On November 7, 2017 New Jersey will be in the midst of another political frenzy as the state votes for a new governor. Our current governor, Chris Christie, is finishing his second consecutive term, leaving New Jersey in the hands of one of seven candidates.

After primary elections this past June, Phil Murphy, former U.S. Ambassador to Germany and Wall Street executive, won the Democratic primary, and Kim Guadagno, the current Lieutenant Governor, the Republican primary. The Green Party will be led by Seth Kaper-Dale, and the Libertarian Party, by Pete Rohrman. The ballot also lists independent and third-party candidates.

Murphy and Guadagno, the two major-party candidates, debated in Newark on October 10th. In order to debate, each candidate must raise at least $430,000. This hourlong discourse was focused on immigration, property taxes, and the legalization of marijuana. The topic of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) also came up, with Murphy arguing to keep the program and Guadagno stating that it should be “eliminated on public safety grounds.” Throughout the debate, each candidate made references to their opponent’s past record. Murphy described Guadagno as “Christie’s enabler,” while Guadagno made remarks that Murphy was too slow in denouncing Harvey Weinstein. (Harvey Weinstein donated money to the Democratic party while Murphy was in office as the finance chair of the party).

Currently, Murphy is at the forefront of this election, leading Guadagno by double digits. In the poll conducted by Fairleigh Dickinson University from October 11-15th, Murphy has the support of 47% of voters, while Guadagno has the support of 32%.

In his official statement, Murphy focused his plan to change New Jersey’s current economy. “If we get our economy right, we get New Jersey right,” he said. Murphy believes that we must “reclaim our dominance in the innovation economy” and begin to invest in infrastructure, which will help create better-paying jobs. Additionally, he spoke of reformation, particularly in regards to our criminal justice system, “including the legalization and taxation of marijuana,” which he claims will bring millions of dollars in revenue. He ended his statement emphatically, stressing that we need to make New Jersey “a state that works for every family.”

In her official statement, Guadagno concentrated on property taxes, which she claims are the “highest in the country,” as well as her intention to make New Jersey “more affordable for families.” She presented her comprehensive tax cut program that aims to save middle class families and seniors thousands of dollars per year. Guadagno also made reference to our current “pension crisis,” in which she plans to “negotiate a deal” to ensure the retirement of public workers. She concluded by enforcing that her campaign is not about the past, but the future, and that her overarching goal is to make “New Jersey an affordable place to live, work and raise a family.”

Students at the school also voiced their opinions for this upcoming election. Danielle Twiss (‘18) pledges her support for Candidate Murphy. “I’m really excited for this upcoming election,” she said. “I attended a rally for Phil Murphy earlier this year and I’ve done some phone banking for him as well. I think that Phil Murphy and Sheila Oliver are strong candidates and I believe that they have a strong chance at winning. I can’t wait to see what they do to protect immigrants in NJ, improve our public education system, and guarantee equal pay in our state.” Eli Glass (‘18) also supports the Democratic party. “I support Phil Murphy in the upcoming election,” Glass said. “I was able to attend a rally of his and I was extremely impressed by him. He speaks very well, and I side with him on many major issues. I think after eight unsuccessful years under Christie, New Jersey is ready for a drastic change in leadership. I don’t think Guadagno would bring the change necessary to lead the state as successfully as I believe Murphy can.”

With November 7th only two weeks away, try to keep up with this election and form your own opinions about the candidates. After all, our governor is responsible for representing our state and making decisions that will affect our daily lives. Check out http://www.northjersey.com/story/news/new-jersey/governor/2017/10/18/nj-election-five-takeaways-final-debate-governors-race/778196001/ for information about Murphy and Guadagno’s latest, and final debate.