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New Jersey candidates for governor wage heated debate over Trump and political violence

A key debate between candidates in New Jersey’s governor’s race descended into acrimony Sunday in a reflection of the tense national political climate over issues including Donald Trump, taxes and energy rates, free speech, immigration, education – and political violence.

Mikie Sherrill, the Democratic candidate and congresswoman who leads by eight points in polling, and Jack Ciattarelli, her Republican opponent, were asked if they would support legislation to label political violence as a hate crime.

Amid calls for greater security around political figures, the debate came hours after a large, public memorial in Arizona held for rightwing youth organizer Charlie Kirk 10 days after his shooting death. The memorial see-sawed between religious remembrance and politics.

Sherrill said she supported more money for security. “It’s why we continue to work to fight against political hatred, and so we need to do more,” she remarked.

“Because in this nation we should be able to have free speech. I vow to defend and fight for free speech my entire life, but it should never devolve into political violence – that is something I’ve always stood against my entire life.”

Ciattarelli said he would support a bill to make political violence a hate crime “and put some real legal teeth behind it”. But he accused his opponent of recently voting in favor of a resolution to celebrate Kirk’s life – “then within minutes sent out a statement that basically condemned him”.

Sherrill hit back: “That’s a neat trick to say you don’t want to divide people, and then in your answer bring up something that is very divisive.”

She accused her opponent of selective support of free speech.

“So, if you want to stand up that [slain civil rights activist] Martin Luther King [Jr] was a bad guy or that women should submit to their husbands, you, Jack, are welcome to do that, and I have the right to say that I disagree with it,” she said.

“I think it’s fair to have free speech, but I think it should go to everyone.””

Ciattarelli said Sherrill hadn’t answered the question that prompted those comments. “We see this time and time in the campaign, generalities, platitudes and ducking the direct questions by not giving a direct answer,” he said.

The exchange illustrates that political tensions in the wake of Kirk’s killing are unlikely to cool, despite calls for more measured exchanges of competing ideas and positions.

The New Jersey governor’s race, alongside a similar contest in Virginia, are offering an early test of public support for Trump’s second presidency. They come a year ahead of midterm elections that typically favor the party in opposition.

The first debate came six weeks before the 4 November election to decide who will succeed Phil Murphy, the outgoing Democratic governor.

Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter pilot and federal prosecutor, accused Ciattarelli, who is in his third bid for governor, of being a poodle for Trump. “He’ll do whatever Trump tells him to do,” she said.

“All he says is Trump’s right,” Sherrill said. Specifically, she said he supported tariffs championed by Trump as well as the budget legislation the president dubbed the “big, beautiful bill” – which she said “drives up your health care and utility costs”.

“Not on my watch,” she said.

Ciattarelli, a former Trump critic turned supporter who received the president’s endorsement, praised Trump for halting wind farms in the state.

The Republican candidate said he did not “necessarily have a problem with” the elimination of the department of education and would appoint a state attorney general who would “not be wasting your money suing the White House every single day”.

Matthew Platkin, New Jersey’s attorney general, has filed or joined two dozen lawsuits challenging Trump administration policies. Ciattarelli said his job was to represent 9.3 million residents of the state. “I will always do right by the citizens of this state, no matter who occupies the White House,” he said.

Ken Martin, the Democratic national committee chair, later said that “Sherrill wiped the floor with Jack Ciattarelli”. The New Jersey Republican party claimed Ciattarelli “CRUSHED that debate”.

The candidates also faced off over vaccines, with both voicing support in general.

But the central issue in November’s twin gubernatorial elections is likely to be taxes and the economy. New Jersey has high property taxes and has recent seen sharp increases in energy costs.

Sherrill blamed higher prices on tariffs and the economic legislation.

But Ciattarelli linked New Jersey’s high tax rates to his opponent’s party, which he said had controlled the state government for a quarter century. “Look where we are today,” he said.