Jack Ciattarelli wins NJ Republican primary for NJ governor, AP projects
Jack Ciattarelli, the Trump-endorsed former state assemblymember, wins the Republican primary race for New Jersey governor, AP projects.
Ciattarelli will fight to flip New Jersey red in the November election to replace incumbent Gov. Phil Murphy. Because the New Jersey gubernatorial race is one of the first major elections since Donald Trump’s return to the White House, there’s a tremendous amount at stake simply through public perception.
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Who is Jack Ciattarelli?
Jack Ciattarelli, a moderate establishment figure in the Republican field, is making his third bid for New Jersey governor.
Jack Ciattarelli, Republican candidate for governor of New Jersey, left, departs after casting his ballot during early voting in Hillsborough, New Jersey, U.S., on Friday, Oct. 29, 2021. (Stephanie Keith/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Ciattarelli, a former member of the state's Assembly, initially ran for the New Jersey Governor's office in 2017 – he came in second place in the Republican Party gubernatorial primary, with 31% of the vote.
His second attempt in 2021 proved more successful; Ciattarelli won the Republican Party gubernatorial primary, but lost the general election to incumbent Murphy. He received 48% of the vote to Murphy's 51%.
In his third run, he received an endorsement from President Trump, even though he's received accusations of being a "never-Trumper" from the party's far right.
Policy Positions
His campaign focused on New Jersey's affordability crisis – his plan includes capping property taxes at 1% of a home's assessed value and reducing state spending by 30%.
Ciattarelli has pledged to end New Jersey's Immigrant Trust Directive on his first day in office, allowing local police to cooperate with federal officials on civil immigration matters. He also plans to direct the attorney general to cease lawsuits against the Trump administration. In an NJ Now interview, Ciattarelli expressed willingness to work with President Trump while maintaining the ability to oppose policies detrimental to the state.