Abortion, gun control, vaccine policy and voting laws are issues that have gotten little public attention so far in New Jersey’s gubernatorial campaign this year, though they remain of concern to some segments of voters.

Here’s a breakdown of where the major party candidates, Democrat Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli, stand on these.

Abortion rights

New Jersey has no legal restrictions on access to abortion, codifying the right to reproductive health care of all kinds, including contraception, in the Reproductive Freedom Act enacted in 2022. The state currently provides more than $50 million for family planning services, including to Planned Parenthood affiliates. The 20 affiliated centers in the state provided a range of women’s health services for 123,000 people last year.

Sherrill, who represents the state’s 11th Congressional District, is backed by Planned Parenthood Votes. She fully supports the state’s abortion law and would go even further, backing the call that many New Jersey abortion rights advocates have made to enshrine the right to an abortion into the state constitution to ensure it is protected permanently.

“Despite laws in place to protect access to care, too often women in New Jersey face additional barriers in getting care,” her campaign website states. “New Jersey must take action to require comprehensive insurance coverage for all reproductive health care services, including abortion. I will continue our work expanding access to contraception and IVF services so that every New Jerseyan has affordable access to the family planning services they need.”

Ciattarelli, a former state assemblyman, would place some restrictions on abortion that he termed “reasonable” on his campaign website. He would seek to prohibit elective abortions after 20 weeks, saying he opposes the Reproductive Freedom Act, which codified a practice already protected by court rulings. Ciattarelli also said he would support parental notification for minors seeking an abortion and oppose using tax dollars for abortion.

He said he would like to see money also going to fund “pregnancy resource centers,” places that typically try to discourage women from having an abortion. During the second gubernatorial debate he said he doesn’t think it’s “fair” that these groups don’t get any state funding and the money should be distributed “equally.”

Gun control

New Jersey has some of the toughest gun laws in the nation, though they were relaxed to allow for more concealed carry permits following the U.S. Supreme Court’s Bruen decision in 2022. A law enacted after that ruling prevents the carrying of firearms in such sensitive places as schools, parks, bars and health care facilities. It also sought to restrict carrying guns in a vehicle, a fee increase for a carry permit and a requirement that gun owners purchase liability insurance but those parts of the law were blocked by the courts.

On his website, Ciattarelli said he would chose an attorney general “who respects all constitutional rights, including Second Amendment rights, and will review all legislation and policies for constitutional flaws to remedy or repeal them.” He would also “reevaluate the state’s position” in pending lawsuits challenging gun laws as unconstitutional.

Ciattarelli promises to veto bills that infringe on the Second Amendment or on other rights of people to hunt, fish and trap. Ciattarelli was endorsed by the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance, which stated that Ciattarelli’s “practical stance on second amendment rights will ensure that hunters can continue to use the firearms approved by the Fish and Game Council.”

Sherrill was endorsed by GIFFORDS PAC, a national gun safety organization founded by the former Democratic congresswoman shot during a meeting with constituents in 2011. Gabby Giffords appeared with Sherrill to announce the endorsement, saying, “In the face of growing extremism and senseless shootings, Representative Sherrill’s commonsense approach to ending gun violence is needed more than ever.”

On her website, Sherrill said that New Jersey has one of the lowest firearm death rates in the nation as “a direct result” of its strong gun laws. Sherrill stated that she is “committed to building on this success by expanding law enforcement efforts to take illegal guns off of our streets, preventing violent criminals from legally purchasing firearms, and enhancing requirements for the safe storage of firearms particularly in places where children are present.”

Vaccines

New Jersey has a schedule of seven childhood immunizations required for students to attend public school. The percentage of children fully vaccinated has declined from 95.3% in 2013-14 to 91.3% last year, according to data, while the number of religious exemptions has nearly tripled. Cases of measles, a highly contagious disease once considered essentially eradicated in the United States, are rising, including 10 this year in New Jersey. With changes in the leadership of federal health agencies, New Jersey and several other states have formed the Northeast Public Health Collaborative, a coalition of public health agencies and leaders sharing expertise and promoting and protecting evidence-based public health.

Sherrill said during the first debate that she supports doctors’ recommendations related to vaccines and supports the regional health collaborative “that is going to ensure that we follow medical guidelines and keep our kids safe.” She lamented the reduced herd immunity resulting from lower vaccine rates, saying, “These are eminently curable diseases, and we are allowing children to get sick and, yes, die because we are not appropriately following medical research vaccine protocol.”

Ciattarelli has made what appear to be conflicting statements on this issue. During the debate, he said he supports “the vaccine schedule with regard to measles, mumps, rubella, whooping cough, polio, on down the line … to get above the threshold for herd immunity to keep our community safe.” But his website says he “will oppose a one-size-fits-all vaccination schedule, support medical and religious exemptions for vaccines, and create a parental rights ombudsman in state government to give parents more of a voice on key issues, including those seeking a philosophical vaccine exemption.” Last month, he spoke at an event by a group that opposes vaccine mandates.

“The two things are not mutually exclusive,” said Ciattarelli campaign strategist Chris Russell in an emailed response to a question about the candidate’s views. “One can support vaccines (Jack does), but believe parents should have the freedom to seek health, religious and/or philosophical exemptions and will give them a greater ability to do so.”

Voting

New Jersey laws generally make it easy for people to vote. No one has to show identification at the polls and no excuse mail-in balloting means anyone can submit a paper ballot starting more than a month before Election Day. Mail-in votes cast by the close of polls are counted even if they arrive at county election offices up to six days after Election Day. Citizens are automatically registered to vote when they get a driver’s license unless they opt out. The only progressive policy the state does not allow is same day voter registration.

Ciattarelli would seek sweeping changes in the system. According to his website, he would require voters show ID and make all those who use mail-in ballots certify their identity and citizenship before getting a ballot. He would not allow the counting of mail-in ballots received after 8 p.m. on Election Day. Ciattarelli would extend automatic voter registration beyond motor vehicles agencies to those who purchase hunting, fishing and trapping licenses through the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife and those who apply for gun permits, business licenses and construction permits. He also would require results from early voting to be posted within 30 minutes of the polls closing.

In response to questions during a forum held before the June primary, Sherrill said she supports same-day voter registration and a system that would automatically send a mail-in ballot to all registered voters for all elections. Dale Caldwell, Sherrill’s pick for lieutenant governor, told NJ Spotlight News that their administration would support all measures to make it easy to vote and include an attorney general who would oppose any efforts by the Trump administration to limit voting.

“The ability to exercise the right of suffrage is so critical to who we are as a country,” said Caldwell. “We need to make sure that everybody has an opportunity to really vote for whoever they choose. And the question that you should ask is, why would someone limit voting? If you’re the best candidate, you want to expand voting, and so we really are supportive of making sure that everybody has the right to vote and that intimidation is not an issue in New Jersey.”