Immigration figured largely into the Election 2024 debate, and New Jersey’s 2025 gubernatorial primary promises to be no different. Earlier Tuesday, radio host Bill Spadea and 2021 nominee Jack Ciattarelli exchanged barbs over their respective past statements on the all-important subject of addressing America’s mass illegal immigration crisis.
To put it simply?
Both leading candidates have changed their rhetoric… substantially.
“This guy kidnapped a woman from a Toms River grocery store at knifepoint — beat her unconscious. Guess what? He was here illegally. Biden invited this garbage into our country, and Jack Ciattarelli supports driver’s licenses for illegals,” Spadea declares in a new web ad released by campaign. “Seriously, I’ll end the handouts illegals get from politicians like Ciattarelli. Eliminate aid for sanctuary cities and enforce all Ice detainers. When I’m governor. illegals will get two handouts: handcuffs, and a one way ticket out of Jersey.”
“Jack Ciattarelli is a 35-year career politician with a long and consistent history of pro-illegal immigrant positions,” added Spadea Campaign Manager Tom Bonfont in a statement obtained by Save Jersey. “From driver’s licenses to taxpayer-funded tuition, Jack wants to take money from New Jerseyans and use it to support illegals. Nothing he says or attempts to do now can erase the track record he has established.”
Check out our campaign’s new ad
Luis Gutierrez brutally attacked a woman outside a grocery store right here in New Jersey. Here’s the problem. My opponents want to make New Jersey more inviting for illegal immigrants, and even support giving them driver’s licenses and… pic.twitter.com/BXtM1qAF3K
— Bill Spadea (@BillSpadea) November 26, 2024
It’s true that Ciattarelli announced his support for licenses for illegal aliens back in 2021 which was viewed as a reversal from his earlier position on the issue.
“With regard to undocumented immigrants getting a license, I believe that’s a great security measure,” Ciattarelli explained in a gubernatorial election debate with Phil Murphy. “They’re here. They’re not going anywhere. Let’s know who they are. Let’s give them a driver’s license. We don’t want people on our roads driving without a license, without insurance.”
But it’s also true that Spadea has changed his position on illegal aliens in New Jersey, a “Sanctuary State” as declared by Governor Murphy in his first term.
“It is time that we talk about a pathway to citizenship for people who are here, and they are undocumented. There are millions of people here that are hardworking. They want to be here. They want to pay taxes. And I say, let them,” Spadea argued back in June 2018. “Let’s create an atmosphere that we create prosperity among these hardworking immigrants.”
Ciattarelli general consultant Chris Russell leaned into the counter-attack:
Talk about more BS from Bill Spadea. Bill’s so desperate to hide from the videos of him (in a Boston Red Sox hat!) calling for FULL CITIZENSHIP rights for illegals that he’s lying again.
That’s right. Bill Spadea wanted to give those who crossed our border illegally the right… pic.twitter.com/TeHQb1QYRT
— Jack Ciattarelli (@Jack4NJ) November 26, 2024
Bill Spadea is full of BS. A complete & total phony on illegal immigration, taxes, Trump & pretty much everything else. Hypocrisy galore! Get used to watching him implode like this on camera. This video is the tip of a huge iceberg and the SS Spadea is headed right for it. https://t.co/cxriTKorAg
— Chris Russell (@ChrisRussell_NJ) November 26, 2024
Spadea, Ciattarelli, state Senator Jon Bramnick of LD21 and former state Senator Ed “The Trucker” Durr are competing for the 2025 GOP nomination.
Phil Murphy is term-limited and multiple Democrats are competing for their own party’s nomination.
