Gabby Giffords Campaigns For NJ Gov Candidate In Livingston As Race Enters Final Countdown

LIVINGSTON, NJ — Former congresswoman Gabby Giffords made a trip to Livingston over the weekend to support U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill’s gubernatorial campaign.

Sherrill is running as a Democrat against Republican nominee Jack Ciattarelli in the 2025 election for New Jersey governor. Both drew eager crowds of supporters during recent campaign trips to the area: Ciattarelli in Nutley and Sherrill in Glen Ridge.

On Saturday, supporters of Sherrill gathered outside the Livingston home of state Assemblywoman Rosy Bagolie and her husband, Ricky, to kick off a new canvassing effort. They included Giffords – a former Democratic congresswoman in Arizona who survived an assassination attempt in 2011.

Giffords’ husband, U.S. Rep. Mark Kelly of Arizona – an astronaut who grew up in Essex County – was billed on a promotional post for the event, but was unable to attend due to the ongoing federal government shutdown, organizers said.

Bagolie, who is running for re-election herself this year in the 27th district, made a pitch for “sensible gun laws and safe schools” – an issue that Giffords has championed since her shooting.

“As an educator, I know the heavy burden of keeping kids safe,” Bagolie said. “Lockdowns and active shooter drills are now routine for our children – something we never faced growing up.”

Giffords endorsed Sherrill’s gubernatorial campaign, saying that she will “expand gun safety laws” if elected.

Sherrill’s campaign website includes the following statement about gun violence:

“As a mom of four, I know the toll that the threat of gun violence continues to have on our kids and our communities. New Jersey has the seventh strongest gun laws in the nation and as a direct result of these policies, we have the fourth-lowest firearm death rate. I am 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.”

Meanwhile, here's what Ciattarelli’s campaign website says about “defending the rights of law-abiding gun owners”:

“Jack will pledge to revisit and reform/repeal any law that violates an individual’s constitutional right to due process, and grandfather in any firearm that was legally purchased, but that is deemed illegal in subsequent legislation. Jack will standardize the process by which firearms ID cards and gun carry permits are processed and approved, and oppose all increases in related fees. Jack will speed up gun permit application processes with ‘fast track’ status for applicants who face imminent danger (e.g., victims of domestic violence). Jack will promote and fund additional resources to address the underlying, serious mental health crisis in our country that too often manifests itself in gun violence.”

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