Six Democratic candidates vying for their party’s nomination in the 2025 New Jersey gubernatorial race faced off in a spirited debate Tuesday night, tackling issues ranging from affordability and education to immigration and environmental justice.
The debate, held at Rider University and moderated by Laura Jones, featured Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, Wall Street darling Congressman Josh Gottheimer, New Jersey Education Association President Sean Spiller, Blue Dog Democratic Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill, and former Senate President Steve Sweeney, a close ally of indicted political boss George Norcross.
The candidates largely agreed on superficial Democratic values, such as protecting abortion rights, combating climate change, and standing up to former President Donald Trump’s policies.
However, the debate highlighted stark differences in their approaches to deeply important and defining issues like affordability, housing, and the role of government in addressing New Jersey’s challenges.
On that score, Baraka resonated as the most progressive while Gottheimer, Sherrill, and Sweeney might be more comfortable seeking votes from Republicans.
Affordability emerged as a central theme, with all candidates acknowledging the high cost of living in New Jersey.
Gottheimer—who voted in support of Trump’s agenda about one-third of the time during the Republican demagogue’s first term in the White House— emphasized his plan to cut property taxes by 15% and provide relief for seniors and renters.
“Jersey is just too damn expensive,” Gottheimer said, pledging to make the state more affordable for working families with a trickle-down tax cut scheme that has been called the “Soprano State version of Reaganomics.”
Gottheimer was not asked about his $84 million in stock and options trades over the last year, reflecting a record high level for a member of Congress, or the fantastic amount of money he has raised to fuel his political career. Since first becoming a candidate in 2015, Gottheimer raised about $40 million in campaign funds.
Stock trades among lawmaker have raised concerns among voters but corporate-controlled media outlets have minimized this indication that elected officials are out of touch with working class voters who they are supposed to serve.
“In February of 2020… Sherrill sold all her individual stocks and put her money into the exchange traded funds to guard against any suspicion,” said Star-Ledger Columnist Tom Moran, in a 2021 article entitled Mikie Sherrill’s innocent mistake. “As she prepared to file reports on her finances for that year, she realized she failed to disclose the sale of stocks that her husband, Jason Hedberg, earned through his job as a senior executive at UBS, a financial service company, first in April and again in June.”
We did not see a follow-up when Sherrill sold $1.18 million worth of shares of UBS bank stock in five trades executed between April 7, 2022 and May 16, 2024.
In addition to having high net worth that places them squarely in the richest one percent, trading stocks while in Congress, and gravitating toward Republicans on many issues, Gottheimer and Sherrill have also accepted money from a PAC associated with billionaire Elon Musk, who spent $280 million to help Republican Donald Trump regain the White House.
Mayor Ras Baraka criticized what he called “voodoo economics,” arguing that lowering costs—not just taxes—is essential.
“We can’t make Mexico build the wall, and we can’t make New York lower our taxes,” Baraka said, calling for reforms in healthcare, housing, and municipal consolidation.
Baraka has previously acknowledged that nearly 40% of Americans cannot afford a $400 emergency, and rising income inequality is compounded by a growing racial wealth gap that puts median net worth of white households at about 10 times that of Black households and about eight times that of Latino households.
He is the only contender who comes close to recognizing that the wealthiest 0.1% in America owning about the same amount of wealth as the bottom 90% indicates that there is a class war raging in the United States.
Housing affordability was another hot topic, with several candidates proposing solutions to New Jersey’s housing crisis.
Mayor Steve Fulop highlighted Jersey City’s success in building affordable housing and called for a regional approach to address the issue statewide. “We need to repurpose commercial spaces and build more housing near transit hubs,” Fulop said.
“I have a different kind of experience, so I’ll be a different kind of governor,” said Mikie Sherrill, who joined the arch-conservative Blue Dog caucus as soon as she arrived in Washington. “I went to the United States Naval Academy, served for almost 10 years as a Navy helicopter pilot, and then went on to serve again at the U.S. Attorney’s Office. I’ve got four great kids, and now I’m in Congress, making sure I’m delivering for you.”
Sean Spiller, a former teacher and union leader, stressed the need for affordable housing to support working families. “We need to make sure every family can afford to live where they work,” Spiller said, pointing to his efforts in Montclair to implement rent control and expand affordable housing.
On transit, the candidates unanimously gave New Jersey Transit a failing grade, citing frequent delays, service outages, and fare increases. Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill called for accountability and innovation, while Fulop proposed reallocating funds from the Turnpike widening project to improve mass transit.
The candidates also addressed immigration, with all six pledging to protect immigrants in New Jersey, regardless of their legal status.
Baraka condemned Trump’s deportation policies as “racist and rooted in white supremacy,” while Gottheimer emphasized the need for comprehensive immigration reform.
“We also need better border security,” said Sherrill. “It’s crucial to know what’s coming across our border, whether it’s the precursor chemicals for fentanyl or other dangerous substances, and where it’s coming from.”
“Being in this country is a privilege,” said Sweeney, who provided pivotal support to Republican Governor Chris Christie and opposed marriage equality while he was Senate President. “I support what President Barack Obama and Senator Joe Biden did. Both of those leaders, who happen to be Democrats, deported more people than Donald Trump ever did, but they did it with humanity and compassion, and they did it the right way.”
“Immigrants are four times more likely to be victims of crime than to commit it. It is wrong to sit here and debate about crime that immigrants supposedly create, which we know is not true,” said Baraka. “The real crime is preventing people from accessing the American dream because of how they look, the country they come from, the language they speak, or the zip code they live in. We know that’s what’s happening, and we have to stop it.”
On social justice, Baraka called for reparations and greater equity in housing and education. “We need to reimagine a New Jersey that includes everyone,” he said, urging the state to address systemic inequities.
The Newark Mayor also struck Democratic lawmakers who enacted legislation that cheats citizens out of their birthright.
“I think it’s a sign of the times, and it’s terrible. You know, the free press is being threatened. You have three or four tech magnates controlling social media, and the information and news that goes out there—our ability to get objective information and news—is in jeopardy here,” said Baraka.
“I think what we also need to figure out is why OPRA (Open Public Records Act) was gutted, right?,” said Baraka. “Why was campaign finance reform gutted? The problem is, there are few people passing these laws based on what they think their constituency or the people who pay them want. The majority of people in New Jersey, whether they know about this or not, are hurt by it—it hurts them badly.”
Education funding and pension reform were also key topics. Former Senate President Steve Sweeney touted his efforts to fully fund the state pension system, while Spiller called for reversing cuts to teacher pensions.
“We need to invest in our educators and ensure they have the resources they need,” Spiller said.
In their closing remarks, the candidates made their final pitches to voters. Sweeney emphasized his experience and commitment to affordability, while Spiller highlighted his grassroots campaign and focus on working families.
Baraka called for bold leadership to reimagine New Jersey’s future, and Fulop stressed his record of reform in Jersey City.
Gottheimer reiterated his tax cut plan and Sherrill promised to fight for affordability, bit both of them have been comfortably secure among the wealthiest Americans during the 50-year-long class war that has shifted $50 trillion from the pockets of working-class residents to the super rich.
The winner of the June primary will face off in November’s general election to succeed Governor Phil Murphy. The Republican gubernatorial primary debate is scheduled for Tuesday night.
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