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Jack Ciattarelli, candidate for NJ Governor, spoke with Liberty and Prosperity Exec Director, Seth Grossman.
Ciattarelli outlined several policies that he believes will significantly impact New Jersey’s economic and social landscape.
Listen to podcast. WPG Radio, Sat, AUG 16, 2025.
Cost of Energy
Ciattarelli plans to immediately reopen, rebuild, or replace the six power plants that he states were shut down by Governor Phil Murphy. He also intends to put shovels in the ground for three to four new plants that could come online within two years and to expand New Jersey’s nuclear footprint in South Jersey.
Seth Grossman views the blowing up of generators, smokestacks, and cooling towers of previously closed plants as “evil” but believes rebuilding at those locations is still “doable” and would be supported by unions.
Economic Impact: The primary economic goal is to bring down New Jersey’s high electric rates. Ciattarelli attributes these high rates to the state becoming an “electricity importer” from being an “exporter” after the plant shutdowns, forcing New Jersey to buy electricity at the highest prices out of state.
By reversing this, Ciattarelli aims to make energy reliable and cost effective. This is intended to attract new businesses, including data centers needed to support AI, and to prevent businesses from leaving New Jersey for states like Pennsylvania, which are seen as having more affordable and reliable energy.
Ciattarelli dismisses the BPU’s proposed $100 tax credit as merely shifting costs and not genuinely addressing the high rate
Crime and Bail Reform
Ciattarelli policies being proposed are intended to address what he describes as nonviolent crime through the roof in suburban communities, attributing this to bail reform creating “professional criminals” and an “arrest, release, repeat” cycle.
Ciattarelli proposes to reform failed ‘bail reform’ and to eliminate sanctuary city and sanctuary state status.
Ensure consequences for people that break the law, thereby enhancing public safety and reducing incidents like break-ins, car thefts, and flash mobs.
Eliminating sanctuary status is also intended to discourage illegal immigration.
Property Tax Reform and School Funding:
A Ciattarelli administration would implement a new state school funding formula. This would address the current system where the New Jersey income tax, intended for property tax relief, is allegedly used as a “slush fund” for pet projects, leading to well-run suburbs being shortchanged with high property taxes.
The direct economic benefit is to lower the school portion of the property tax bill for residents. This reform seeks a more equitable distribution of state aid to our schools.
School districts cost per pupil.
Disparities like $37,000 versus $16,000 per student in different districts, potentially leading to significant property tax relief for many homeowners.
Housing Development and Local Control:
Ciattarelli intends to challenge the mandatory state requirement for towns to build subsidized or mandatory housing.
While expressing support for “high-density workforce affordable housing” for groups like young people, elderly, seniors, and veterans, JCiattarelli emphasizes the need to be “smart about it”. This means avoiding putting hundreds of units in towns where there’s no mass transit, no infrastructure, no store capacity, storm water management issues.
Prevent overdevelopment and the “paving over towns” that he believes compromises the “Garden State” identity. It seeks to preserve the character of suburban communities and the quality of life that residents have worked so hard and sacrificed for.
Judicial Appointments and Executive Power:
Ciattarelli: if his proposed changes regarding school funding, property taxes and affordable housing are not resolved, he would appoint two new Supreme Court state justices, including the Chief Justice, who agree with his positions.
Ciattarelli also indicated his intention to leverage the “most powerful governor in the country” executive power if the legislature does not cooperate, noting the NJ state constitution grants this power.
Ciattarelli critiques past Supreme Court appointments, including those by Republican governors, for disregarding the constitution.
Ciattarelli campaign website is jack4nj.com.
