Third Ciattarelli ad attacks Murphy over business closures

Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli launched his third television ad Wednesday, this time attacking Gov. Phil Murphy over business closures made amid the pandemic.

The 30-second spot, titled “Gone,” features a brief slideshow of polaroid photos before jumping to a direct shot of Ciattarelli narrating to the camera.

The former Assemblyman touts his and his families’ business ownership before launching an attack over a near-total shutdown of businesses Murphy ordered in the pandemic’s early months.

Script: Growing up, my parents owned a bar and restaurant, creating jobs, opportunity, a sense of community. Their example inspired me to open my own business.

I’m Jack Ciattarelli. Phil Murphy’s lockdowns killed businesses like this. Gone are our favorite pizza places, our salons, the corner bakery. Gone are the jobs they provided and the people who work there.

Wall Street guys like Murphy just don’t get it. When these businesses close, it hurts all of us. New Jersey, we can do better. When I am governor, we will.

Murphy worked at Goldman Sachs for 23 years. He retired from the firm in 2006 and later became the U.S. ambassador to Germany under President Barack Obama.

The ad will run in both New York and Philadelphia media markets, as well as online. The ad is Ciattarelli’s second to attack Murphy’s response to the pandemic. A previous spot hit the incumbent over deaths in the state’s long-term care centers.

Ciattarelli is one of four Republicans seeking the party nod to take on Murphy. He faces Hudson County pastor Phil Rizzo, former Somerset County Freeholder Brian Levine and perennial candidate Hirsh Singh in the primary.