How would the candidates running for New Jersey governor tackle affordability in the Garden State?
With the gubernatorial primary less than two months away, candidates from both parties are crisscrossing the state to appeal to voters about issues that impact their lives and New Jersey overall.
But that field of candidates — six Democrats and three major, as well as two minor, Republican options — can be intimidating to those that don’t usually have time to pay significant attention to the people in power throughout the Garden State.
The USA TODAY Network New Jersey surveyed nine of the candidates on topics ranging from transit to taxes, affordability and the environment to give residents a frame of reference on where the potential nominees from each party stand.
The candidates are listed alphabetically by party and include for the Democrats Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, Rep. Josh Gottheimer, Rep. Mikie Sherrill, New Jersey Education Association president Sean Spiller and former state Senate President Sweeney. and for the Republicans state Sen. Jon Bramnick, former Assemblyman and previous nominee Jack Ciattarelli, and radio personality Bill Spadea.
The responses have been edited for clarity and space.
What would you do to lower New Jersey taxes?
Baraka: My economic plan would flatten or lower taxes for half of New Jersey households — those earning $90,000 or less — while raising taxes on those earning over $2 million annually.
Fulop: Cutting taxes means getting smarter about spending. I’ll consolidate overlapping agencies, modernize operations like the MVC, and end corporate giveaways that don’t create jobs. In Jersey City, we balanced the budget and delivered services without relying on tax breaks for luxury developers. That’s the model I’ll bring to Trenton.
Gottheimer: I’m running as the “Lower Taxes, Lower Costs” Governor who will make Jersey more affordable. My expert-backed “Tax Cut Plan for Jersey” cuts property taxes by nearly 15 percent for everyone, gives renters an annual tax rebate, lowers income taxes for middle-class families, includes a “Stay in Jersey” tax break for seniors, and incentivizes people and jobs to come to Jersey to strengthen our economy. My “Lower Costs Plan for Jersey” will double the state Child Tax Credit and produce more clean and alternative energy, and lower the cost of housing, childcare, utility bills, healthcare, and food—five of the biggest ticket items in a family’s budget. We need to stop nickel-and-diming Jersey families with outrageous fees and taxes.
Sherrill: I am committed to providing tax relief for New Jersey families. As governor, I will work with municipalities to drive down property taxes through healthcare reforms like third-party auditing of State Health Benefits Plan claims, as well as by unlocking the potential of shared public services. I will also expand New Jersey’s Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit to bring relief to middle-class families.
Spiller: I approach this from the standpoint of affordability and making sure residents have more money in their pockets at the end of the day. Our highest earners and wealthiest corporations need to pay their fair share and we should adopt best practices such as closing corporate loopholes and strengthening combined reporting requirements.
Sweeney: Under a Sweeney administration, I will not raise taxes on New Jersey residents. Our state is already taxed out, and we should find new efficiencies and revenue sources to generate revenue.
Bramnick: I would lower the income tax by 10% over three years and cut property taxes by increasing school funding from the state while mandating that increased school funding be matched by reductions in the local school tax rate.
Ciattarelli: I have a detailed plan on my website that would cap property taxes, freeze them for seniors, cut business taxes in half and lower income taxes across the board.
Spadea: My plan would phase out the education portion of property taxes for seniors (age 55+) over a 15-year period. Additionally, we will lower our CBT to be competitive with our neighbors which will bring in more ratables and lower taxes for the average tax-payer. We will implement school choice, which will lower education costs — and taxes.
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Do you support the tax relief initiative known as StayNJ? Would you continue to fund it?
Baraka: StayNJ would not be a priority. While I understand the concerns of seniors being taxed out of their homes, we can’t justify such high expenditures when many of the benefits go to people making up to $500,000 a year, especially when we have urgent needs among our most vulnerable residents.
Fulop: Yes. StayNJ is a meaningful step toward helping seniors afford to stay in their homes, and I support it. But it shouldn’t stop there. We’ll work on broader property tax reform and make sure relief goes to families across age groups who are struggling with the cost of living.
Gottheimer: My expert-backed “Tax Cut Plan for Jersey” cuts property taxes by nearly 15% for everyone, gives renters an annual tax rebate, lowers income taxes for middle-class families, and includes a “Stay in Jersey” tax break for seniors. Seniors who have lived in Jersey will receive a $1,000 tax bonus when they turn 70 to help them stay here and retire here. My plan meets our pension obligations and is fully paid for without cutting the important programs and services that Jersey families and seniors rely on.
