New Jersey Republican Gubernatorial Candidates Meet in Raucous Debate [PHOTOS]

The four Republican candidates looking to succeed term-limited Governor Phil Murphy met for their first debate Tuesday night, in what turned out to be a shouting slugfest for almost the entire one hour, forty-five minute affair.

Tuesday night’s affair was a stark contrast to the Democratic debate on Sunday, when the candidates mostly held back from personal attacks.

Appearing on stage were former New Jersey Assemblyman and 2021 gubernatorial nominee Jack Ciattarelli, former talk show host Bill Spadea, state Senator Jon Bramnick, and former state senator Ed Durr.

As with any Republican primary race around the country, President Donald Trump was a focus of the debate as well.

Three of the candidates, Spadea, Durr and Ciattarelli have all embraced the president to various degrees, while Bramnick has kept his distance, arguing that to win in New Jersey, a candidate has to appeal to Democrats and independents as well.

Bramnick further differentiated himself when he criticized President Trump’s blanket pardons for all protesters who were convicted for their roles in the January 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol, earning boos from the crowd.

“[Trump] even pardoned people who violently attacked police officers,” Bramnick said. “Let me just let me make this clear: We’re either the party of law and order, or we’re not.”

The candidates all agreed that if elected governor, they would issue executive orders rolling back many of Democratic Governor Phil Murphy’s immigration related orders.

Throughout the debate, which was hosted by the New Jersey Globe and On New Jersey at Rider University, former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli and radio personality Bill Spadea constantly accused each other of lying and being owned by corporate interests.

Meanwhile, Durr and Bramnick, who served in the Senate together for two years, went after each other often, with Durr accusing Bramnick of not being conservative enough, and Bramnick noting that despite Durr’s shocking electoral upset, he couldn’t win re-election.

“My friend, Ed the Trucker, he came in for two years and then he lost. I have a consistent record of winning in districts that are dominated by Democrats and dominated by independent voters,” Brmanick said in his closing statement.

The New Jersey governor’s race will be one of the most high-profile contests this year, along with the Virginia governor’s race. The two states are the only ones in the country that hold their gubernatorial elections in the year following the presidential election.

Although New Jersey is a reliably Democratic state on a federal level, the state has seen Republican governors, most recently Chris Christie, who served two terms after first being elected in 2009.

The primary is scheduled for June 10th.

 

 

This content, and any other content on TLS, may not be republished or reproduced without prior permission from TLS. Copying or reproducing our content is both against the law and against Halacha. To inquire about using our content, including videos or photos, email us at [email protected].

Stay up to date with our news alerts by following us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

**Click here to join over 20,000 receiving our Whatsapp Status updates!**

**Click here to join the official TLS WhatsApp Community!**

Got a news tip? Email us at [email protected], Text 415-857-2667, or WhatsApp 609-661-8668.