TRENTON -- State Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, a Republican running for New Jersey governor, has announced he is now cancer-free -- and attacked two of his opponents at the same time, saying he's happy they were not the ones who treated him.

Ciattarelli (R-Somerset) -- one of a dozen candidates seeking to succeed Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican who is term-limited -- revealed in January that he had been diagnosed with throat cancer and decided to scale back his campaign schedule for several weeks.

But in an email to the media on Tuesday, Ciattarelli, 55, said he beat the disease through "aggressive treatment."

He added that his sickness wasn't "easy," "fun," or "pain-free," and that New Jersey faces a similar predicament. But, Ciattarelli claimed, he has a specific plan to help rescue the state, unlike two of the race's leading candidates, Democrat Phil Murphy and Republican Kim Guadagno, Christie's lieutenant governor.

"The difference between Murphy and Guadagno and me is that I have the courage to tell voters the truth and outline a clear prescription for how to fix our state," Ciattarelli wrote. "I am glad Murphy and Guadagno were not my doctors."

Ciattarelli told NJ Advance Media Wednesday that he thought the "analogy was too compelling not to share."

"The doctor gave me tough news, they have me hard medicine, and I followed their orders," he said. "And now I'm rocking and rolling. I feel the situation is the same here in New Jersey."

Specifically, Ciattarelli cited in the email how Murphy, a former Goldman Sachs banking executive, was put in charge of a task force in 2005 to find ways to resuscitate New Jersey's ailing public-worker pension system. In his report, Murphy called for increasing the retirement age of public workers, ending cost-of-living increases for pensioners, and more.

Now, Ciattarelli said, Murphy "sold out" to special interest groups by saying he is in favor of a constitutional amendment requiring New Jersey to make a full payment to the pension system -- which is supported by public-sector unions who have endorsed him. Cittarelli said Murphy is engaged in a "shameless political pandering and suck-up tour."

Derek Roseman, a spokesman for Murphy, said: "Our entire campaign wishes the assemblyman all the best for his continued recovery and good health."

Meanwhile, Ciattarelli took aim at a plan Guadagno released last week saying she'd launch a full-scale audit of the state government, which she has helped run for seven years. Ciattarelli said that is "exactly the kind of political choreography voters have come to hate."

Ricky Diaz, a spokesman for Guadagno, said: "T

he news

he is cancer free is a beautiful moment. We congratulate Assemblyman Ciattarelli on his recovery."

A Fairleigh Dickinson PublicMind poll released last month showed Ciattarelli is drawing a mere 2 percent of the vote in the GOP primary race. He is behind Guadagno (18 percent), "someone else" (13), and comedian Joe Piscopo, who is still weighing whether he wants to run. Nutley township commissioner Steve Rogers is also at 2 percent. Businessman Joseph Rullo is running for the nomination, as well.

Murphy, also a former U.S. ambassador to Germany, is considered the early front-runner in the crowded Democratic primary.

Ciattarelli said he underwent successful surgery in November to remove the cancer and lymph nodes on both sides of his neck in November. He began radiation treatment in December.

Now, he said, he's been back to campaigning full time for two weeks.

"I've been given the green light by the doctors," Ciattarelli told NJ Advance Media. "They're telling me I'm good to go. We caught it very, very early."

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.