New Jersey GOP gubernatorial candidate Ciattarelli picks Morris County Sheriff Jim Gannon as running mate

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New Jersey Republican Gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli on Wednesday formally introduced Morris County Sheriff Jim Gannon as his running mate. The announcement took place at Johnnie’s Tavern in Boonton, Gannon’s hometown.

The son of a former New York City police detective, Gannon has been sheriff in the North Jersey county since 2017. He began his four-decade-long law enforcement career as a patrolman in Boonton and served as deputy chief of investigations for the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office. He retired as the global head of security for Novartis Pharmaceuticals, based in Morris County. Outside of law enforcement, Gannon has served with the Boonton Township Fire Service and the Boonton Kiwanis Ambulance Squad.

Gannon said New Jersey is headed in the wrong direction when it comes to taxes, schools and public safety, and that Ciattarelli can turn the state around.

“Phil Murphy, Mikie Sherrill and Trenton Democrats created this mess,” he said. “Why would we ever trust them to clean it up? We need change, not more of the same.”

Ciattarelli praised his new partner on the campaign trail as “a problem solver, and someone who I know can work with me to fix our state.”

Dr. Ben Dworkin, director of the Institute for Public Policy and Citizenship at Rowan University, said gubernatorial candidates overall seek out running mates who can help emphasize campaign themes. He said Gannon will be able to help Ciattarelli make a strong pitch on his law enforcement platform.

“We expect the Ciattarelli campaign to emphasize law and order themes in the campaign and certainly this pick helps him deliver that message,” he said.

Morris County is shaping up to be a battleground in the campaign this year, according to Micah Rasmussen, director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University. He noted that Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill, a North Jersey congresswoman, has performed strongly in the county.

“Picking the popular sheriff of Morris County makes a lot of sense,” Rasmussen said. “He has run strongly in the county three times, and he’s a local favorite son.”