2021 Gubernatorial Candidate Statement

Statement

In New Jersey, we're used to doing big things and facing the challenges that come our way. There's no
question that the last year has tested us in ways we never imagined. Our next big challenge is where we go
from here.

The answer is to do what we do best -- move forward. I know that together, we can build a stronger and fairer
New Jersey that works for every family.

We have accomplished so much over the past three and a half years.
We raised the minimum wage so that working families don't have to choose between keeping a roof over their
heads or putting food on the table.

We made sure millionaires pay their fair share in taxes so the middle class gets a break.

We expanded pre-K, made historic investments in schools, and launched tuition-free community college to
ensure that every child has access to the education they need for a lifetime of success.

We reduced the cost of health care, and we expanded paid family leave -- workers can now take time off to
care for a loved one in their time of need.

We restored funding for Planned Parenthood to protect women's health and reproductive rights after eight
years of willful neglect by the previous administration.

We took bold steps to address environmental injustice. We put New Jersey on a path to replace every lead
service line in the state over the next ten years, ensuring all New Jerseyans have safe and clean drinking water.

We made New Jersey a model of pandemic response by investing hundreds of millions in small businesses,
providing assistance for renters, homeowners, and landlords, and closing the digital divide for 231,000
students. We are a national leader in vaccination, and we know that public health creates economic health.

We put a new emphasis on restoring New Jersey's dominance in the innovation economy by reinvesting in job
training and supporting clean energy jobs, preparing our workforce for the future while protecting our
environment and combating climate change.

We've done exactly what we said we would do from day one: fight to make New Jersey stronger and fairer for
everyone.

Growing up in a working-class family, my parents instilled in me the value of public service and the importance
of giving back. Their beliefs in working hard, having your neighbor's back, and that we all do better when each
of us does better guide me. But the main lesson I took away is how action and working together can change
people's lives for the better.

That's why I decided to run for Governor, and why I'm running again. Our work isn't finished -- and we can't
go back to when New Jersey only worked for the wealthy and well-connected. We need to combat
longstanding disparities that this pandemic has laid bare and ensure a strong, equitable recovery for everyone.

I hope to earn your vote so that we can move forward together and keep building on that progress.

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