Democratic New Jersey Rep. Mikie Sherrill and Republican nominee Jack Ciattarelli sparred in a heated exchange Wednesday during their second and final gubernatorial debate after Sherrill attempted to link Ciattarelli to New Jersey’s opioid deaths.
Sherrill and Ciattarelli took the debate stage for the final time before the state’s gubernatorial election, which is less than 30 days away. While discussing opioids and their respective backgrounds, Sherrill claimed during her 30-second argument that one of Ciattarelli’s medical publishing companies allegedly helped addicts gain easier access to opioids.
“My opponent likes to talk a lot about being a businessman, but I think what New Jersey doesn’t know is much about his business, how he made his millions, by working with some of the worst offenders and saying that opioids were safe, putting out propaganda, publishing their propaganda while tens of thousands of New Jerseyans died,” Sherrill said.
“As if that wasn’t enough, then he was paid to develop an app so that people who were addicted could more easily get access to opioids,” Sherrill added. “So as he made millions, as these opioid companies made billions, tens of thousands of New Jerseyans died.”
During Ciattarelli’s 2021 bid for governor, critics claimed the Republican nominee’s company published training materials that reportedly included inaccurate pharmaceutical industry talking points about opioids. (RELATED: Democrat In NJ Gov Race Blocked From Graduation Ceremony Amid Naval Academy Cheating Probe)
One of the GOP nominee’s medical publishing companies, co-founded with American Medical Publishing and called Galen Publishing, published content on pain management. Some accused Ciattarelli of downplaying the potential risks of opioid use, according to NJ.com.
In response to Sherrill’s accusations, Ciattarelli immediately shot back, “First of all, shame on you.” As the GOP nominee paused to look at the Democratic lawmaker, Sherrill interrupted him, saying, “Shame on you.”
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“Shame on you,” Ciattarelli pushed back. “During the Biden administration, she had no problem whatsoever with tens of thousands of people crashing our border each and every day, not knowing what impact they had in our communities with regard to fentanyl crisis, fentanyl abuse, fentanyl distribution, vaccination rates and the like. Talk to your local police. Talk to your county prosecutors in New Jersey.”
“Since the border has been secured, fentanyl crisis has decreased significantly. She supported those open border policies with regard to everything she just said about my professional career, which provided my family. It’s a lie. I’m proud of my career,” Ciattarelli said.
Sherrill then responded that she would be “happy to publish the information,” to which Ciattarelli could be heard replying, “I’m sure you are.” Sherrill went on to say she believes New Jersey’s kids “deserve better,” doubling down on her accusation and telling the GOP nominee, “I think the people you got addicted and died deserve better than you.”
Ciattarelli sold Galen Publishing in 2017, according to Insider NJ.
Following the debate, Sherrill was reportedly pressed on her accusation and asked if she had any proof that the material published by Ciattarelli’s former company contributed to the opioid crisis or led to the deaths of New Jersey residents, according to the New York Post.
The race between Ciattarelli and Sherill has been tightening, with Sherill’s previous lead shrinking. In the September Emerson College poll, both Sherill and Ciattarelli held 43% support among voters, with 11% undecided.
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