❎ 6 Democrats square off at Rider University

❎ New Jersey primary is scheduled for Tuesday, June 10

❎ Key points on affordability, school funding, immigration


LAWRENCE (Mercer) — Six Democrats vying to serve as New Jersey's next governor answered questions on the state's high cost of living, immigration policies, and transparency in government.

The debate was held in front of an audience at Rider University’s Bart Luedeke Center Theatre. Students were able to ask questions of the candidates.

Despite their disagreements, all six candidates agreed that NJ Transit is failing New Jersey residents and residents must get clean water (which they say Trenton Water Works has failed to do).

Who was at the debate?

All six Democrats running for governor attended the debate. It was hosted by journalist Laura Jones and produced by the New Jersey Globe, onnj.com, and Rider University.

Ras Baraka, the Democratic mayor of Newark

Steven Fulop, the Democratic mayor of Jersey City

Josh Gottheimer, the Democratic congressman from North Jersey's 5th District

Mikie Sherrill, the Democratic congresswoman from North Jersey's 11th District

Sean Spiller, the president of the New Jersey Education Association who recently served as the Democratic mayor of Montclair

Steve Sweeney, a Gloucester County Democrat and longtime State Senate president who lost re-election in 2021

Key points from the Democratic primary debate

Ras Baraka (onnj.com screenshot)
Ras Baraka (onnj.com screenshot)
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Ras Baraka

🔵 "We have too many superintendents we have more districts than we actually have mayors. We need to be talking about unified school districts you can't have a district with just one school."

🔵 "We need to be, as leaders, making sure that there is transparency in government. I opposed what happened with OPRA."

🔵 "We need to stop having this conversation about people being murderers and killers and rapists and criminals. We know that's a lie. There is no crime wave of immigrants in New Jersey."

🔵 "The people in power are making decisions that do not affect the majority of the folks in this state."

Steven Fulop (onnj.com screenshot)
Steven Fulop (onnj.com screenshot)
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Steven Fulop

🔵 "No municipality in the state of New Jersey had a larger reduction in municipal aid than Jersey City as it relates to our schools... it forces districts to make unfair choices that impact parents."

🔵 "There is no accountability in Trenton the structure is from these political bosses that control it and have monetized the system for themselves."

🔵 "I've been unapologetic in support of the Immigrant Trust Act and I think my track record in Jersey City is second to none. We are the only nationally accredited immigration office in a municipal building in the country."

🔵 "You got to think about kind of concrete steps that you can do to change NJ Transit because it has failed."

Scott Gottheimer (onnj.com screenshot)
Scott Gottheimer (onnj.com screenshot)
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Josh Gottheimer

🔵 "What we really need to focus on is affordability. We're now the number one out-migration state in the country seven years running... 15% of our public companies have left in the last decade."

🔵 "I think this is critical at what do we do to make sure that we have, as Governor Murphy talked about, all day kindergarten everywhere in the state but also Universal PreK we have so many kids who are going into school who are not prepared."

🔵 "What Donald Trump is doing by rounding innocent, undocumented people up and going to churches and schools, and going to restaurants and rounding them up, that's unacceptable."

🔵 "The spending keeps going up. And the challenge we're having for people is, do they really feel like they're getting 60% more for their money?"

Mikie Sherrill (onnj.com screenshot)
Mikie Sherrill (onnj.com screenshot)
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Mikie Sherrill

🔵 "We've seen full funding of the school formula but we know it's not totally fair... We know year-over-year it causes a lot of disruptions."

🔵 "I'd love to see a constitutional amendment for abortion on the ballot."

🔵 "I've gone back to Amtrak. We need to hold them accountable. They need to fix the catenary wires. I've driven $300 million in for that fix alone. We've driven billions in for Northeast rail. I want an explanation of exactly where that's gone."

🔵 "I've heard of having some Moms for Liberty type person go out on soccer fields and try to check seventh-grade girls soccer teams for trans people. This is ridiculous. It's not our state, it's targeting vulnerable people, and quite frankly it's bull****."

Sean Spiller (onnj.com screenshot)
Sean Spiller (onnj.com screenshot)
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Sean Spiller

🔵 "You can't have a space where you reduce the [school] aid by such an amount that all of a sudden the services that so many are relying on are pulled out from under their feet."

🔵 "We all know who's in those back rooms making the decisions and we know it's not us. That's why we want our voices out there."

🔵 "In parts of the state where our infrastructure is so old, the state can have a role there to help incentivize and bring folks together to say as you're making your improvements well let's tie that to the work happening right next door."

🔵 "My agenda is going to be making sure that I'm bringing forward the voice of the people the challenges that we're facing trying to address those head-on and making a difference in folks lives."
Steve Sweeney (onnj.com screenshot)
Steve Sweeney (onnj.com screenshot)
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Steve Sweeney

🔵 "My father always taught me look after the little one little guy always look out for the little guy and that's why we raised the minimum wage and we did pay family leave and earn sickly we did things that make a difference in people's lives."

🔵 "Schools had 15 years to shrink the size of their school districts where they didn't have children and they didn't do it now they're complaining about it I understand but what's fair is the money following the child."

🔵 "I support what President Barack Obama and Senator Joe Biden did. Both of those presidents, who happen to be Democrats, deported more people than Donald Trump ever did. But they did it with humanity and compassion."

🔵 "When I first started in government. You did something that even looked a little different you got the crap kicked out of you by the press... Losing the press has absolutely hurt the public information that people need. But the public has to seek it too."

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