(upbeat music) - From NJ PBS Studios, this is NJ Spotlight News with Brianna Vannozzi.

- Good evening and thanks for joining us on this Thursday.

I'm Briana Vannozzi.

Tonight, a few stories we'll get into later in the broadcast.

First, terminated.

President Trump may be cancelling the $16 billion Gateway Tunnel Project.

We talk to Senator Andy Kim about what lawmakers are doing and the impact it'll have on New Jersey.

Then, in the final weeks of the gubernatorial race, the candidates are picking up key endorsements left and right.

So who are Latino organizations backing and what are they doing to get out the vote?

And later, we take a look at the top assembly seats up for grabs this November and why there's national attention on those races.

But first, a few of today's top headlines.

A new poll on the governor's race puts Democrat Mikie Sherrill in the lead, but shows Republican Jack Ciattarelli has the edge when it comes to voter enthusiasm.

The Quinnipiac Poll finds Sherrill holding a narrow 6-point lead over Ciattarelli, that's 50-44% there.

It's down from an 8-point margin last month.

Now the tightening gap comes from a survey taken just after their last fiery debate and a wave of new negative ads, where Sherrill, a former Navy pilot, is fending off Ciattarelli's attacks over a decades-old Naval Academy scandal, and hitting back by accusing him of profiting off the opioid crisis, allegations the Ciattarelli team strongly denies.

Now the new poll is consistent with other surveys taken on the race over the last few months, giving Sherrill a modest lead.

Both candidates, though, have solid party backing, but independents lean slightly toward Cittarelli.

And according to Quinnipiac, Republicans are more enthusiastic.

That's a key factor in what could be a low-turnout race.

And the powerful Nor'easter that slammed New Jersey's coastline this week has one South Jersey congressman asking the White House for help.

Republican Jeff Vandrieu tells the Press of A.C.

he's asked the Army Corps of Engineers to activate its Disaster Recovery Authority, pointing to the combined damage from this storm and Hurricane Erin in August, which washed away entire dunes and left streets flooded across barrier islands.

Now, the state DEP today, that's the Department of Environmental Protection, put out a preliminary assessment of the damage and found notable erosion along the coast, especially south of the Manusquan Inlet.

Millions, of course, were spent replenishing beaches in the Sea Island/Ocean City areas in 2023, and it just took a matter of hours for the storm to wipe it away.

Meanwhile, according to meteorologists, the 2.5 inches of rain dumped by the nor'easter across parts of the state wasn't nearly enough to pull New Jersey out of a drought.

According to the latest data from the DEP, overall conditions are still much drier than typical.

The rainfall mainly benefited the eastern part of the state and it's still too soon to tell if there's been an impact to the overall water supply.

And coming up, President Trump says he's terminated the Gateway Tunnel Project, but what does Congress have to say?

We talk to U.S.

Senator Andy Kim.

That's next.

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President Trump on Wednesday said his administration has terminated funding for the massive Gateway Tunnel project, a critical commuter rail tunnel under the Hudson River that's already years into construction.

Now, the abrupt announcement came as the president vowed to kill what he called Democrat projects during the federal government shutdown after freezing funding for the $16 billion project when the shutdown began.

Here's what he said.

The project in Manhattan, the project in New York, it's billions and billions of dollars that Schumer has worked 20 years to get.

It's terminated.

Well, the comments are sparking fierce backlash from leaders in the state and region, along with contradictions.

The commission overseeing the Gateway Tunnel project says construction is ongoing and they haven't received any communication from Washington, but declined to comment further on that.

According to one union leader whose members are working on the project, there are 45 days left before they run out of money.

Meanwhile, according to Politico today, the Federal Department of Transportation says it has no plans to kill the projects.

The tunnel carries hundreds of thousands of passengers every day on New Jersey Transit and Amtrak on the busiest rail corridor in the country, a point the nominees for governor jumped on today.

At a press event in Secaucus this morning, Democrat Mikey Sherrill slammed Trump and warned of the fallout, saying the project is critical to both the economy and commuters.

