By Samantha Marcus | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Don't Edit

Brent Johnson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

TRENTON — Seven candidates are running to succeed Gov. Chris Christie in November's election. And while only two — Republican Kim Guadagno and Democrat Phil Murphy — have qualified for a pair of televised debates, all were invited to submit statements in support of their candidacy to the state's Election Law Enforcement Commission.

Six did so, telling voters about their plans to slash property taxes, raise taxes on the wealthy, legalize marijuana, reform criminal justice, introduce school vouchers, expand rental assistance and before- and after-school care programs and more.

Just last month Christie signed a bill (A4875) allowing the statements to be posted electronically rather than mailing a copy to all registered voters, which arrived just a few days before the election and in 2013 cost about $600,000 to print and mail, according to ELEC.

Here are excerpts of the position statements, which have been edited only for length.

Don't Edit

Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Don't Edit

Kim Guadagno, Republican

Guadagno is the state's lieutenant governor.

"With the highest property taxes in the country, New Jersey has reached a breaking point. Too many of our friends, family and neighbors are struggling to put food on their table, losing their homes or even moving to other states. As a working mom who raised her three boys in New Jersey, I know we have to make our state more affordable for families, and I firmly believe the best way to do it is become more efficient and cut property taxes for the middle class.

My comprehensive property tax cut program will save middle class families and seniors up to $3,000 a year on their property tax bills by capping school taxes at 5 percent of household income. This will give families certainty and ensure that no family has to move out-of-state because of high property taxes. If similar programs can work in states like Illinois and Massachusetts, it can work in New Jersey.

If elected governor, I will also root out waste and make government run more efficiently by conducting a detailed performance audit of all aspects of state government. This includes cancelling the unnecessary $300 million renovation of the State House in Trenton. My priority will always be to put New Jersey families first.

As a former sheriff and prosecutor, I know we cannot make New Jersey a 'Sanctuary State,' which would only protect violent criminals and make our state less safe. As governor, I will always support law enforcement and first responders. This includes negotiating a fair deal to our state’s pension crisis to secure the retirement of thousands of public workers."

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Phil Murphy, Democrat

Murphy is a former Wall Street executive and former U.S. ambassador to Germany.

Let’s start with the facts. Today, families in New Jersey are paying more and getting less. That is not by accident, nor is the rest of America in the same shape. While median household incomes across the country grew from 2010 to 2015 New Jersey families saw their incomes fall. People are working harder yet making less money; that is simply unacceptable.

We need to be very clear about something — it wasn’t a question of whether our state had the money, it was a choice about how that money was used, such as giving out $8 billion in corporate tax breaks, underfunding public schools by nearly $9 billion. It’s no coincidence that property taxes have gone up for middle and working class families while millionaires got tax cuts.

But I am an optimist, and we can put things right.

It starts by reclaiming our dominance in the innovation economy and investing in infrastructure to create new jobs at good wages. It’s making college more affordable, and standing up for the right things, like funding Planned Parenthood and women’s health programs.

It’s property tax relief that starts by fully funding our public schools. It’s asking the wealthiest New Jerseyans to pay their fair share, and revamping ineffective tax breaks that have only benefitted big corporations. It’s ending the practice of overpriced hedge funds managing state pensions.

It’s reforming our criminal justice system, including the legalization and taxation of marijuana to bring in hundreds of millions in new revenues.

It’s creating an innovative Public Bank to invest in New Jersey’s small businesses, not Wall Street's profit centers. It’s equal pay and a stronger minimum wage. It’s building a Green Economy with good jobs.

Don't Edit

David Foster | Express-Times Photo

Gina Genovese, left, speaks in Pohatcong Township in 2012.

Don't Edit

Gina Genovese, Independent

Genovese is the former mayor of Long Hill in Morris County and a small business owner running under the banner "Reduce Property Taxes."

As the ONLY candidate who has served as a Mayor, I have seen Trenton’s inaction and incompetence. As a result, I founded the non-partisan, non-profit Courage to Connect NJ. For ten years, as Executive Director, I have been a fierce and tireless advocate working with taxpayers, local and county officials, school boards and fire commissioners who have realized our current administration system is redundant, inefficient and far too costly. This inefficiency can only be addressed by consolidating municipalities and services. This is why I am running for Governor.

My work with Courage to Connect NJ has been challenging, largely because of the absence of any support from Trenton. I worked with a retired Scotch Plains resident who formed a commission to study the consolidation of Scotch Plains with Fanwood. His three years of intensive effort, and his dream of reducing property taxes for residents of both municipalities, screeched to a halt when the State refused to fund the study.

I also worked with the visionary leaders in Princeton who, after an arduous effort, consolidated Princeton Borough and Princeton Township into a single entity, one that now saves its residents approximately $3 million annually. Our state leadership has never acknowledged this success, much less built on it.

