Ciattarelli slams Sherrill at New Jersey town hall, labeling her not a centrist

A Republican town hall in Manchester Township on Saturday featured a broad retort from Jack Ciattarelli aimed at U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill, with the would-be New Jersey governor portraying his opponent as out of step with the state on immigration, policing, taxes and ethics.

Ciattarelli told voters that Sherrill wants to present herself as a Jersey girl and a centrist, but he said her record and her alignment with national Democrats show otherwise. “She wants you to believe she’s a Jersey girl. She’s not. She wants you to believe she’s a centrist. She’s not,” he said, previewing what he framed as a closing argument in a close race for the governorship.

The former state legislator centered his critique on immigration and national-security policy, accusing Sherrill of backing what he characterized as Biden administration “open border” policies and of voting against the Laken Riley Act, a measure addressing immigration enforcement. Sherrill missed the Riley Act vote earlier this year but later indicated she would have voted no, arguing the bill was overly broad.

He also challenged her on social issues, saying she supported policies on transgender athletes. Ciattarelli claimed she voted to allow transgender girls to compete against cisgender girls, a charge he framed as evidence of alignment with left-leaning policy. Sherrill’s voting record shows she opposed GOP measures in 2023 and 2025 that would have barred transgender students from competing based on gender identity.

On immigration enforcement and policing, Ciattarelli asserted that Sherrill supports sanctuary cities and has voted in ways that would undermine policing. He cited her past statements favoring New Jersey’s 2018 Immigrant Trust Directive and her support for the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which sought to curtail qualified immunity and was opposed by police unions. The campaign framed these positions as evidence of a broad alignment with national Democratic priorities.

Ethics also figured prominently in Ciattarelli’s remarks. He reminded voters that Sherrill paid a fine under the STOCK Act for late disclosure of stock trades and noted that her household held shares in defense companies while she sat on the House Armed Services Committee, though she divested individual holdings in 2019. He also invoked reports that Sherrill faced discipline in the 1994 Naval Academy cheating scandal for failing to report classmates, a matter that reportedly barred her from walking at graduation despite being commissioned.

Beyond policy contrasts, Ciattarelli sought to paint Sherrill as tethered to the left. He highlighted that she welcomed support from Zohran Mamdani, the socialist candidate for New York City mayor, calling the collaboration disqualifying for New Jersey voters. Republicans argued that such associations signal a political trajectory voters should reject.

Sherrill’s campaign has argued that she has historically caucused with moderates and has evolved within the Democratic caucus. She has said she supported positions favored by some centrist groups while maintaining a willingness to work across party lines on certain issues. The candidate’s debate responses and public remarks, including a point during a general election debate when she addressed statements about conservative activist Charlie Kirk, have been cited by both sides as indicia of her political stance. She said Kirk had advocated for positions she opposed, including “a Christian nationalist government,” and said the Constitution protects free speech even for people whose views she vehemently opposes, a stance she defended as upholding constitutional rights while disagreeing with Kirk’s views.

Sherrill, a Navy helicopter pilot and Virginia native, has been a New Jersey resident since 2010, living in Montclair with her family. Ciattarelli, a CPA and former state assemblyman, previously ran for governor in 2021. With polls showing a tight rematch in 2025, Ciattarelli’s remarks reflect a broader Republican strategy of tying Sherrill to national Democrats and highlighting ethics questions as a foil to his claim of being a locally rooted alternative.

The campaign cycles come amid a broader debate over policy directions in New Jersey, with Ciattarelli emphasizing a Jersey-first approach and Sherrill pointing to her record on military and civilian issues, voting to support deficits, social equity, and policing reform efforts in line with her party’s framework. Both campaigns did not immediately provide additional comment beyond their public remarks.

The 2025 gubernatorial race in New Jersey remains highly competitive, with Ciattarelli seeking to recast Sherrill as out of step with the state’s values on key issues and as closely tied to federal Democratic priorities. As campaign stops continue, voters will weigh the candidates’ records, their policy proposals, and the personal histories that campaigns argue define their leadership styles.