Following the April 9 launch of his 2025 gubernatorial bid, Jack Ciattarelli has maintained the same robust pace of public appearances that’s persisted since his 2021 attempt at the seat.

NJBIZ recently caught up with the Republican hopeful on the trail for a wide-ranging discussion covering several topics.

The following conversation is edited for length and clarity. This is part two of four. The series continues May 1.

NJBIZ: Under your governorship, what would be some key areas of economic development, like innovation economy, manufacturing, Main Street/small businesses, etc.?

Ciattarelli: It’s all of the above. But the macro approach includes doing as Nevada did 10 years ago – adopting Delaware’s bylaws for corporate governance. Doing as the Democratic Governor of Pennsylvania [Josh Shapiro] did by cutting the corporate business tax in half. Being sensitive to our small business economy on Main Street. We do that by making the first $100,000 of income tax-free; not taxing the first $100,000 of payroll on the employer. And also, making the gain on the sale of a sole proprietorship tax-free.

I also think that we need to lessen our regulations. And I really believe we can do that without screwing the consumer or hurting our environment.

Those kinds of initiatives would really spark entrepreneurship all throughout New Jersey and change the perception of New Jersey overnight – as being much more business-friendly. I also think that we need to lessen our regulations. And I really believe we can do that without screwing the consumer or hurting our environment.

‘Pro-business’

NJBIZ: A lot of the things you are mentioned are about helping New Jersey’s competitiveness and the message being sent to the business community. When you go around the state, is that the sense you get talking to the business folks? That the things that are going on and the current conditions send a bad message to the business community, writ large?

Ciattarelli: Absolutely. What it’s all about is New Jersey being, at the very least, regionally competitive. But I want to be more than competitive. I want to be the best – in terms of attracting new businesses. But first and foremost, we need a governor who’s pro-business – pro-business with his rhetoric; pro-business with his ideas; and pro-business with his policy proposals. And I and my entire administration will be just that – pro-business.

NJBIZ: You were down at the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce’s recent ReNew Jersey Summit in Atlantic City and participated on a panel with some of your gubernatorial opponents (Baraka, Bramnick). Did anything stand out while you were down there or during that discussion?

Ciattarelli: I’m never going to apologize for getting into the specifics. On that particular day, with a couple hundred people in the audience, I gave specific policy proposals on how to make New Jersey a better place to do business. But also, the importance of having a governor that believes in operational efficiency for our state government.

Right now, if you’re a citizen or a business that has to deal with any state agency – it’s hell. It shouldn’t be. Our state government should be user-friendly and should be a pleasant experience where they feel that state government is partnering with them – instead of policing them. I think that message – and the specifics – was very well-received by the community.