Murphy, Ciattarelli Square Off In Final Debate: How To Watch

NEW JERSEY — Two weeks after their first debate turned heated, Gov. Phil Murphy and Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli are set to face off one more time.

The candidates in the 2021 New Jersey Gubernatorial Election will debate for the second and final time in this year’s election cycle at 8 p.m. Tuesday night at Rowan University.

The debate will be televised by NJ PBS, New Jersey’s public television network. Listeners can pick it up on WNYC 93.9FM, 820AM, and wnyc.org, and its New Jersey Public Radio stations WNJT-FM 88.1 Trenton, WNJP 88.5 Sussex, WNJY 89.3 Netcong and WNJO 90.3 Toms River.

It will stream on the NJ PBS and NJ Spotlight News social platforms and NJSpotlightNews.org; and on Rowan University’s Facebook page.

The first debate between the two sparked some fireworks, as they debated over the Murphy Administration’s response to Tropical Storm Ida and the coronavirus pandemic. Issues of race and policing also took center stage. Read more here: 4 Takeaways From The First Murphy, Ciattarelli Debate

Murphy has held double-digit leads in most polls, but Ciattarelli has closed some ground. The last poll, released by the William Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University, showed Murphy holding onto a 9-point lead, but that poll was conducted before the last debate.

The 60-minute debate will be moderated by NJ Spotlight News Sr. Political Correspondents David Cruz and Colleen O’Dea, the Rowan Institute for Public Policy and Citizenship Founding Director Ben Dworkin and WNYC’s Morning Edition Host Michael Hill.

Under state law, gubernatorial candidates that receive public financing for their campaigns must participate in two ELEC-sanctioned debates. Their lieutenant governor running mates must take part in a third ELEC-approved debate. That debate took place last week. Read more here: Taxes, COVID, Ida Take Center Stage At Debate

Also under the law, debates must be held between Sept. 21 and Oct. 22. Read more here: 'Big Money' Rules NJ Governor Debates, Third-Party Candidates Say

Election Day is Nov. 2.

With reporting by Samantha Mercado and Eric Kiefer, Patch Staff

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