence in the current system. Most notably, he wants to require voters show ID at the polls. Democrats and urban mayors have criticized that idea as a disenfranchisement technique.
Ciattarelli says he would also work remove inactive, moved, or deceased voters from the state’s rolls, as well as mandate voting systems that provide a paper record of each vote.
NJ Advance Media staff writers Matt Arco, Kelly Heyboer, Larry Higgs, Amanda Hoover, and Susan K. Livio contributed to this report.
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Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @johnsb01.
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