Candidates for governor share common ground on environmental issues

On Monday, February 10, 2025, Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research hosted the 2025 New Jersey Gubernatorial Candidate Forum on the Environment and Public Health in collaboration with the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters.

This educational forum, moderated and televised by NJ PBS’s NJ Spotlight News, convened candidates for governor to discuss two of New Jersey’s most pressing issues—environmental sustainability and healthcare equity. This forum provided candidates an opportunity to present their vision for advancing climate action and health equity with New Jersey residents.

Article in NJ Spotlight News, February 11, 2025

Half of the major candidates for New Jersey governor on Monday agreed on at least some issues ranging from air pollution to renewable energy, with the differences — at least among the Democrats — often in the details.

Four of the six major Democratic candidates and one of the Republicans attended an hourlong discussion on issues at the intersection of the environment and health at the Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research in New Brunswick. The institute co-sponsored the event with the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters Education Fund and NJ Spotlight News, which livestreamed the conversation. All major-party candidates now running for the June primary elections were invited; those who declined cited scheduling conflicts.

Perhaps the greatest spectrum of responses came when asked if the next governor should continue Gov. Phil Murphy’s mandate to end the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035. Candidates questioned whether the infrastructure is in place to support electric vehicles and the need to stick to a goal or risk not meeting it. A bill to delay a phased increase in the sale of clean-energy trucks was proposed in the Legislature, but did not pass.

“As we’ve seen these goals set out by the administration we need to put the surrounding infrastructure in place,” said Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-11th). “We have these goals for trucking, for example … but we don’t have any charging stations for trucking.”

Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, another Democratic candidate, said delaying the truck standard would be a “gross mistake” and the state should be moving “aggressively” forward.

“You see, time and again, that they take a temporary Band-Aid approach and they put goals very far out and then they delay them,” Fulop said. “I think the urgency is now and that is something we can control.”

Congestion pricing, a sore spot

The conversation segued to New York City’s congestion pricing program, which on Jan. 5 began charging motorists who drive into the central business district of Manhattan a toll. Murphy unsuccessfully sued to try to stop the extra charges. Several candidates said they would support New Jersey putting in place its own congestion pricing toll on those entering from New York.

“I would do anything to stop New York from taxing our people,” said Sen. Jon Bramnick (R-Union), the only Republican to participate Monday.

Sherrill called it “a punch in the face from New York.”

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, another Democratic candidate, said the tolls are hurting some regular working people but the problems traffic congestion poses for New Yorkers is real because Newark residents suffer from health problems due to air pollution, as well.

“We have to be on the side of what is going to make sure the air is cleaner and safer, and we need to figure out how to do that without hurting working people at the same time,” Baraka said.

Squeezing fossil fuels

Both Baraka and Fulop supported setting a goal to end new fossil fuel projects at some time in the future.

“It’s not reasonable to say, ‘Tomorrow it ends,’” Fulop said. “What you do with the goals and legislation moving forward that speaks to a moratorium is it sets an agenda on where you prioritize your money, how you interact with PSE&G and companies like that. And I think that’s important, that you get via legislation and the governor leaning into that. I think that’s why it’s important to have somebody that’s committed to that sort of ideology with understanding that it doesn’t happen tomorrow.”

“We’re not going to shut things down so people don’t have the power that they have, but we’ve got to also say that we are moving forward right to green renewable energy sources,” said Sean Spiller, president of the New Jersey Education Association and former mayor of Montclair. Spiller is also a member of the NJ PBS community advisory board.

Bramnick said that a clean environment is important, but the next governor needs to focus on making the state more affordable, too.

“If you continue to forget about or put affordability as the second or third issue, you’re going to have a problem,” he said.

Offshore wind

The candidates generally agreed that the state must look at all forms of renewable energy to power the future, especially with the offshore wind industry facing a number of setbacks, including plans by the Trump administration to de-emphasize that sector in favor of greater use of fossil fuels.

“If we can find solar, if we can find wind, if we can find energy solutions that really support the people who want to do business here, I want to move in that direction,” said Bramnick, noting that the state’s offshore wind projects were in trouble even prior to Donald Trump’s taking office. “But I’m not setting any goals because I want to hear from the experts as to, can we really do these things.”

Baraka blamed Trump and Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-2nd), a vocal opponent of offshore wind.

“It’s not just about clean energy,” Baraka said. “It’s also about sustainability … our grid isn’t strong enough to deal with all of the weight that it’s taking on.”

Sherrill called the problems with offshore wind in New Jersey “a real failure of permitting and regulation in our state.” She added that Virginia has been able to move forward with an offshore wind farm that is so far along the federal government cannot pull it back. “We, because of many regulatory and permitting problems, took way too long. That cost us.”

Spiller said it is important to invest in different technologies “so when we’re maybe pulling away in that space [offshore wind], or delayed in that space from where we want to be over the next few years, we can continue to invest in solar and these other technologies.”

Cleaning up PFAS

The candidates said New Jersey will require federal support and dollars to help with a host of its needs, including clean drinking water. Sherrill said the state may need to sue the federal government if it does not get money to help clean such toxic substances as PFAS, many of which came from military bases. Baraka said the companies that “poisoned” the water must be made to pay for the cleanup.

Fulop said the state needs to fund mandates it imposes on municipalities, such as the direction to remove lead pipes. He also said the state needs to partner with nonprofit groups and conduct public education campaigns “to educate the public about what they’re digesting, what they’re eating and what they’re drinking, so that they could make more responsible choices.”

In addition to the four Democrats present, Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-5th) and Steve Sweeney, the former state Senate president, are running. Joining Bramnick in the Republican race are Jack Ciattarelli, a former state assemblyman and two-time gubernatorial candidate; Ed Durr, a one-term state senator from South Jersey; former radio talk show host Bill Spadea, and Mario Kranjac, former mayor of Englewood Cliffs.