While Republican Jack Ciattarelli stressed collaboration over confrontation in a social media post, saying he'll work with and, when necessary, disagree with the president.

Now while the public is all left wondering, what happens next?

For more on that, I'm joined by U.S.

Senator Andy Kim.

Senator Kim, good to see you.

Thanks for taking the time today.

President Trump in his remarks yesterday didn't specifically name the Gateway Project.

Why are you, why are many people interpreting it that way?

Well, he specifically talked about the projects in this region that he's already gone after.

He already has singled out the subway line in New York, as well as the gateway tunnel.

So when he's referring to the $20 billion or so in the New York area going after Chuck Schumer, we know what he's talking about.

He doesn't have to spell it out for us.

What he does need to spell out for us is, what does it mean to terminate it?

Those are his words, terminate.

And that's something that's sending us into a fury, because this is absolutely a reckless action by the president to be able to give that order, to put in jeopardy one of the largest construction projects in the entire hemisphere, and something that would have such a negative consequence on hundreds of thousands of New Jerseyans on a daily basis and impact the ability for about 100,000 jobs.

So this is something that I hope everyone across New Jersey sees in terms of how dangerous it is for our state.

This is constitutionally dedicated funding.

Does the president have the authority to do this?

No, he does not.

And we've seen this kind of lawlessness from this president left and right.

So, yes, we're going to stand up for this.

But this is funding that we pass through Congress.

Congress sets the national budget, not the president of the United States, much to his chagrin.

But this is something where he needs to follow through on the laws passed by Congress, which is stated very clearly in the Constitution as the responsibilities of the executive branch.

For him to think that he can just on a whim hold back funding because he's upset at political leaders, that is the kind of mob boss tactics that people can't stand, especially in New Jersey.

We've seen a lot of that stuff before.

We can't stand it.

You know, this one woman, she's an independent voter, I talked to her a few days ago about this, and she said, I asked her, "Is there anything you'd want to say to Donald Trump?"

And she said, "I want to remind him that this is our money.

This is the American people's money.

This is not some slush fund or a personal bank account of Donald Trump's."

So he's using American taxpayer dollars to seek political revenge and retribution upon the people that he considers his enemies.

And the people of New Jersey are the collateral damage.

What leverage, then, Senator, does Congress have?

I mean, are you all talking about oversight hearings, court challenges?

Are you preparing some type of legislation?

I mean, what are you going to do?

Yes.

Through our committees, we are investigating this and engaged in this.

On our end, the Republican Congress, the majority in Congress, they are unfortunately standing up with Donald Trump and continuing to allow him to do the lawlessness that we see here.

But we're going to use all the power that we have available to us.

I'm engaged with the governor, with other leaders in New Jersey about potential legal action and other actions that we can take to stand up.

But, first and foremost, what we need to hear is exactly what the president meant by "terminate."

I've asked the Department of Transportation in the White House today to clarify that immediately, because the people of New Jersey deserve to know.

The Secretary of Transportation, Duffy, he is a New Jersey resident.

His family lives in New Jersey.

He knows the importance of this.

He told me before that how important the Gateway Tunnel Project is, not just to New Jersey and New York, but to the entire country.

It would be economically catastrophic if we had problems with train transport through the Northeast Corridor.

So this is something that is important for our national and economic security.

Well, to that end, the Gateway Development Commission, which as you know, oversees the work, told us today, you know, construction continues.

They haven't received word from the White House.

If that is the case, how concerned are you about delays, about what the ripple effect could be if, in fact, it is terminated?

Yeah, well, look, I worked at the White House before, and I understand the importance of having a president that recognizes the responsibility of their own words.

So, yes, this is something where we need to clarify whether or not the president is going to backtrack on his words, which I hope he does, and that they don't move forward with this type of action.

And I hope that we can convince enough people around him to tell him to back off and to let this project continue on.

