Ciattarelli’s roadmap to victory: Announce the attorney general pick right now

A number of recent public polls show that the Democratic nominee maintains a lead in the race for governor between 5 and 7 points.

In order to win, the GOP nominee has to pull out all the stops. Sherrill has a slight lead on energy policy and taxes, two key cornerstones of any Republican plan for governance.

SEE ALSO: Part 1 of my plan for a Ciattarelli victory in November

Law enforcement support could shift the race

One area that Jack can take back from the Democrats is public safety and law enforcement support, in particular.

So far, it's interesting that despite her past opposition to qualified immunity and more than tacit support of anti-cop BLM and coziness with the "defund the police" radicals, the largest police union in New Jersey, the NJSPBA, has yet to make an endorsement in the race.

What I'm hearing from my many law enforcement contacts and friends is that Jack's past is troubling to the law enforcement community.

His past statements regarding police being "more than well paid" and even though they "put their lives on the line," they do it voluntarily, and he "knows of other more dangerous jobs that pay less."

This, plus the belief among many LEO's that he will govern similarly to former Gov. Chris Christie, who many first responders blame for breaking his promises on pensions, has law enforcement officers and families understandably reluctant to throw in with the GOP nominee.

Why the GOP needs first responders to win in NJ

Jack needs the support of law enforcement, which is a huge part of the Trump base in New Jersey.

He needs to overperform among first responders and their families if he is going to win on Nov. 4. He also needs to turn out big in red counties, especially in South Jersey.

Based on what I'm hearing from listeners and law enforcement connections, Jack needs to act immediately. He should announce his pick for attorney general. Reassure police officers and all first responders that he's changed from that awful moment on the Assembly floor and will put a person in place who will fight for PBA members and their families.

Why Sen. Mike Testa makes sense as the pick

He should announce no later than Monday, Oct. 20, that if he wins, he will appoint state Sen. Michael Testa, R-Cumberland, to the role.

This would be a similar strategy employed by President Donald Trump, who announced his short list for the Supreme Court ahead of Election Day. This would be a game-changer for the Ciattarelli campaign.

First of all, Sen. Testa has a strong pro-law enforcement record, and he is in South Jersey, where Jack needs to pump up the votes in the reddest part of the state outside of Warren County.

Testa is one of the major reasons that Cumberland, Atlantic and Cape May counties have remained solidly Republican.

Mike also brings some youth and energy to the GOP side in the final stretch. He was a former statewide chairman for the Trump campaign and has credibility among moderates after chairing the U.S. Senate campaign for Cape May developer and hotelier Curtis Bashaw.

A last-minute power play in the race for NJ governor

Testa's been called a rising star by some and was on board early with Jack so clearly, they have a relationship to build upon. It's time for Jack to make a bold move as the clock winds down.

As I mentioned earlier this week, if he can secure a big victory in Morris with the help of the very popular, effective and energetic Sheriff Jim Gannon, then adding Mike Testa to the team helps with the Trump base, and goes a long way with law enforcement.

This could give him another boost of momentum.

On Monday, I'll have the third part of my analysis and feedback from our listeners and New Jersey voters delivering helpful recommendations for the GOP campaign.

🗺 Spadea's roadmap to victory ✅

🔴 How Ciattarelli can smash Sherrill’s momentum and win the NJ election
🔴 Want to win, Jack? One call to Trump could decide Republican's fate in New Jersey
🔴 Ciattarelli's roadmap to victory: Keep following Gilmore’s lead
🔴 Spadea's roadmap for Ciattarelli: Gotta call Jon
🔴 Ciattarelli's roadmap to victory: Immigration
🔴 From peace deals to GOP excitement: Ciattarelli can't let Trump’s NJ moment slip away
🔴 Ciattarelli's roadmap to victory: Announce the attorney general pick right now

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Spadea. Any opinions expressed are Bill's own.

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