They’re the dog days of campaigning.
Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli spent his weekend pounding the pavement and doing the retail political thing around New Jersey as July threatens to turn into August. There are too many doors in a state of 9 million residents for any campaign to hope to hit, Save Jerseyans, but these expeditions make for good photos. They also help a candidate stay in touch with real people and their real concerns.
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After a day of going door-to-door in deeply Democratic Elizabeth, Ciattarelli said property taxes remains the most important issue on voters’ minds:
Great time in Elizabeth knocking on doors and listening to people. Property taxes are at the top of everyone’s mind. On November 2, we must elect a governor who puts you and your family first. pic.twitter.com/mWg5XXNnNi
— Jack Ciattarelli (@Jack4NJ) July 24, 2021
Just wrapped up two hours of going door-to-door in Elizabeth. One thing was on every single person's mind…property taxes. It's also the one thing @PhilMurphyNJ never wants to talk about. It's wrong. As your next Governor, fixing & lowering property taxes will be my #1 priority. pic.twitter.com/VUNbJjQQkR
— Jack Ciattarelli (@Jack4NJ) July 24, 2021
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But do voters actually vote their property tax concerns?
It doesn’t feel like it, at least not most of the time.
The average property tax bill in Elizabeth is about $10,121 – a grand more than the $9,112 statewide average in 2021 – yet the city remains a reliable trove of votes for Democrat candidates.
Ciattarelli can’t win Elizabeth (Chris Christie lost it by double digits in 2013 despite winnign 19 of 21 counties including Union where the city lies). How much he loses it by could tell us something about the statewide picture; Barbara Buono managed *only* 63.2% of the vote here in 2013 while Phil Murphy surpassed 80%.
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