You know, there is some runway in terms of funding, but if the president is serious about terminating this, we cannot complete this project without federal funding.

And that is something that would be, again, catastrophic for us if we did all this work and we're not able to move on and complete it.

If we ever even want to take it up in the future, it would be so much more expensive.

So, you know, this is important for us to stand against.

Are you worried at all, Senator, if it is, in fact, retaliation, as you just said?

Are you worried at all, then, that the longer this shutdown drags on, that other critical projects, other funding for the state, for the region could be at jeopardy?

Well, look, this is their plan all along.

You know, this is not just -- you know, I talked to some federal workers.

I asked them if they were concerned about getting fired.

And what they said is, look, of course, they're concerned, but their concern didn't start on October 1.

Their concern started on January 20.

This is an administration that has systematically been trying to dismantle our government, fire hundreds of thousands of federal workers, and go after these projects that they see left and right.

Again, this isn't just new because of the shutdown.

I believe that this is the belief and the actions that the president wanted to do, even if it wasn't for the shutdown.

And they've said so much.

So this is something where we see them for what they are.

They're saying the quiet part out loud, which is that they want to punish blue states.

They want to punish us for standing up to them.

And this is, again, why it is so important that the people of New Jersey see this when they're getting and planning to vote for our governor's race.

I really do think that this really exposes just the dangers of having Jack Ciuttarelli as our next governor.

We need someone like Mikey who's going to be willing to stand up to Donald Trump rather than someone like Jack Ciuttarelli who's just going to continue to take orders from Donald Trump.

Very quickly, is there a fail-safe to continue work if the federal funding stops?

Is there an alternative?

Well, look, I can say we have some runway and I'd have to engage deeper in terms of, you know, what kind of costs it would put on our state.

But as far as my previous conversations, something like that would be extraordinary.

I mean, it would be so difficult for our state to be able to carry the burden left by Donald Trump, if you were to terminate this.

And look, that's even including on the health care side, and the same thing with Medicaid.

They're gutting all this funding to our state, saddling us with trying to figure out how to be able to handle this.

So, put it in that broader context of all the different ways that Donald Trump is hurting New Jersey.

And Jack Ciattarelli, like I said, would just continue that and enable this president to hurt our people.

Senator Andy Kim, I appreciate your time.

Thanks so much.

Thanks for having me.

Now it's unclear just how big of a role the funding fight over the Gateway Tunnel project will play in the remaining days of the gubernatorial campaign.

But political analysts say one growing voting block in the state could be a decisive factor.

Latino voters have long been seen as a Democratic stronghold, but many are now prioritizing action over party, and both campaigns are taking notice.

Raven Santana takes a look at how the candidates are engaging with Latino communities and whether it'll shift the vote.

The Latino vote is emerging as one of the most important and unpredictable forces in this year's governor's race.

Once a reliably democratic constituency, many Latino voters say they're looking beyond party labels and focusing instead on who shows up, listens and delivers.

I'm telling you, I'm leaning towards him for the aforementioned reasons.

He's just showing up.

I think he knows the issues and I'll even tell you Mikey going about going mentioning the opioid stuff.

I thought it was a low blow and uncalled for and bad business, bad look.

Carlos Medina leads the statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, one of the largest Latino business organizations in New Jersey.

Traditionally an independent voter, he says frustration is growing among business owners fed up with bureaucracy and high costs and while undecided he's leaning towards voting for Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli, though the chamber does not endorse a candidate.

A recent state disparity study found Hispanic and black-owned businesses receive less than 1% of all state contracts.

We're ranked as one of the most difficult states to do business with.

We recently had a disparity study which showed how terrible contracting is.

Republican Jack Ciatarelli, backed by President Trump, has spent years courting Latino leaders hoping to build on GOP gains from 2024 when Trump nearly doubled his vote share in Patterson and flipped Passaic County for the first time in 30 years.

When you do the sum total of what each candidate represents, Jack Ciatarelli represents issues that really touch the core of Latinos and what's important to us and what really supports us for wealth generation in the long run.

