N.J.’s Republican gubernatorial candidate promising ethics reform, if elected

Republican New Jersey gubernatorial nominee Kim Guadagno said the goal of her ethics reform plan is to restore the public’s faith in state government.

Guadagno said she believes the most important part of her plan is term limits for elected state officials.

“I think that people need to spend two terms at most serving their state. No one should rely on a state elected position for their job. I don’t think that leads to good government. I think that in fact leads to bad government. They forget who they serve.”

Guadagno said if she becomes governor, she would make members of her administration wait five years before becoming lobbyists.

“Five years out would be enough to tell people that if you’re going to come and work for me, I want your loyalty completely to the people of the state of New Jersey, and go do something else, if you want to, before you come back and lobby the very people that you’re supposed to be challenging.”

Guadagno said she’d close a loophole that allows some elected officials to accept gifts of unlimited value, if they claim they came from a friend.

“People think that when you get a gift from someone outside of government, that they’re buying something. Let’s just take that question off the table altogether and ban gifts. Let’s work with the Legislature and make that rule apply to all legislators and the governor’s office equally.”

And Guadagno wants state candidates and officials to be required to release their tax returns to the public.

“I think they should be online if you’re running for governor or if you’re running for the Legislature. People have a right to know what you might be doing outside of your job as an elected public official, I believe, or don’t run for office.”

Even though she trails Democratic gubernatorial nominee Phil Murphy in the polls and campaign fundraising, Guadagno said she’s confident of victory in November.