New Jersey governor’s race candidates making final push

TRENTON » The two major party candidates seeking to become New Jersey’s next governor were campaigning across the state Sunday, making their final pushes for support ahead of Tuesday’s election.

Democrat Phil Murphy’s schedule featured an evening rally in Asbury Park with rocker Jon Bon Jovi, one day after he held similar events with Democratic U.S. Sen. Cory Booker and Teamsters President James Hoffa.

Meanwhile, Republican Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno was continuing her 60-stop bus tour that included scheduled visits to a church, a hot dog restaurant and a Veterans of Foreign Wars post. Those stops came one day after Guadagno campaigned with former Republican Gov. Christine Todd Whitman.

Murphy leads Guadagno in polls and campaign cash in the race to succeed termlimited Republican Gov. Chris Christie. Five independent and third-party candidates are also running.

Murphy, a former Goldman Sachs executive and Obama administration ambassador to Germany, has never held elected office, though he once served as the Democratic National Committee’s finance chairman. His central promise is electrifying the state’s sluggish economy, and he has continually sought to link Guadagno to Christie and President Donald Trump.

Guadagno, who wants to slash New Jersey’s skyhigh property taxes, has blasted the projected costs of Murphy’s economic proposals. She also has sharply criticized his views on immigration, especially his statements that he would make New Jersey a sanctuary state “if need be.”

Murphy had said he would have illegal immigrants’ backs, but when asked about criminals specifically said the crimes were “heinous” and that they ought to be held accountable by law.