WMBCTV: Final Showdown - Ciattarelli and Sherrill to Face Off in Last New Jersey Governor Debate

We’re in the final months of this year’s political race for the Governor of New Jersey. With voters facing a November 4th Election Day just weeks away, the two candidates in the race to succeed two-term Governor Phil Murphy are pushing into a final round of televised debates tonight in the New Brunswick performing arts center. This week, Democratic representative Mikie Sherrill is rolling out her “Online Safety Agenda” - a plan she says will protect kids from Big Tech and misinformation. Sherrill’s plan includes regulating social media algorithms, creating stronger parental tools and holding tech companies accountable for harmful content.

“I’ll enact an age appropriate design code that requires big tech companies to proactively protect our children online. This means ensuring that algorithms aren’t directing kids to content that promotes self harm or eating disorders and it means banning the practices that trick our kids into seeing harmful content or sharing their personal data,” said Mikie Sherrill. “I’ll make sure that I start the first of its kind social media addiction observatory here in New Jersey in partnership with our colleges and universities because right now, the people with the most information are the very people causing the most harm.” 

It’s a key issue she’s expected to bring up this evening when she faces Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli in their final debate. Both candidates are expected to field questions on affordability and economic security which are top of mind for many residents. A new poll released by Stockton University shows that most New Jersey voters say they are dissatisfied with the current state of the economy and 39% saying their family’s financial situation is worse than it was a year ago. Ciattarelli has been committed to sending a message about affordability when it comes to aspects including college education, homebuying and starting a business in the Garden State.

“What concerns me greatly today is the housing that you see is mostly for rent. We want people to own a home again. In this country, you build equity with homeownership, you build wealth with business ownership,” said Jack Ciattarelli. “The most regressive and painful and punishing tax of all is the property tax. It denies young people from getting a start in terms of homeownership and it has senior citizens living in great fear and anxiety as to whether or not they can complete their decades in the house in which they raised their families. I think we should freeze property taxes for all senior citizens once they hit age 70. For first time homebuyers, cap property taxes for the first five years of home ownership to help young people get a start in homeownership today.”

Under New Jersey law, candidates receiving public funding must participate in two general election debates. With one already behind them, this final matchup will give voters a closer look at where the candidates stand - especially on hot-button topics such as the economy, infrastructure and education. Already heading into this final stretch, campaign rhetoric on both sides has been heated. The winner of the upcoming election takes office on January 20th, 2026.