MASK OFF: Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli Rejects Science, Joins Ranks of Anti-Maskers

TRENTON —  During a campaign stop in Lakewood on Monday, Republican gubernatorial candidate Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli refused to wear a mask while greeting employees at a bakery, joining the ranks of a dangerous, anti-science movement and putting public health at risk for a partisan photo-op.

This is Assemblyman Ciattarelli’s second maskless appearance at an indoor campaign event in the last two weeks alone. During a maskless tirade at a Keyport pub on March 14, Ciattarelli, referring to Governor Murphy’s common sense measures to protect public health, stated “Leave it up to the individual. That’s what Republicans believe in.”

Despite Assemblyman Ciattarelli’s Trump-like rejection of science, mask wearing is universally considered by experts to be a critical line of defense against the spread of COVID-19. While this isn’t the first time that Ciattarelli has prioritized partisan pandering over facts, it is a reckless display of arrogance that proves how out-of-touch he is with New Jersey.

“Assemblyman Ciattarelli continues to make it clear that bolstering his own campaign is worth more to him than science and good decision-making,” said Murphy for Governor Spokesman Jerrel Harvey. “The Assemblyman plays by his own set of rules, and the personal responsibility demonstrated by New Jerseyans to save lives doesn’t apply to him. This cavalier approach to COVID-19 not only undermines public health, but is flat out dangerous.”