In South Hunterdon, I worked with the school boards to combine its four school districts into a single unified district, one that would better serve the faculty, parents and students. South Hunterdon’s taxpayers were disappointed by the lack of leadership and support from Trenton and funded the study themselves.

I now work with the residents of Mt. Arlington and Roxbury, who are making history by studying the merger of their municipalities and school districts. Our state government will not provide $7,500 for a consolidation study. This is shameful!

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Patti Sapone | The Star-Ledger

Don't Edit

Seth Kaper-Dale, Green

Kaper-Dale is pastor of the Reformed Church of Highland Park.

In sixteen years as a central Jersey pastor and social justice activist, I’ve launched and administered non-profit organizations running programs to improve lives. This work includes providing a) affordable housing for homeless veterans, young women aging out of foster homes and people exiting prison; b) mental health services; and c) after-school programs. Our work resettling refugees and defending immigrant rights gained notoriety in 2012, when my church provided sanctuary to nine Indonesians.

Our “Last Are First” platform creates a well-spring of opportunities surging up from below, including:

• Full funding for public education. Related to that, children must know where they’ll sleep at night. We’ll support families by expanding the Rental Assistance Program and increasing childcare and afterschool programs.

• Increased funding for affordable housing while combatting apartheid neighborhoods to promote school de-segregation.

• Reforming our criminal justice system to eliminate racial disparity in policing and sentencing, ending mandatory minimums and starting prisoner re-entry on Day One of a prison term. The imprisoned should keep their right to vote. And prison labor must be paid decent wages!

• Protecting the environment by halting fossil fuel pipeline expansion and eliminating carbon emissions by 5% annually. We will confront polluters harming poor communities. We’ll promote renewable energy that will drive new jobs.

• Defending undocumented immigrants in our communities against the Trump policies of ethnic cleansing. We will promote Sanctuary and extend drivers licenses to immigrants.

• Supporting union organizing, the right to collective bargaining, equal pay for women, prevailing wages and a minimum wage of $15/hour.

• Enacting Single-payer Medicare for All. Healthcare is a right from cradle to grave! Eliminating the profit motive from healthcare saves money. This will decrease property and rental taxes, lower college costs and help save state pensions.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Peter J. Rohrman, Libertarian

Rohrman is an operations director for an internet-service provider.

ME

Born in Passaic. Raised in Carlstadt/E. Rutherford. Single father raising 2 boys in Bergen County. I’m struggling to make ends meet raising my family in NJ. I’ve spent a lifetime in service to you – U.S. Marine Corps Rifleman, Volunteer Firefighter, Youth Athletic Couch, and working with the youth of Newark implementing outreach educational programs. I ask you to allow me to serve you further by electing me, Peter J. Rohrman, as Governor.

FISCAL DEMOCRACY

The average NJ family is forced to pay approximately 30% of their income to the state, county, and municipal governments. My “Fiscal Democracy” plan will limit this to 10% and allow you, the individual, to choose which government programs your tax payments will fund ... “Fiscal Democracy” will eliminate property tax, gas tax, sales tax, and even vehicle registration fees.

SCHOOL CHOICE

Your child’s education shouldn’t be dictated by your zipcode. I am advocating for voucher programs that will allow municipalities to cut their educational costs in half, improve their education, and give parents a choice of where their child attends school. We’ll give local school boards the power to hand parents a check for their child’s education. This could be as much as $18,000 per child for tuition to attend a school that best meets your child’s needs.

WEAPONS

... On Inauguration Day, I will sign a mass pardon from most of NJ’s draconian gun laws. We’ll follow Vermont’s lead, and revert to federal gun law only.

MARIJUANA

... I intend to legalize marijuana and refuse to inhibit its accessibility with government permits or additional taxes that would force it back underground.

AGE OF MAJORITY

I will also use executive power to reduce drinking, smoking, and gambling age in NJ to 18. If you are old enough to die for your country, you should be able to have a drink or play cards in Atlantic City.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Vincent Ross

Ross is an Edison resident running under the banner "We the People."

We The People of New Jersey need to be represented. As far as memory serve’s The working People of New Jersey has not been represented by no Governor to Date. Our dollar value has gotten smaller, but our taxes and Fines AKA (which is another form of raising Taxe’s) has gone up to the point of working poor: it’s driving people to leave our wonderful state in droves and by the dozen’s: I’m Looking to stop the bleeding and do what our constitution says; and represent the working Person of our state it’s time we can not wait any longer. Vote Vincent Ross for Governor of the State of New Jersey and be apart of the representation This is Vincent Ross and I aprove this message

Don't Edit

The full statements are available on websites for ELEC, the state Division of Elections and websites for the 21 county clerks in four languages. County clerks can provide printed copies on demand.

Don't Edit

Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @samanthamarcus. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.