NJ gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli explains why he’s running for election
New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli appears on ‘Fox & Friends’ as the race tightens in final days.
New Jersey Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli said on Wednesday that he is running for election because Phil Murphy is failing the Garden State and the state has been the worst to conduct business.
"Just as Joe Biden is failing the country, Phil Murphy has been failing New Jersey. So, we continue to go out there and talk about the things that matter most to New Jersians: taxes and making New Jersey a better place to do business," Ciattarelli told "Fox & Friends."
NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR'S RACE: HOW TO VOTE
The New Jersey gubernatorial election is less than two weeks away, and the Garden State offers three voting options for registered voters.
Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy is squaring up against Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli, who previously served as a member of the New Jersey General Assembly, on Nov. 2. The election will also include local elections, such as for county commissioners, the state senate and township committees.
NEWARK, NJ - OCTOBER 23: Former U.S. President Barack Obama (L) and New Jersey Governor Phil Governor Murphy wave at attendees after taking part in an early vote rally on October 23, 2021 in Newark, New Jersey. People are heading to the polls in New Jersey for early voting as Murphy faces Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli. (Photo by Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images) (Photo by Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images)
The state offers three options to vote: by mail, at a polling place on Election Day or via in-person early voting.
Murphy is currently seeking his second term in office, and polls show him edging out Ciattarelli. One recent poll from Stockton University in late September shows Murphy getting 50% of the vote and Ciattarelli 41%, according to the 552 likely voters who were surveyed.
Murphy’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic response, which included mask requirements for students and vaccine mandates for state and health care workers, has been at the center of much of the debate. Meanwhile, Ciattarelli has voiced opposition to such mandates and described Murphy’s policies as too restrictive.
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Ciattarelli cited a recent study that showed New Jersey is the worst place to do business in the nation.
"This isn’t campaign rhetoric. This is a fact," he said.
"This will be one of the most dynamic and compelling places to do business. As an M.B. A., C.P.A., and a two-time business owner, I know exactly what we need to do to our tax code to make New Jersey a better place to do business so we can create more jobs. I want people to believe they can achieve their American dream here in New Jersey again," he told host Steve Doocy.
Virginia and New Jersey are the only two states in the nation to hold races for governor in the year after a presidential election. And that guarantees they both receive outsized attention across the country.
Since New Jersey is a solidly blue state, Virginia – which remains competitive between the two major parties - grabs the lion’s share of the national spotlight.
Fox News' Emma Colton contributed to this report.