Jack Ciattarelli is running for governor again officially launching his Third campaign bid for the state's highest office making good on his promise to get back in the race after nearly unseating Governor Phil Murphy in the 2021 election coming within just three points of the vote chedell made the announcement in freeold last night vowing that if elected he'll lower business and property taxes and overhaul Public School curriculum the 62-year-old from from Central Jersey has a lengthy career in public office with the Raritan burough Council the Somerset County Board of Commissioners before winning a seat in the assembly where he represented the 16th District for seven years so his announcement comes as no surprise but it offers serious competition to moderate GOP Senator John bramnick who's already tossed his hat in the ring and a senior political correspondent David Cruz reports comes with an unpredictable Factor Donald Trump [Music] I very humbly but with unwavering determination and Boundless Energy declare my candidacy to be your next governor in front of a packed room in free hold last night Jack Ciattarelli launched his Third campaign for governor fine-tuning a message that he hopes will strike a middle ground with entes to moderates and a pinch of red meat to conservatives promising to be a candidate who understands that campaigns are won by addition not subtraction or division a candidate who can unite our party not one who calls moderate Republicans rhinos or Trump supporters crazies a candidate who can convince Democrats to support our ideas while at the same time calling on people who want to empower parents and improve education for our children and people want to revitalize our cities keep our neighborhoods Safe People who want to secure the border and ban Sanctuary cities and us becoming a sanctuary State Republican leaders in New Jersey say their party is energized with more registered Republicans than ever and a standard Bearer at the top of the ticket this year that has them unified enough to have Ciattarelli go from calling the former president a charlatan unfit for office to proclaiming yesterday I think the country was better off during Donald Trump's four years than Joe Biden's four years I'm not a political pundit but Donald Trump's not winning New Jersey so the people running against me are out there trying to be more Trump than the other person well knock yourself out because you get in a general election they're going to smoke you Senator John bramnick the first Republican candidate in the race has staked out the never Trumper Lane he says even if Trump's policies are more in line with the GOP everything else about him is bad for the country he says chedell will eventually have to explain himself to voters beyond the party's base because you're never going to explain why you went to a stop the steel rally why you supported somebody who in my judgment inspired a riot and says that all the criminals who beat police officers up are hostages is that is that the party of Law and Order uh I don't think so Democrats in blue jersey still think Trump is a political gift but this is a state that likes to switch it up sometimes Tom Kane senior and Chris Christie both followed two-term Democratic administrations Republican asseman Brian Bergen was at the chedell event yesterday but is uncommitted at the moment he says Republican candidates are best served by being consistent in their messaging about Trump either way is it easy easier for republicans in New Jersey in 25 if Trump wins or if he loses it's it's really hard to say I I would honestly say probably if he wins uh it would be easier for because I think I I like Trump I think Trump was a good president there's got a lot of flaws as does every president but I think he's an effective president so if Trump gets in office and can deliver on really good tangible policies then um then it takes away some of the uh the anti-trump rhetoric that's out there that's really devastating to the Republican party right now it's a complicated relationship a recent poll has Trump trailing President Joe Biden by just single digits in New Jersey which suggest that Trump might not be as potent a weapon for Democrats come 2025 for now though proximity to Trump Remains the leading issue for Republicans I'm David Cruz NJ Spotlight News [Music]