The top Democratic candidates running for governor in New Jersey faced off in their final debate Sunday night before next month’s primary, where they vowed to take on President Donald Trump and laid out why they are best positioned to win in November.
Five of the six Democratic contenders — Reps. Mikie Sherrill and Josh Gottheimer, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, and former state Senate President Steve Sweeney — faced off Sunday night in a debate hosted by On New Jersey, the New Jersey Globe, and Rider University. A sixth candidate, Montclair Mayor Sean Spiller, did not meet the fundraising threshold to participate in the debate.
The candidates sparred for over two-and-a-half hours on a range of state-specific issues, from transit and education funding to taxes and state budgets. But they were united in resolving to take on Trump.
New Jersey is one of two states, along with Virginia, with gubernatorial races this year, which could provide an early look at how voters are responding to Trump’s second term. While the Virginia matchup is set, the New Jersey candidates first have to compete in the June 10 primary.
There are contested primaries on both sides, but former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli has led the GOP primary field, and he secured Trump’s endorsement last week. The Democratic race has been more unpredictable, with a crowded field splitting voters.
When asked how schools and universities should navigate threats to federal funding if they do not comply with Trump’s executive orders on DEI or transgender issues, all five said institutions should resist the administration.
Fulop said, “We should absolutely be pushing back,” while Sweeney called Trump “a criminal.” Gottheimer, referring to the president as “this guy,” said, “The job of the governor is to fight him.”
Baraka — who was arrested on trespassing charges at a federal immigration detention facility earlier this month — also said, “We have to fight back.” He has denied any wrongdoing and argued the charges were politically motivated. Former Trump lawyer Alina Habba, now the interim U.S. attorney for New Jersey, wrote in an X post after Baraka was arrested, “NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.”
Sherrill, who some consider the frontrunner in the crowded race, called Trump “the most corrupt president this nation has ever had” and likened him to a playground bully.
“This is not a federal government you can work with,” Sherrill said.
Sherrill and Gottheimer faced some criticism, particularly from Sweeney, for not doing enough to combat Trump and Republicans in D.C.
“We need to start winning some fights in Washington,” Sweeney said a few times throughout the debate.
The candidates also laid out their paths to victory in November, with the race expected to be competitive. Trump lost New Jersey by 6 points last year, a 10-point improvement on his performance in the 2020 election.
Sherrill previewed a potential case against Ciattarelli, saying that the former assemblyman “has promised to DOGE New Jersey” and will not stand up to Trump (Ciattarelli has called for establishing a Department of Government Efficiency at the state level).
Both Sherrill and Gottheimer touted their victories in competitive House districts, and Gottheimer stressed his focus on reducing taxes and lowering costs.
Baraka pitched himself as the true progressive in the race, adding that progressive groups have endorsed him because “they know I’m gonna fight Donald Trump, not just in words but in action.”
Sweeney, meanwhile, said he would be best equipped to run state government and that other candidates pitching themselves as Trenton outsiders would face a steep learning curve.
Fulop noted in his opening statement that Ciattarelli “will be tough to beat,” and later said that a candidate tied to the party establishment, and particularly to Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, will be “dead on arrival in November.” (Murphy cannot run for re-election due to term limits.)
“It is not gonna be only a referendum on Donald Trump because independent voters in the state of New Jersey, a lot of them voted for Donald Trump,” Fulop said, later adding, “You need to move independent voters, you need to move Republican voters, with a clear vision of what New Jersey looks like.”
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