As New Jersey gears up for the 2025 governor’s race, the noise is already deafening. Between campaign ads, partisan headlines, and social-media spin, it’s easy for voters to get caught up in personality instead of policy. That’s exactly why I’m writing this: to strip away the slogans and help people see where the candidates actually stand — without endorsing either one.

At The Digital Free Press, I’ve made it clear that my job isn’t to tell you who to support. My job is to inform, not influence. I don’t play the game of endorsements, and I don’t let partisanship cloud facts. So let’s look at the race for what it really is — a contest of ideas, not hashtags.

Affordability & Taxes

Jack Ciattarelli: Promising to cut state spending by 30%, cap property taxes as a share of home value, and gradually lower both income and business taxes.

Mikie Sherrill: Focusing her campaign on “making New Jersey more affordable,” emphasizing property-tax and utility-bill relief aimed at middle-class families.

Energy & Utilities

Ciattarelli: Backs an “all-of-the-above” energy plan. He wants to repeal electric-vehicle mandates, withdraw New Jersey from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, and ban offshore wind projects.

Sherrill: Has proposed declaring a state of emergency on utility costs to temporarily freeze rates and push for cheaper, in-state energy generation.

Education

Ciattarelli: Supports a “Parents’ Bill of Rights,” school-funding reforms that let money follow the student, and expanded charter options.

Sherrill: Favors investing directly in public-school facilities and outcomes, opposing voucher-style funding shifts.

Crime & Immigration

Ciattarelli: Wants to repeal the “sanctuary state” policy, tighten bail reforms, and protect qualified immunity for police.

Sherrill: Puts less focus on structural policing changes and more on strengthening community safety and law-enforcement resources.

Health Care & Individual Rights

Ciattarelli: Favors protecting pre-existing-condition coverage, expanding telehealth, and allowing vaccine exemptions for medical or religious reasons.

Sherrill: Focuses on lowering costs for families and safeguarding reproductive-rights protections under state law.

Government Reform

Ciattarelli: Proposes term limits for legislators, merging transportation agencies into one authority, and ending remote work for state employees.

Sherrill: Emphasizes effective management but doesn’t outline specific structural reforms.

The Bottom Line

You don’t have to agree with either candidate to recognize the importance of understanding both. Politics shouldn’t be about blind loyalty — it should be about accountability. When voters know the facts, politicians have no choice but to stay honest.

I’ll continue doing what I always do: holding everyone accountable, regardless of their party, title, or power. And I’ll continue urging readers — especially here in Lakewood — to look past the spin and focus on the substance.

Don’t vote based on who shouts the loudest. Vote based on who earns your trust through truth.

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Yossi Schmidt is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Digital Free Press — an independent media platform dedicated to transparency and holding everyone accountable. He also hosts The Yossi Schmidt Show, a podcast featuring interviews with journalists, tech founders, and political figures.