Overview

• The New Brunswick debate featured sharp exchanges on affordability, energy costs and property taxes, with Sherrill vowing to declare a state of emergency on utility rates and Ciattarelli pledging to exit RGGI.
• Sherrill accused Ciattarelli of profiting from opioid industry messaging through his former medical publishing firm; he called the claim a lie and defended his career.
• Ciattarelli pressed Sherrill to release Naval Academy disciplinary records after reports she did not walk at the 1994 graduation, while the National Archives has apologized for improperly releasing her largely unredacted files to a campaign ally.
• National politics surfaced repeatedly as Ciattarelli graded President Trump an A and Sherrill gave him an F, reflecting the contest’s role as an early gauge of the president’s standing.
• The candidates also clashed over the federal shutdown and the Trump administration’s pause on Gateway Tunnel funding, as late-September and early-October polls show a near tie with voters prioritizing the economy.