Democrat Mikie Sherrill, left, and Republican Jack Ciattarelli during a New Jersey governor's race debate on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, in New Brunswick, N.J. (Rutgers University/WABC-TV)
Chris Russell, a Ciattarelli campaign strategist, told Fox News that if Sherrill "had any decency, she would retract her slanderous comments and apologize."
"Whether it's tripling her net worth in Congress and hiding details of her stock trades or concealing the true extent of her role in the Naval Academy cheating scandal, Mikie Sherrill is a proven liar and lawbreaker whose desperation is showing," said Russell.
"Her reckless and defamatory claim that Jack 'killed tens of thousands of people, including children,' has been roundly criticized by members of the press, legal scholars and people in both parties," he added.
"The truth is that Jack Ciattarelli's medical publishing company helped to create an online tool which allowed a small group of chronic pain sufferers to educate themselves on treatment options and better advocate for their own healthcare choices when meeting with their medical professionals," explained Russell.
NJ REPUBLICAN CIATTARELLI THREATENS TO SUE SHERRILL OVER OPIOID CLAIM
Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., and Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., both launched gubernatorial bids for their respective states in the 2025 election. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Pressed to clarify whether she was asserting that Ciattarelli killed tens of thousands of New Jerseyans, Sherrill answered, "Yes. Look, I think he is right there with the people that, again, paid billions of dollars. So, I think that the line is pretty clear."
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For his part, Ciattarelli shot back against Sherrill at a campaign rally on Monday, saying, "her entire campaign is based on a stack of lies about me [and] her disdain for the president."
He said that for the remainder of the campaign he will be pivoting to discussing his day one plan as governor, saying he will immediately issue an executive order banning sanctuary jurisdictions for illegal immigrants, bringing state workers back to work in-person, appointing a state attorney general "who supports both police and parents," fixing the public education system and eliminating green energy initiatives in New Jersey.
Peter Pinedo is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ciattarelli-team-blasts-opponent-over-slanderous-claim-he-profited-from-opioid-deaths