The Democratic Governors Association has doubled down on controversial messaging that pegs Republican Jack Ciattarelli to a 10% sales tax, launching a new ad dubbing the GOP candidate “High Tax Jack.”
The DGA-backed group Greater Garden State’s second ad is similar to the first, which ties the Republican former assemblyman to a proposal to increase sales tax. Ciattarelli and his campaign have accused Democrats of misleading voters with the audio clip, which is taken from a Bergen County rally during which Ciattarelli describes Tennessee’s tax policy after an attendee asked if he would consider abolishing the income tax and making up the difference with an increased sales tax.
Neither ad directly accuses Ciattarelli of proposing a 10% sales tax, but rather says he is “talking about” the policy.
“I just came back from Tennessee not too long ago. We were on a fundraising trip there, and Tennessee has no income tax. What Tennessee has is a 10% sales tax on everything, including food and clothing,” Ciattarelli said at the rally. “The philosophy has always been in this state [that] we have like a 7% sales tax just to round off the numbers, but there’s no sales tax on necessities of life, food, and clothing. I will work with the New Jersey State Society of CPAs. We’re going to look at what other states do. And every option is on the table.”
The audio clip has proven to be the most contentious point in the campaign thus far.
His campaign attorney issued a cease-and-desist letter demanding Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill’s campaign remove what he called “blatantly false statements” from her website. The Ciattarelli campaign also launched a website accusing Sherrill of lying.
“The full, unedited audio is clear: Congresswoman Sherrill is lying about my comments at a recent candidate forum,” Ciattarelli said earlier this month. “Anyone who listens to the undoctored audio can hear that I never proposed raising any taxes.”
Ciattarelli’s tax plan proposals don’t include a plan to increase the sales tax.
Sherrill’s campaign lawyer argued Ciattarelli floated the idea several times and said “all options should be on the table.”
“He has repeatedly said that everything, including this, should ‘be on the table,’” Raj Parikh, Sherrill’s campaign lawyer, stated in a letter earlier this month. “That sure sounds like a proposal.”
The new ad draws on the DGA’s $20 million in TV ad reservations that the group has prepared to back Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair) for governor. The ad will also run on streaming and digital.
Script:
Narrator: “You’re already struggling to pay the bills. Now imagine a 10% tax on groceries, clothes, school supplies — 10% on everything you buy. That’s what Jack Ciattarelli is talking about for New Jersey.”
Ciattarelli: “A 10% sales tax on everything. Including food and clothing.”
Narrator: “The same Ciattarelli who voted to raise property taxes and wrote a plan that could’ve raised income taxes.”
Ciattarelli: “A 10% sales tax on everything.”
Narrator: “High Tax Jack. If he’s governor, it’s going to cost you.”
