In the most explosive exchange yet of the New Jersey governor’s race, Republican Jack Ciattarelli today accused Democratic nominee Mikie Sherrill of deliberately misleading voters by claiming he supports a sales tax — and his campaign attorney issued a formal cease-and-desist letter demanding she remove what he called “blatantly false statements” from her website.
At the center of the dispute is a TV ad from the Democratic Governors Association-backed super PAC claiming Ciattarelli “proposed a 50% sales tax increase” on essentials like food and clothing and is “pushing a 10% sales tax” on the same items.
Ciattarelli says Sherill has taken his words out of context – and she knows it.
“The full, unedited audio is clear: Congresswoman Sherrill is lying about my comments at a recent candidate forum,” Ciattarelli said. “Anyone who listens to the undoctored audio can hear that I never proposed raising any taxes.”
Now, a Ciattarelli campaign website says: “Mikie Sherrill is a liar.”
In one of his sharpest attacks yet, Ciattarelli invoked Sherrill’s past as a U.S. Navy helicopter pilot:
“Congresswoman Sherrill likes to talk about her service in the Navy,” Ciattarelli said. “I would suggest she brush up on the Navy’s honor code: ‘They tell the truth and ensure that the truth is known. They do not lie.’”
The clash stems from a June Bergen County town hall where an audience member asked Ciattarelli whether eliminating New Jersey’s income tax could be offset by raising the sales tax.
“At no time did he propose a 50% sales tax increase on food and clothes, nor did he push for a 10% sales tax,” said Ciattarelli’s campaign attorney, Mark Sheridan.
In a letter to Raj Parikh, the lawyer for the Sherrill campaign, Sheridan demanded that the Democratic gubernatorial nominee stop publicly mischaracterizing Ciattarelli’s words.
“We will not tolerate the repeated false statements and misrepresentations being put forth by Congresswoman Sherrill,” Sheridan said. “We demand that Congresswoman Sherrill cease and desist from her repeated false statements.
Ciattarelli’s exact words differ from what the DCC ad infers: “We’re going to look at what other states do, and every option is on the table,” he said. “So, you have my word. We’re going to look at every option as to how better to fund our state government.”
Sherill’s campaign is standing by the idea that Ciattarelli has opened the door to raising the sales tax. Spokesman Sean Higgins called the move “a desperate dodge from a desperate candidate.”
“At a time when families are struggling under Trump’s tariffs, Jack is talking about driving up grocery and clothing costs. The truth is that Jack voted to raise taxes in every elected office he has held, including to expand the sales tax,” Higgins said. “When Jack says ‘all options should be on the table,’ New Jerseyans should look at his record of raising taxes and believe him.”
The escalating fight underscores the stakes in what is shaping up to be a tight race. Ciattarelli is attempting to portray Sherrill as dishonest while defending his fiscal record. Sherrill, boosted by the DGA’s ad blitz – the group has reserved $20 million of TV time this fall to help hold the governorship — is working to brand Ciattarelli as a threat to working families. With both campaigns escalating the rhetoric, two weeks before the first gubernatorial debate, the battle lines for November are sharper than ever.
While the DGA-affiliated super PAC carefully phrases its allegation – “he’s talking about a 10% sales tax” – the Sherrill campaign and the Democratic State Committee are going a bit further, suggesting that “all options should be on the table” is congruous to a proposal.”
“If Congresswoman Sherrill wants to misrepresent her own policies or make up gubernatorial powers for how she would address the issues her party created, she is free to do so, and hopefully voters will educate themselves,” said Sheridan. “What the Congresswoman cannot do is publish lies about Jack Ciattarelli and his proposed policies without repercussion.”
The research on Ciattarelli came from a section of Sherrill’s website, labeled “Jack Facts.”
Republicans have accused Ciattarelli of raising taxes in the past. In the recent GOP primary, rival Bill Spadea said he “raised taxes for 35 years,” and in the 2017 gubernatorial race, a TV ad from Republican Kim Guadagno said, “Meet Jack. High tax Jack Ciattarelli. He supports jacking up your taxes.”