Sherrill: Up and down the state, property taxes are one of the top concerns I hear about and I am committed to lowering costs for families. We have no way to know what state revenues will look like in 12 to 15 months or how much needed federal funding will be ripped away by Trump, but cutting back any direct tax relief program would be a last resort in my first or my last budget as governor. It is the most direct way our state government can improve affordability for New Jerseyans.
Spiller: Yes. We should support programs such as Stay NJ, ANCHOR, and Senior Freeze to make life more affordable for those retiring in New Jersey. As governor, I will look to streamline these programs and make sure that homeowners and renters have access to affordability programs so they can live securely in their retirement.
Sweeney: I would fully fund Stay NJ. Our seniors are facing enough threats to the programs they rely on in retirement, and now is the time to make sure we have their backs.
Bramnick: I support the reduction of property taxes for our senior citizens and voted for the legislation.
Ciattarelli: Trenton Democrats are notorious for taking $10,000 out of your lefthand pocket and then putting $1,000 in your righthand pocket and calling it tax relief. It’s a scam. I would lower taxes and stop taking so much of people’s hard-earned money in the first place.
Spadea: No. It is not sustainable and will be a budget buster for future governors if not eliminated. Our plan will actually reduce property taxes for those aged 55+.
What would you do to counteract New Jersey’s housing crisis?
The emblem behind the podium in the press conference room in the newly-renovated New Jersey Statehouse in Trenton on Wednesday, March 22, 2023.
Baraka: A few things. First, I would cap rent increases for two years at the cost of living adjustment to stabilize the market. Second, I would launch a First Loss Capital Fund through our State Bank to jumpstart housing development — especially near public transit hubs, where it’s most needed.
Fulop: We’ll double affordable housing production, support Accessory Dwelling Units in suburban towns, expand tax credit access, and pass consistent state-level zoning incentives. In Jersey City, we passed Right to Counsel, built mixed-income projects like Bayfront, and reformed zoning to encourage affordability. That’s the blueprint for the rest of the state.
Gottheimer: A place to start is to lower property taxes and help renters with a tax credit. My expert-backed tax cut plan does both. I will lower property taxes for homeowners by nearly 15% and give renters a tax cut. In addition, we need to build more workforce and senior housing, housing that’s affordable near mass transit, and we should utilize abandoned office parks. I will look for ways to speed up the development process, cut red tape that’s holding up new construction, and find new, innovative models of homeownership and financing to help younger families and seniors.
Sherrill: As governor, I will build more housing and lower prices through innovative solutions: converting underutilized infrastructure and commercial buildings into housing units, working collaboratively with municipalities to build a range of housing options like workforce housing and Missing Middle units, expanding first-time homebuyer programs, and cracking down on landlords who illegally fix their prices and don’t maintain their properties.
Spiller: As governor, I would work to fill the 230,000-unit shortage in affordable housing. This must be done without overreliance on developers, who build a few affordable units to qualify to build many luxury ones. I would also limit corporate buy-up of properties and establish statewide benchmarks for rent increases to prevent tenants from being priced out of their homes. My administration would also invest in tenant services.
Sweeney: The average home in New Jersey costs half a million dollars. We need to cut red tape and regulations that stifle the building of new, affordable housing within our state, and we need to provide more pathways for young residents to be able to afford a home, like additional down payment assistance for young families.
Bramnick: I would end the town-by-town affordable housing mandates and return to a regional approach for affordable housing in the state. Hundreds of local governments and hundreds of thousands of residents have made it very clear that the current system is unworkable. The state can have affordable housing, but it does not have to be mandated as currently required under the current system.
Ciattarelli: I have a detailed plan to fix our affordable housing mess. In short, I would take a regional approach — focused on driving population growth to transit hubs and urban centers, where self-sustaining local economies are desperately needed.
Spadea: We’re going to end New Jersey high-density housing mandates and revert back to a plan which allows the trading of units from the suburbs to the cities. Affordable housing should be built in cities with the infrastructure to handle it, not in the suburbs.
Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: sobko@northjersey.com
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ governor race 2025: Candidate positions on affordability
