Kim Guadagno in 2017 NJ Governor's race
On Civil Rights:
Won't criticize Republican with Confederate flag
New Jersey Republicans are being asked, amid suggestions of racism, to answer for a colleague photographed in front of a Confederate flag. The state's top two Republicans, Gov. Chris Christie and Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno,
have refused to explicitly admonish him. Murphy, the Democratic nominee for governor, said that Guadagno, his opponent, "failed" the test to lead New Jersey after equivocating in her response to the photo.
Source: Bergen Record on 2017 New Jersey governor race
Aug 30, 2017
On Civil Rights:
Comfortable with LGBT but won't criticize ban
Guadagno said she had come [Pride event] to show that the "Republican Party has a huge tent and there's plenty of room for everybody." She was less vocal about excluding future transgender soldiers, and potentially excluding lesbians, gays and
bisexuals. "My son is in the military, he's in the Air Force, and he really doesn't care what is under the uniform," Guadagno said. "So the president, if you want to talk about his policies, you are going to have to ask him."
Source: Bergen Record on 2017 New Jersey governor race
Aug 26, 2017
On Immigration:
Against sanctuary state
Guadagno's running mate, Carlos Rendo, blasted Murphy's plan to make New Jersey a sanctuary state, describing it as an unfair policy to police officers working to lock up criminals who are undocumented immigrants. "We're going
to release criminals from jail after these gentlemen--these men and women--work day and night to put them in there, and they get convicted and then they get released?" Rendo said. "How is that reasonable? How is that good policy?"
Source: The Observer on 2017 New Jersey governor race
Aug 23, 2017
On Abortion:
Supports women's healthcare; pro-choice
Guadagno's spokesman says: "The lieutenant governor is a pro-choice woman who will absolutely support women's health programs in New Jersey.
Any suggestion she wouldn't support women's health is simply desperate."
Source: Newark Star-Ledger on 2017 New Jersey governor race
Aug 10, 2017
On Energy & Oil:
Favor wind turbines on Jersey coast
The stance most likely to alienate the Republican base was her position on climate change.
Guadagno said she would support the installation of wind turbines along the coast. "We could be the first offshore wind-turbine producer from soup to nuts," she said.
Source: Newark Star-Ledger on 2017 New Jersey governor race
Aug 9, 2017
On Drugs:
Decriminalization, not legalization
Guadagno is opposed to legalizing marijuana, but is in favor of making it easier for patients to get medical marijuana. "Children with proper doctors should have access to medical marijuana.
Veterans suffering from PTSD shouldn't have to try every opioid before they get to marijuana," she said. She's also in favor of looking at decriminalization, so that drug offenders won't "go to jail for small quantities."
Source: Asbury Park Press on 2017 New Jersey governor race
May 11, 2017
On Corporations:
Work with businesses to cut state regulations in half
Since becoming the Garden State's first Lieutenant Governor in 2010, Kim has been working to cut government red tape, recruit new businesses and help existing businesses stay and grow in New Jersey. Thanks to her efforts, New Jersey has added 278,000
net new private sector jobs and more than 100,000 new businesses have filed paperwork to setup shop across our state in 2016 alone. Kim has worked collaboratively with the business community to cut the number of pages of state regulations in half.
While New Jersey's economy has improved and become more responsive to the business community, we can and must do better.Kim understands that to truly unleash New Jersey's economy, our leaders in
Trenton must get serious about lowering the tax burden on families while fostering a more welcoming, customer-friendly environment for businesses.
Source: 2017 New Jersey gubernatorial campaign website
Feb 3, 2017
On Education:
Merit pay for teachers; school choice for parents
Improving New Jersey's public school system is critical for student success and a brighter economic outlook for future generations. New Jersey is blessed with incredible parents, educators and institutions of learning, but too many students are
graduating high school without the necessary skills to succeed. And despite an improving state economy, too many college graduates are struggling to find jobs after earning a degree, choosing instead to move back in with their parents.
We must not rest on our laurels and instead put all available tools and resources together to improve our education system so our students can graduate with the needed skills to get a job, buy a home and raise a family in New Jersey. This includes:
- Reforming the antiquated school funding formula.
- Expanding vocational education and apprenticeships.
- Advancing merit pay for teachers.
- Making higher education more flexible and affordable.
- Expanding school choice.
Source: 2017 New Jersey gubernatorial campaign website
Feb 3, 2017
On Homeland Security:
Head of the Military Growth Task Force
New Jersey is home to more than 420,000 veterans and the military directly or indirectly supports 73,000 local jobs, adding $6.5 billion to our state's GDP. Kim understands that our military personnel and veterans are a vital part of New Jersey's
economic and cultural fabric--her son is a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force. Kim will strengthen our state's commitment to the military and our veterans to help strengthen our communities.
As the head of the Military Growth Task Force, Kim played a pivotal role in winning the award of KC46As to the Joint Base that virtually guarantees the bases' vitality for decades to come.
A Guadagno administration will be committed to protecting our state's military installations, connecting veterans with jobs and make it easier for military families to call New Jersey home.
Source: 2017 New Jersey gubernatorial campaign website
Feb 3, 2017
On Tax Reform:
High state property taxes drive businesses to other states
NJ's highest-in-the-nation property taxes are the leading reason so many of our neighbors & friends are choosing to leave our state and move to places like PA, TX, and NC. If we are going to create a better future in NJ, we must start by making it more
affordable for families to live here and businesses to thrive here.Despite a 2% cap on property tax increases at the local level, New Jerseyans saw an average increase of 2.4% last year. Our state's property tax crisis also has a profoundly negative
impact on our state's small and medium-sized businesses and our ability to recruit new jobs to the Garden State. Simply put: we cannot continue to ask New Jerseyans to work harder, longer just to pay more in property tax bills while the political class
in Trenton digs their heads in the sand.
This decades-long problem requires our leaders at the state, county & local levels to adopt a holistic strategy that finally provides middle class families and small businesses much needed property tax relief.
Source: 2017 New Jersey gubernatorial campaign website
Feb 3, 2017
On Technology:
Infrastructure plan without gas tax or toll increases
As Secretary of State, Kim has been in charge of promoting New Jersey's $40 billion travel and tourism industry, overseeing a large increase in tourism spending and visitation. Continuing efforts to expand and diversify New Jersey's travel and tourism
industry will create thousands of new jobs.Implement Transportation Solutions: Instead of massive gas tax hikes and toll increases, New Jersey must develop a sustainable, long-term infrastructure plan to fund our state's urgent infrastructure needs.
Source: 2017 New Jersey gubernatorial campaign website
Feb 3, 2017
On Jobs:
Against minimum wage hike
Guadagno is against raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, because she believes "it was never intended to provide a living wage."
More, if Democrats approve it, she warns, "you're pumping your own gas." She's also against requiring private employers to provide paid sick leave, believing it would result in lost jobs.
Source: Newark Star-Ledger on 2017 New Jersey governor race
Jan 17, 2017
Page last updated: Jul 26, 2019