NEW JERSEY (WABC) -- With less than a month to go until election day, the candidates running for governor of New Jersey faced off for their final debate.
Democrat Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli took the stage for one hour in the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center in Middlesex County.
The candidates debated the biggest issues facing the Garden State such as the high cost of living, the government shutdown, immigration and political tension across the country.
Eyewitness News anchor Bill Ritter and WPVI-TV anchor Tamala Edwards moderated the debate. Our coverage is provided in partnership with WPVI-TV and Univision 41.
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In a rare moment, both candidates agreed they would not support a law allowing New Jerseyans to pump their own gas.
Sherrill: "I think a lot of people really love our state laws as they are."
Ciattarelli agreed. "One of our special, special differences here in New Jersey: we don't have to pump our own gas," Ciattarelli said, "We'll continue to have full service."
Sherrill slammed Ciattarelli during a heated exchange over his prior business. "He made his millions by working with some of the worst offenders in saying opioids were safe," Sherrill said, "while tens of thousands of New Jerseyans died."
That was followed by a fiery back-and-forth; "Shame on you," both candidates retorted.
Ciattarelli fired back shortly after, saying, "I got to walk at my college graduation, I never broke the law," referring to the release of Sherrill's military records, which included references to a high-profile cheating scandal.
The president was again front and center on the debate stage, as Sherrill accused Ciattarelli of being beholden to Trump. Trump endorsed Ciattarelli in the GOP primary, saying he was "ALL IN" and "now 100% (PLUS!)" on the president's "Make America Great Again" agenda, despite past criticism.
"Jack won't say one bad word about the president," Sherrill charged as she tried to tie the two men together.
Ciattarelli said he would put the needs of New Jersey residents first, while talking up the benefits of having a positive working relationship with the White House.
"Let me be clear. No matter who sits in the White House, my job is to stand up for the 9.3 million citizens of the state, and I will. I will fiercely advocate for them at all times. But let me also say this, that in times of need, it's best to have a relationship with whoever occupies the White House and I will," Ciattarelli said.
He also mocked Sherrill for trying to blame everything wrong with the state on the president.
"I don't know what he has to do with our property taxes. I don't know what he has to do with our energy rate," he said.
Ciattarelli says every single New Jersey Transit train and bus line needs to be reevaluated for ridership.
If there isn't adequate ridership, he says there could be tough decisions to make.
"I think we should dedicate our limited resources to those lines that provide the greatest value to the greatest number of commuters, it's time for that kind of reevaluation," Ciattarelli said.
In her rebuttal, Sherrill accused Ciattarelli of putting out misinformation and not addressing funding for the Gateway Tunnel being withheld by the Trump administration.
