Net worth revealed: Inside the fortunes of NJ’s next governor, as Ciattarelli and Sherrill made millions

🏛️ NJ’s top governor candidates are both multi-millionaires, financial disclosures show
📄 Ciattarelli releases tax returns, but limits public access
💼 Sherrill’s net worth tied to husband’s investments, challenging GOP attacks over her personal stock gains

Both main candidates vying to be New Jersey’s next governor are multi-millionaires.

Republican Jack Ciattarelli shared his tax returns with reporters on Sept. 19.

Election Day update: AP projects Mikie Sherrill the winner of NJ governor's race

Both top NJ governor candidates are multi-millionaires

He has made almost $14.9 million in income since 2012, according to his campaign. His largest year was in 2017 when Ciattarelli sold his Galen medical publishing company for about $7.1 million.

The three-time state assemblyman and 63-year-old retired businessman has paid nearly $4 million in federal income tax, state income tax, and local property tax in that span, according to the New Jersey Monitor.

The joint returns were filed with his now ex-wife, as the couple’s divorce was finalized this year.

Democrat Mikie Sherrill, 53, has a net worth of about $9.4 million, almost entirely based on her husband’s earnings, according to a financial disclosure report in August, New Jersey Globe reported.

Her husband is a New York investment banker.

Read More: How Did Trump Influence New Jersey's Gubernatorial Debate?

Sherrill discloses net worth, counters stock attack

Sherrill owns no individual stocks, only exchange-traded funds (ETFs) – a collection of investments that can be purchased as stock.

Her joint tax return from last year reported an income of $3.2 million. Of that, a bulk was spouse Jason Hedberg’s salary, along with Sherrill's $174,000 congressional salary.

The paperwork challenges a frequent attack argument by Ciattarelli, which says that the Congresswoman has “tripled her net worth” in stocks since beginning her first term in Congress 2019.

Reports of Sherrill’s net worth often take the higher limit in a wide range as the estimate, which can lead to an incomplete snapshot, New Jersey Globe also reported.

Ciattarelli releases tax returns, with restrictions

In sharing his returns this month, the Ciattarelli campaign gave reporters two hours at an office in Clinton, to view but not copy a stack of paperwork, New Jersey Monitor reported.

“His unwillingness to provide unfettered access to his tax returns makes you wonder what he has to hide," Ciattarelli said in 2017 of then opponent Phil Murphy, when the democrat similarly let reporters view but not copy his own tax returns for a five year span.

Ciattarelli and Sherrill face off in a second and final gubernatorial debate on Wednesday, Oct. 8 in New Brunswick.

In New Jersey, early in-person voting for the general election will run from Saturday, Oct. 25, through Sunday, Nov. 2.

Election day is on Tuesday, Nov. 4.