The final debate in New Jersey’s heated gubernatorial race between Democrat Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli erupted into a storm of personal attacks, policy disputes, and legal threats, setting the stage for a contentious finish as Election Day approaches on November 4, 2025. With polling showing Sherrill holding a 51% to 42% lead according to Quinnipiac, the stakes could hardly be higher, and both candidates seemed determined to leave a lasting impression on voters during their October 8 showdown in New Brunswick.
The debate, broadcast by WABC-TV and WPVI-TV, quickly veered from policy into deeply personal territory. Sherrill, a four-term congresswoman and former Navy helicopter pilot, accused Ciattarelli, a former state assemblyman running for governor for the third time, of profiting off the opioid epidemic that has devastated New Jersey. "You’re trying to divert from the fact you killed tens of thousands of people by printing your misinformation, your propaganda," Sherrill declared, referencing Ciattarelli’s past ownership of Galen Publishing, a medical publishing business that received millions in grants from pharmaceutical companies and published materials downplaying the risks of opioid misuse. According to state statistics reported by PolitiFact, 27,490 New Jerseyans died of overdoses between 2012 and 2023, underscoring the gravity of the crisis.
Ciattarelli, visibly angered, denied the accusation and fired back, "Shame on you," accusing Sherrill of lying out of desperation. He retorted by referencing a scandal involving Sherrill’s military records, saying, at least "I got to walk at my college graduation." The exchange marked one of the debate’s most contentious moments, with both candidates accusing the other of dishonesty and moral failing.
Within hours of the debate, Ciattarelli’s campaign announced plans to sue Sherrill personally for defamation, calling her remarks a "defamatory act" and stating that "accusing a political opponent of mass murder in a televised debate crosses the line." The campaign said it expects to file the lawsuit early in the week of October 13. Sherrill’s campaign, for its part, doubled down, with spokesperson Sean Higgins arguing, "What’s reckless and irresponsible is Jack Ciattarelli making millions of dollars profiting off the pain of New Jerseyans... As he was making millions, the Big Pharma companies made billions, and tens of thousands of New Jerseyans died. He is clearly unfit to lead and protect this state, and owes the people of New Jersey answers." (WABC, Associated Press)
Fact-checkers from PolitiFact and the New Jersey Globe were quick to weigh in. They found no evidence that Ciattarelli “killed” anyone, but confirmed that his company, Galen Publishing, did receive pharmaceutical funding and published articles that downplayed opioid risks. Sherrill’s post-debate comments softened her accusation, clarifying that Ciattarelli exacerbated the opioid epidemic through his business, but she stopped short of claiming he personally killed New Jerseyans. The fact-check also highlighted the scale of the crisis: more than 27,000 overdose deaths in New Jersey over the last decade.
The debate was hardly limited to the opioid crisis. Both candidates clashed over their ties to national politics, with President Donald Trump looming large over the proceedings. Ciattarelli distanced himself slightly from Trump’s "Make America Great Again" movement, saying, "I’m part of the New Jersey movement. We need change in New Jersey. We’ve got various crises that are raging across the state that are punishing the middle class." Still, he aligned himself with Trump on immigration policy and gave the former president an A grade for his time in office. Sherrill, by contrast, gave Trump an F, blaming his administration for rising costs and vowing a "culture shift in Trenton" if elected governor.
The two also sparred over the ongoing government shutdown, which has left 22,000 New Jerseyans furloughed. Sherrill blamed Republicans for the impasse, arguing, "I think we’ve seen at every level, cuts to affordability for working people... And now they’ve taken away health care in the one big, beautiful bill for millions of people." PolitiFact noted that while the Congressional Budget Office projects millions will eventually lose coverage due to recent Republican legislation, these losses have not yet materialized. Ciattarelli, meanwhile, said, "I hope the shutdown ends within moments. I hope it ends tomorrow. We’ve got 22,000 New Jerseyans that are being furloughed because of the shutdown, but this is what happens in Washington, D.C. The job of the governor is to get things done."
Infrastructure, too, became a flashpoint. The Trump administration’s October 1 decision to halt funding for the Hudson Tunnel Project—a critical expansion of rail links between New York City and New Jersey—was hotly debated. Ciattarelli tied the freeze to the shutdown, while Sherrill insisted, "This doesn’t have to do with the shutdown. This is the President freezing those funds." She pledged that, as governor, she would sue the president to restore the funding.
On social issues, the candidates’ differences were stark. When asked about enshrining abortion access in the state constitution, Ciattarelli said he "always supported a woman’s right to choose" but opposed out-of-state abortions in New Jersey and called for parental notification for minors. Sherrill accused him of "peddling misinformation," noting, "When he was last in office, he voted to defund Planned Parenthood. So these are not pro-choice positions." According to NJ Spotlight News and PolitiFact, Ciattarelli did vote against restoring Planned Parenthood funding during his time in the Assembly and has said he would cut funding for abortion advocacy.
The debate also touched on campaign finance, with Sherrill claiming that Ciattarelli’s "number one donor" is under investigation for driving up rental housing costs. The Kurtz family, owners of Kamson Corp., have indeed donated over $750,000 to Ciattarelli’s campaigns, but have also contributed to Democrats, including Sherrill’s former primary rival and Governor Murphy. The Attorney General has sued Kamson Corp. for alleged rent collusion, but the issue remains politically charged on both sides.
Personal records and voting attendance became ammunition as well. Ciattarelli accused Sherrill of missing "90% of the votes in Washington" since entering the gubernatorial race—a figure fact-checkers found to be exaggerated, with the real number closer to 55%. Sherrill, meanwhile, accused Ciattarelli’s campaign of illegally accessing her military records, a claim that remains under investigation by the National Archives’ inspector general. Fox News Digital reported there is "no current indication that the release was intentional by the employee or the requestor."
As the debate drew to a close, both candidates condemned the rise in political violence and divisive rhetoric, with Sherrill emphasizing the need for safety and free speech, and Ciattarelli pledging to maintain civility and respect in public discourse. The moderators, in a minor but notable error, announced the wrong Election Day—November 14 instead of the correct November 4—prompting a quick correction from fact-checkers.
With just weeks to go before voters head to the polls, the New Jersey governor’s race remains a battleground of personal attacks, policy disputes, and high political drama. The outcome will hinge not only on the candidates’ platforms, but also on how voters interpret the accusations and counter-accusations that have defined this bruising campaign.