Democrats argue that visibility alone isn't enough, facing criticism over outreach.

Mikey Sherrill's campaign shared photos from Hispanic heritage events and released a statement saying "This campaign, Mikey has engaged consistently with the Latino community and shared her vision to lower costs, bolster small businesses, and stand up against illegal attacks from the Trump administration."

Jack Ciatarelli, when asked about the importance of Latino voters, derisively answered, "Next question."

He's pledged his loyalty to Trump over the people of New Jersey.

Sherrill's allies say Latino voters' top concerns are economic, not partisan.

Just today, the Latino Action Network endorsed Sherrill.

Our membership saw him too closely aligned with the Trump and MAGA current policies.

You know, for us to see ICE coming into schools basically without due process, that's very problematic to us.

The Latino vote has always been a decisive vote in any election in New Jersey and nationally.

Patricia Campos Medina, the first Latina to serve as vice chair of a New Jersey governor's campaign warns that talk of mass deportation isn't just political rhetoric, it's a threat to the state's economy.

"When they hear Jack Cittarelli saying that he supports the deportation of undocumented immigrants just like Donald Trump wants to do it, he's actually making an economic choice that will negatively impact businesses in New Jersey.

25,000 businesses in New Jersey are owned by the undocumented.

They are generating billions of dollars in tax receipts."

The Chitorelli campaign insists its message is resonating, especially with Latinos who believe the states are on the wrong track.

Spokesperson Kenny Gonzalez released a statement saying "Jack's been clear on illegal immigration.

Anyone here illegally who's committed a crime or scammed assistance programs has to go back."

The majority of Hispanic voters agree.

He's and communities across the state talking about lowering taxes, cutting utility bills, and making the American Dream more attainable.

Latinos now make up nearly 22% of New Jersey's population, but turnout among voters of color often dips in off-year elections, meaning their participation could determine the outcome.

For Medina, Campos Medina, and millions of Latino voters across New Jersey, this election isn't just about party lines.

It's about being seen, heard and counted.

For NJ Spotlight News, I'm Raven Santana.

And while the spotlight often lands on the governor's race in this election, all 80 assembly seats are also up for grabs.

And those elected positions more quietly shape the future of policy in Trenton.

From suburban swing districts to deep blue areas with unexpected challengers, there are several key races to watch, determining whether Democrats will retain their long-held majority.

It's one reason the National Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee announced this week it's investing big money to support key campaigns.

Our senior writer Colleen O'Day has been tracking the battlegrounds and what the outcome could mean for both parties this November.

And she joins me now.

Colleen, good to see you.

So let me just ask you where you're watching.

Is there a race that stands out?

Because they kind of have been taking second fiddle, obviously, the Marquis race, the Governor's race.

But what stands out to you?

So I'd have to say the number one race to look at is in the 8th District, which is in Burlington and parts of Burlington and Atlantic counties.

That's one of the two split districts that we have.

There's one Democrat and one Republican right now.

Andrea Katz is the Democrat.

She unseated the Republican incumbent two years ago by less than 300 votes.

The other -- that's Brandon Umba.

The other assemblyman is Michael Teresi.

And he is back on the ballot running again with Umba.

And Katz is again running with Anthony Angelosi, who didn't win two years ago.

But 500 votes separated those four candidates.

It couldn't be tighter.

- Which party has the voter registration edge there?

- It's pretty much 50/50.

So it's the kind of race where it comes down to unaffiliated voters.

- Yeah, and I mean, we know the DLCC is pouring money into Katz's campaign.

What does that typically say when a national committee comes in and starts pouring money into some of these more local races.

- It says that they're very worried that you might lose.

And certainly what we're seeing in all of these tight races is that the Democrats have more money, have been spending more money.

Certainly it helps to get money from the National Committee.

But we know from 2021, more money does not necessarily mean you're gonna win.

- That's a fair point.

Okay, where else are you looking?

Where else in the state?

- So speaking of 2021, one, we're looking at the third district.

