Ciattarelli unloads on Mikie Sherrill in NJ town hall, citing immigration and Naval Academy: ‘Not a centrist’

New Jersey GOP gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli called out his opponent, U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., during a town hall Saturday, branding her out of step with the Garden State on immigration, policing, taxes and ethics.

“She wants you to believe she’s a Jersey girl. She’s not. She wants you to believe she’s a centrist. She’s not,” Ciattarelli told voters.

The remarks preview Ciattarelli’s closing argument in a tight race for the state’s top post, as he seeks to define Sherrill by tying her to national Democrats and controversies over immigration enforcement, policing and left-wing allies. Both campaigns have been asked for comment.

Ciattarelli charged that Sherrill “supported Joe Biden’s open border policies” and “voted no on the Laken Riley Act.” Sherrill missed the Riley Act vote earlier this year but later said she would have voted no, arguing the measure was overly broad.

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He also accused her of backing policies on transgender athletes, saying “this mother of two daughters voted yes twice to allow biological boys to play in girls’ sports.” Sherrill in fact voted against GOP bills in 2023 and 2025 that would have banned transgender students from competing based on gender identity.

On immigration enforcement and policing, Ciattarelli said Sherrill “supports sanctuary cities” and “voted anti-police… looking to get rid of qualified immunity.” Sherrill has spoken favorably of New Jersey’s 2018 “Immigrant Trust Directive” and supported the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which sought to curtail qualified immunity and policy police unions opposed.

He also attacked the congresswoman’s opposition to the GOP’s 2025 “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which raised the SALT deduction cap to $40,000, expanded child credits and eliminated federal taxes on overtime and tips. Sherrill and all House Democrats voted no on the package.

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Ethics featured prominently in Ciattarelli’s critique. He reminded voters Sherrill paid a fine under the STOCK Act after disclosing stock trades late and noted her household traded shares in defense companies while she sat on the House Armed Services Committee, though she divested individual holdings in 2019. 

He also covered recent reports that Sherrill was disciplined in the 1994 Naval Academy cheating scandal for failing to report classmates, which barred her from walking at graduation even though she was commissioned.

Beyond the policy contrasts, Ciattarelli sought to cast Sherrill as aligned with the left. 

Reporting shows she welcomed support from Zohran Mamdani, the socialist nominee for New York City mayor, saying she shared his voters’ goal of “throwing out the old playbook.” Republicans labeled the embrace “disqualifying” and warned New Jerseyans could not afford such politics.

He also pointed to her remarks after the House voted to honor conservative activist Charlie Kirk following his assassination. Sherrill said Kirk had “advocated for a Christian nationalist government and to roll back the rights of women and Black people,” while adding that the Constitution protects free speech “even for those I vehemently oppose.” Sherrill voted for the resolution.

Throughout his remarks, Ciattarelli framed Sherrill as left-wing despite her record of caucusing with moderates. Sherrill once belonged to the centrist Blue Dog Coalition and is now a member of the New Democrat Coalition. 

Ciattarelli, by contrast, leaned into his local roots, calling himself the “Jersey guy” and stressing that his family has lived and run businesses in the state for a century. “How about we elect the Jersey guy? Ciattarellis have been here for a hundred years… always will be,” he said.

Sherrill, a Navy helicopter pilot and Virginia native, was first elected in 2018 and has lived in Montclair with her family since 2010.

Ciattarelli, a CPA and former assemblyman, was the GOP nominee for governor in 2021. Polls suggest their 2025 rematch is close.

Ciattarelli’s attacks showcase his strategy of portraying Sherrill as tied to national Democrats and ethically compromised while presenting himself as a homegrown alternative. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to both campaigns for comment on Ciattarelli’s remarks and Sherrill’s past statements.