New Jersey's Gubernatorial Candidates Face Off in Town Hall Meeting Debate at Rider University
September 21, 2025, 12:38 pm | in
New Jersey's Gubernatorial Candidates Face Off in Town Hall Meeting Debate at Rider University
The debate will stream live at 7 PM on On New Jersey, with an exclusive
pre-show starting at 5 PM.
LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J., September 16, 2025 — New Jersey’s gubernatorial candidates, Mikie Sherrill (D) and Jack Ciattarelli (R), will meet in a highly anticipated town hall meeting debate on Sunday, September 21, broadcast live from Rider University in Lawrenceville.
The debate—presented by O’Toole Scrivo, LLC—is produced by On New Jersey, New Jersey Globe, and Rider University, offering voters an unfiltered look at the candidates’ visions for the Garden State just weeks before Election Day on November 4. Moderated by Emmy Award-winning journalist Laura Jones, host of NJ Politics with Laura Jones on MeTV-WJLP and On New Jersey, the debates will feature panelists David Wildstein of the New Jersey Globe, Micah Rasmussen of Rider University's Rebovich Institute, and Sophie Nieto-Muñoz of the New Jersey Monitor. Students from Rider University will also be asking questions to the candidates.
“This debate is about giving New Jerseyans unfiltered access to the candidates and their ideas,” said Gerald D’Ambra, co-founder and managing partner of On New Jersey. “In a political landscape that often favors national headlines, we’re proud to focus squarely on the issues that matter most here at home. Partnering with the New Jersey Globe and Rider University ensures this debate reflects the best of New Jersey’s political tradition.”
“We’re deeply grateful to the Election Law Enforcement Commission for recognizing the importance of making debates accessible in the ways voters actually consume media today,” said Lisa Marie Falbo, co-founder and managing partner of On New Jersey. “Through our sponsors and marketing partners, we’re able to deliver this debate across every major digital platform, bringing statewide attention to New Jersey’s democratic process.”
The debates and accompanying programming will be streamed live across On New Jersey’s digital platforms, including ONNJ.com, YouTube, Roku, NewsON, Apple TV, Fire TV, Samsung TV, and all major social media channels. Audio from the debate will also be available on leading podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and iHeartRadio. The event will additionally simulcast on New Jersey Globe’s YouTube and X platforms. To ensure inclusivity, the debate will be closed captioned in the following languages: Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, English, Spanish, European Portuguese, Gujarati, Haitian Creole, Hindi, Korean, Punjabi, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and Urdu.
Pre- and Post-Debate Programming
Emmy Award-winning journalist Brian Thompson will host exclusive pre- and post-debate coverage with Joey Fox of the New Jersey Globe. The pre-show will feature segments led by award-winning hosts Laura Jones and Lisa Marie Falbo, including interviews with New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, New Jersey Lt. Governor Tahesha Way, Rider University President John Loyack, and Kevin O’Toole and Tom Scrivo of O’Toole Scrivo, LLC. On-the-ground reporting will be provided by live correspondent, Emmy Award-nominated reporter Joti Kaur Rekhi, offering real-time updates from inside the venue. Immediately following each debate, there will be a brief media availability with each candidate.
Sponsorship Support
Sponsors for the debates include O’Toole Scrivo Attorneys at Law (Presenting Sponsor), Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, PSEG (Live Stream Sponsor), AARP New Jersey (Pre- and Post-Debate Show Sponsor), Audible (Audio Sponsor), Johnson & Johnson (VIP Party Host), RWJBarnabas Health, Prudential Financial, New Jersey Business & Industry Association, McCarter & English, Mercury (Social Media support), New Jersey Globe, On New Jersey, and Rider University.
About On New Jersey
On New Jersey (ONNJ) is the state’s only 24/7 live-streaming television channel, delivering local news, political coverage, sports, and community-driven content across all digital platforms. For more information, visit ONNJ.com.
