Federal government shutdown sparks blame game in crucial race for governor

MADISON, N.J. – EXCLUSIVE: The country’s capital isn’t the only battleground in the blame video game in between Democrats and Republicans over the very first federal government shutdown in 7 years.

The spoken crossfire is likewise playing out on the project path in New Jersey, which is home to among just 2 elections for guv throughout the country this year.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli, in an unique nationwide interview with Fox News Digital, implicated his Democratic competitor, Rep. Mikie Sherrill.

After Sherrill, a four-term congresswoman, charged in a declaration that “Washington Republicans have actually when again revealed they want to turn their backs on the American individuals in order to blindly follow Donald Trump’s needs,” Ciattarelli slammed his challenger in the flammable, competitive, and prominent tally box face-off.

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“ There’s absolutely nothing my challenger will not blame on President Trump. As I like to state, if you get a flat [tire] today, it’s President Trump’s fault,” Ciattarelli argued, in a sit-down interview after participating in a prospect online forum hosted by Fairleigh Dickinson University.

With neither Trump and the Republican bulk in Congress, nor congressional Democrats ready to reduce the temperature level, the federal government closed down early Wednesday early morning.

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Democrats firmly insisted that any arrangement to avoid a federal government shutdown, or now to end the shutdown, need to extend tax credits for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) beyond completion of this year. Those credits, which countless Americans count on to minimize the expenses of healthcare strategies under the ACA, which was when called Obamacare, are set to end unless Congress acts.

However most Republicans oppose the extension of the credits and argue that the Democrats’ needs would cause a substantial boost in taxpayer-funded health care for immigrants who got in the nation unlawfully.

Sherrill, in addition to every other Home Democrat other than Rep. Jared Golden of Maine, voted versus a GOP substitute step that would have momentarily avoided the shutdown.

A closed indication stands in front of the National Archives on the very first day of a federal government shutdown, Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025, in Washington. ( Julia Demaree Nikhinson – AP Picture)

Ciattarelli, indicating his competitor’s vote in Congress, stated, “I do understand that there’s a bipartisan group of congresspeople that are attempting to keep the federal government open. My challenger has actually chosen not to be part of that bipartisan group, and she voted no. Therefore here we are.”

Sherrill, who has actually consistently connected Ciattarrelli to Trump, put the shutdown blame directly on Trump’s shoulders, composing in a social networks post, “This is exactly the severe MAGA program that @Jack4NJ wishes to give NJ.”

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And taking goal at congressional Republican politicians in a declaration from her Home workplace, Sherrill argued that “rather of dealing with Democrats to reduce expenses, secure healthcare, and assistance working individuals, Washington Republicans bent the knee to Donald Trump, closing down the federal government at the same time.”

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rep. Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey reacts to concerns throughout the very first basic election dispute with Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli. Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Lawrenceville, N.J. ( AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

With simply over one month to go up until Election Day in New Jersey– and early ballot occurring Oct. 25-Nov. 2– a brand-new Fox News survey showed Sherrill holding an upper single-digit lead over Ciattarelli.

However Ciattarelli, a previous state legislator and a licensed public accounting professional who began a medical publishing business before entering into politics, promoted that “the energy is off the charts, and the truth that I’m being backed by Democratic mayors around the state says a lot about individuals desiring modification here in the state of New Jersey.”

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The 2 prospects will take on next week in their 2nd and last dispute before citizens head to the surveys in the election to prosper term-limited Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy.

Inquired about his dispute tactical plan, Ciattarelli stated he would “be extremely, extremely particular with policy propositions that repair our issues here in New Jersey, and mention every time she does not address the concern s.”

Republican prospect Jack Ciattarelli, left, shakes hands with Democratic prospect for guv Mikie Sherrill, right, before a dispute on Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Lawrenceville, N.J. ( AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

Gubernatorial prospects in New Jersey operate on a celebration ticket and Democrats on Wednesday were highlighting a remark by the GOP lieutenant guv candidate Jim Gannon, the Morris County Constable, in a dispute previously today that “taxes are on the table.”

Inquired about his running mate’s remark, Ciattarelli stressed that “there will be no tax increases under Guv Ciattarelli. And I would present a really particular intend on how to reduce the earnings tax and the real estate tax here in New Jersey.”

The race was rocked recently after a New Jersey World report exposed that Sherrill’s military records showed that the United States Naval Academy obstructed her from participating in her 1994 graduation in the middle of the unfaithful scandal.

Sherrill declares that Ciattarelli is going on a “witch hunt” over her poorly launched military records, which raised concerns about her possible participation in an unfaithful scandal that rocked the U.S. Naval Academy 3 years back.

” He has actually been captured with his hand in the cookie container, if you will. He’s now attempting to divert from that,” Sherrill informed press reporters on Tuesday following a project occasion in Wildwood Crest, New Jersey.

Ciattarelli and his project are contacting Sherrill, who went on to pilot helicopters throughout her military profession after finishing from the Naval Academy, to launch her military records to describe why she was avoided from attending her graduation event.

However a different report from CBS News exposed that the National Worker Records Center, which is a branch of the National Archives and Records Administration, wrongly launched Sherrill’s poorly redacted military workers files, that included personal info like her Social Security number, to a Ciattarelli ally.

” To have a guy I’m running versus, it will stop at absolutely nothing, it will stop at absolutely nothing, who will unlawfully acquire records. It’s simply beyond the pale,” Sherrill, who functioned as a federal district attorney before winning election to Congress, charged recently.

The National Archives, in a letter recently, said sorry to Sherrill, stating the inappropriate release was because of a federal government employee’s mistake over a legal records demand.

Following the breach of the records, Sherrill’s project sent out cease-and-desist letters to the National Archives and to Ciattarelli’s project, along with to Ciattarelli’s leading strategist, Chris Russell and Nicholas De Gregorio, who is explained by Sherrill’s group as “a representative of the project operating at the instructions of” Russell.

The Sherrill project on Monday released a digital advertisement taking goal at Ciattarelli.

” They broke the law to assault a veteran,” the storyteller in the area charged.

Inquired about the advertisement, Ciattarelli charged in his Fox News Digital interview that Sherrill “did something at the Naval Academy that triggered them to penalize her. She wasn’t permitted to take part in the graduation. Her name is not noted in the beginning workout program. She was, in truth, penalized. She requires to come tidy on what she did to be penalized by the Naval Academy.”

And inquired about the release of her military files and criticism from Democrats of possible cheats, Ciattarelli stated ” someone submitted a Flexibility of Info Act demand, and it was satisfied by the National Archives. Therefore it’s all a smokescreen. The info that came out of there is what the National Archives offered, however this is a smokescreen and spin on what truly occurred at the Naval Academy, which’s her penalty.”