That's in Southwest New Jersey, including Salem County.

That's where in 2021, we had those huge upsets where Steve Sweeney, the Senate president, was defeated by Ed Durr, better known as Ed the Trucker, who spent less than $10,000 on his campaign, whereas Sweeney, of course, had millions.

So what happened, so the Republicans flipped three seats there in 2021.

In 2023, Democrats flipped those three seats back.

So that has really now become a swing district.

You've got Dave Bailey and Heather Simmons, who were the two incumbent freshman Democrats, running against Chris Conowell, who is a Gloucester County Commissioner, and Lawrence Moore, who is a Harrison Committee man.

And again, Democrats are spending more money, but the voter registration is very close there.

And Bailey and Simmons only won by about 1,200 votes, 2% two years ago.

- So this, I mean, given that, this strikes me as the type of situation where a strong GOP turnout for the top of the ticket, for Chittarelli perhaps, could make some inroads here for this race.

I mean, we watched it go back and forth these last few cycles, which has been interesting given the demographic there.

I mean, it's parts of Salem, Cumberland, Gloucester County tend to go a little more to the pragmatic conservative side, but not always.

- That's right.

It had been kind of a swing district then.

It had been fairly solidly democratic for a number of years, but definitely 2021 is where that changed when we saw, you know, kind of a red wave in New Jersey, where Chittarelli came within three points of defeating Phil Murphy, which no one had expected.

What about up the state a little bit in Monmouth County, District 11?

This is where, I mean, historically, a lot of upsets have happened.

I've covered them over the years.

And this used to be a split ticket.

It is not now.

Talk to me a little bit about that district.

That is another district that had been swinging back and forth.

I think it became a little more democratic in the last redistricting.

And certainly the senator who is not on the ballot, Vin Gopal, seems to be quite popular.

So he is now appearing in the most recent ads that we've seen with his assembly mates who are Luann, Peter Paul and Margie Donlan.

And, you know, they're hoping that they will be able to win again.

They've been able to hold that seat now for, you know, a couple of elections.

But again, this is the kind of place where if you saw a strong Republican turnout, those two could lose.

And we've heard Jack Cittarelli talk about this on the campaign trail back from his 2021 bid for governor and the seats in the legislature that turned, they've since turned back, turned over again.

But a lot of folks didn't see it coming then.

Now we have a Republican in the White House.

We hold our elections, our gubernatorial elections off here so that that's not supposed to influence it, but we know it does.

Is it coming down though, even to the legislative level?

Are people thinking about that when they cast their ballots for these races?

I mean, it certainly could be the case.

You know, I can tell you that in the 16th District, where there's been a lot of flyers going out, they are certainly talking about and campaigning about things like health care costs that we know are changing at the federal level.

That's the Democrats.

Democrats hold those two seats.

Republicans are trying to take those back.

That's another district that became more blue in the last redistricting, but certainly is a battleground.

- Colleen, thanks as always.

- And finally tonight, if you're a female, age 40 or older, and haven't had a mammogram in the past year, you can get one for free at a number of locations throughout the state, all in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October.

Now it's being offered regardless of insurance, income, or prior health conditions.

Places like Bergen-Newbridge Medical Center and Paramus are holding screenings all month long as part of their October is on Us campaign.

The State Health Department is also offering free cancer screenings, including mammograms, pap tests, and colonoscopies in every county.

For those who qualify, it's under the New Jersey Cancer Education and Early Detection Program.

Other locations include St.

Joe's in Patterson, Morristown Medical Center, and hospitals within the RWJ Barnabas Health Network.

You can visit your county health department website for more info.

Support for the Medical Report is provided by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.

That's gonna do it for us tonight.

I'm Brianna Vannozzi.

For the entire team at NJ Spotlight News, thanks for being with us.

We'll see you right back here tomorrow.

NJM Insurance Group, serving the insurance needs of residents and businesses for more than 100 years.

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, and by the PSCG Foundation.

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