Garfield Mayor Everett E. Garnto Jr. switched to the Republican Party, backing candidate Jack Ciattarelli in the tight New Jersey governor race.
The mayor of Bergen County, New Jersey’s fifth-largest municipality, formally switched parties on Thursday, announcing his support for Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli.
Garfield Mayor Everett E. Garnto Jr. said he felt compelled to leave the Democratic Party, declaring that “the state is broken.” His announcement came during a rally at a Garfield gymnasium, where several hundred people gathered to hear from both Garnto and Ciattarelli.
“For the last seven and a half years, [Gov.] Phil Murphy’s policies have left us with sky-high taxes, soaring electric bills, and less safe communities,” Garnto said. “New Jerseyans deserve better. Jack Ciattarelli is ready to turn this state around.”