Jack Ciattarelli is New Jersey’s Pro-2A Candidate in the 2025 Gubernatorial Primary Election

New Jersey has suffered under two terms of Governor Phil Murphy. The 2025 gubernatorial election gives a chance to right these wrongs. Looking at all the available candidates, only Jack Ciattarelli gives Garden Staters the best chance at preserving the Second Amendment. On June 10, a vote for Ciattarelli in the primaries will be a vote for someone who has a proven track record of safeguarding liberty.

There are three main GOP candidates running in the 2025 election for governor. The entire slate of Democrat candidates range from strongly anti Second Amendment to straight-up goose-stepping prohibitionist. It’s only under GOP leadership–the correct GOP leadership–that the New Jersey gun owners will get any relief from assaults to the Second Amendment.

Of the three Republican candidates, only Ciattarelli has a proven record. He has a near perfect record on the Second Amendment, and by New Jersey standards is solidly pro 2A.

Ciattarelli recently secured an “A” rating from the Garden State’s fastest growing no-nonsense Second Amendment advocacy group, the New Jersey Firearms Owners Syndicate and a “B+” from the NRA. Ciattarelli also received the personal endorsement  Alan Gottlieb, the EVP and founder of the Second Amendment Foundation and chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms.

On May 12, President Trump gave Ciattarelli his nod, putting out his sentiments via social media. President Trump noted that Ciattarelli would “Defend our always under siege Second Amendment, which has not been attacked, amended, or changed while I was President.”

Measures that Ciattarelli did not support while he was serving as a member of the Assembly include: a .50 caliber ban, calling so-called “gun violence” a public health emergency, universal background checks, and so-called “high capacity” magazine bans.

There are claims that Ciattarelli is in favor of so-called “red flag” laws, however, Ciattarelli wasn’t in office when that bill was passed and enacted. A1217, the New Jersey Extreme Risk Protective Order Act of 2018, was signed into law on June 13, 2018. Ciattarelli left his Assembly post in January of 2018.

According to the NJFOS analysis, Ciattarelli abstained from voting for a similar confiscation bill in 2017. That measure, however, dealt specifically with “mental health professionals [being able] to report to law enforcement when a patient is deemed to be a danger to themselves or others and would require the seizure of firearms owned by the patient.”

The other two candidates running for the GOP nomination are state Senator John Bramnick and former news personality Bill Spadea. Bramnick is rated an “F” by NJFOS and Spadea an “AQ.” The organization said that “Spadea has no political record to evaluate. He consistently expresses support for the Second Amendment in his campaign.”

Spadea has also received an “AQ” from the NRA, which the candidate is saying that he’s “the only candidate in the race for Governor to have received an A-rating from the [NRA].”

Spadea neglects to point out that the ‘A’ rating he got also has a “Q,” which is relevant considering he has no track record. Spadea also insinuates he’s received an endorsement by the Association stating that “this A-Rating from the NRA adds to our prior pro-life endorsements.”

The NRA hasn’t endorsed any candidate at the time of publication.

Spadea might say all the right things and fill out the questionnaires properly, but is he really a strong supporter of the Second Amendment? In an interview, he stated that he’s a supporter of constitutional carry, however, when questioned about subjective standards, he gives deference to issuing authorities.

It’s impossible to be a supporter of constitutional carry while at the same time saying that you put trust into chiefs of police who may abuse their authority. And many do. 

The fact that Spadea couldn’t give a hard “No” answer when asked about any subjective standard being used in issuing firearm related permits, should call into question his motives or at least his understanding of the actual situation concerning fundamental rights.

“I know a lot of these chiefs of police. I know a lot of the state troopers. I know a lot of these guys that are behind the application, that are there to make the approvals,” Spadea said. “And they’re upstanding and outstanding, upstanding citizens and outstanding members of law enforcement.”

Citizens are either law-abiding or they aren’t. Police chiefs have no business determining whether law-abiding individuals are or aren’t eligible to keep and bear arms. Only a criminal background check and the objective statutory requirements should come into play when determining eligibility.

When push comes to shove, would Spadea be the kind of elected official who would defer to what law enforcement has to say regarding gun rights over the rights of the citizens of New Jersey? Considering the historical lack of support New Jersey citizens have received from top-ranking law enforcement officials, that’s a very relevant question.

When it comes to the use of subjective standards for “granting” a civil right, Ciattarelli strongly disfavors them. “Any law-abiding citizen who’s applied for their gun permit should get their gun permit,” Ciattarelli said in an interview.

In addition to having a good voting record on the issues in New Jersey, Ciattarelli exhibits qualities that are important for a chief executive.

“My first job, not only as a candidate but as governor, is to listen, and you can’t possibly be well versed in every single issue, because there are so many today, and any candidate [that] tells you they’ve got all the answers is lying to you,” Ciattarelli stated. “What I do, I think, particularly well, not to be modest, is listen. So I’ll sit down as governor with gun owners, with Second Amendment society people, and they need to tell me what laws need to be changed, either because they’re not reasonable, because they infringe on people’s second amendment rights, or because they’re not working and and after I’ve heard all that, we will certainly advocate for those gun owners.”

Ciattarelli’s team player mentality is exactly what the state needs at this juncture. When asked during a recent GOP debate if he’d support whoever wins the nomination, Ciatarelli said, “Yes, absolutely.” He further stated that “The goal is to win.”

Spadea wouldn’t commit to supporting whoever takes the nomination. That lack of supporting whoever faces off with a Democrat opponent should be a big red flag. Rather than address the question, Spadea took his time to antagonize Ciattarelli, leaving off by saying, “That’s my answer,” without a commitment to the party.

When Ciattarelli faced off against Governor Phil Murphy in the 2021 gubernatorial election, Ciattarelli lost by a smaller-than-expected margin…3.2 percent. But what else did Ciattarelli do? He flipped eight seats in the New Jersey legislature. Those were valuable seats.

With the state legislature dangerously close to a Democratic supermajority, Ciattarelli’s ability to rally and create “coattails” is imperative in this important election. Creating division and further refusing to support whoever the frontrunner may be on the GOP side  isn’t what New Jersey gun owners need right now. Gun owners need a person who seeks to create unity rather than bolster their own image/reputation.

The clearest and cleanest path to victory for the Second Amendment in New Jersey is electing Jack Ciatarelli. He doesn’t mince words and his honesty counts for more than being able to talk the talk. Spadea may say the right things–and truth be told, he probably believes many of them–however his predisposition to giving deference to issuing authorities on firearm permits and unwillingness to support whoever wins the primary makes him unelectable. Nevermind the constant mudslinging he’s engaged in against his own party members.

Most importantly, Ciatarelli can win against a Democrat opponent. Spadea is trailing badly in the polls, and Bramnick should probably switch parties at this juncture–or run independent.

New Jersey’s 2025 primary elections will be held on June 10. Mail-in ballots have already been distributed.