GOP Candidate Postponed LG Announcement, Now Scrambling in the Face of Thursday Deadline?

TRENTON, NJ — With his campaign mired in scandal due to his bigoted, anti-LGBTQ views being exposed, Republican gubernatorial candidate Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli is facing another hurdle — the state’s mandatory deadline to name a Lieutenant Governor candidate is rapidly approaching, and so far it looks like Jack is coming up empty. 

Assemblyman Ciattarelli postponed his LG candidate announcement, originally set prior to June 30th, leading many to question whether he’s having a difficult time finding a compelling candidate to join his ticket. After all, the longtime Trenton insider is facing a massive name ID deficit, a one million-plus voter registration disadvantage, the looming spectres of Donald Trump and Chris Christie, and a matchup against a popular, accomplished incumbent team in Governor Phil Murphy and Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver. Is it any wonder that Assemblyman Ciattarelli is having a hard time finding a running mate? 

“The Ciattarelli for Governor campaign is sinking under the weight of the candidate’s embrace of Donald Trump and the MAGA movement, throwing away any semblance of a moderate reputation and doubling down on the extremist base of the Republican Party,” said NJDSC Spokesman Phil Swibinski. “If you were an ambitious, up-and-coming Republican politician who wanted a future in New Jersey, would you want any part of that? The answer is no, which is why Assemblyman Ciattarellli’s team is scrambling to fill out its ticket and waiting until the 23rd hour to meet this obligation. If he can’t even handle picking a running mate, how can we count on Assemblyman Ciattarelli to manage our state?”