RARITAN, N.J. (AP) - A former Republican lawmaker on Tuesday launched a campaign to challenge Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy in next year’s gubernatorial contest.
Jack Ciattarelli, who finished second in the GOP primary in 2017 to former Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, kicked off his campaign, saying that Murphy has failed to fix the state’s high taxes and that people are leaving the state.
“New Jersey is broken,”he said. “People are fed up.”
Murphy is a first-term former diplomat and Wall Street executive. He casts himself as a progressive and, with the Democrat-led Legislature, has enacted a phased-in $15 minimum wage, begun funding free community college and restored state funding for Planned Parenthood, among other things.
Ciattarelli is a certified public accountant. He served in the Assembly from 2012 until 2018, leaving office because he was also running for governor in 2017. He was also a Somerset County freeholder and Raritan Borough Council member.
Ciattarelli called for a new state constitution to address the state’s school-funding formula and affordable housing requirements.
Murphy was elected in 2017, succeeding Republican Chris Christie. He has suggested that he’ll run for re-election next year.
The GOP field hasn’t solidified yet. Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick has said he’s also considering a bid.
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