The selection of Jim Gannon as the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor produced some priceless political rhetoric.

The New Jersey Republican Committee had this to say:

"Jack Ciattarelli just made a BOLD move - and it’s sending shockwaves through North Jersey and beyond." And then:

"That’s bad news for Mikie Sherrill, who’s cozied up to radical progressives, voted in lockstep with Joe Biden, and built her political brand on being weak on crime and pro-open borders."

Not to be undone, Mikie Sherrill's campaign observed:

" ... Ciattarelli is clearly playing defense in Morris County, a traditional GOP stronghold where Mikie has consistently won and overperformed, as New Jersey voters gear up to reject him a third time around." There was also this:

"Jack Ciattarelli has shown us the kind of governor he'd be: Weak, defensive, and entirely beholden to Donald Trump. Truth is, Jack basically functions as Trump's New Jersey running mate ..."

It's always hazardous to examine campaign statements too closely, but let's do it anyway.

A chief Republican talking point is that Democrats are "weak" on crime.

This has been a longstanding Republican issue. Some of it is based on Democrats' traditional support for civil liberties and police accountability, which some conservatives see as favoring criminals over victims.

History aside, public safety became more of an issue for the GOP in the wake of the "Defund the Police" movement after the murder of George Floyd in 2020.

This put many Democrats on the defensive. But that was five years ago and no responsible Democrat talks anymore about "defunding the police."

Nonetheless, Ciattarelli talks often on the campaign trail about public safety.

He says he wants to take "handcuffs" off the police and crack down hard on "flash mobs" on the Jersey shore. Ciattarelli also has said he wants arch-conservatives on the state Supreme Court and that he has no problem with "no knock warrants."

Picking a sheriff and a career law enforcement man as a running mate fits Ciattarelli's narrative, although one has to wonder about the selection sending "shockwaves through New Jersey and beyond."  Like in Kansas?

There are also some caveats here.

One is that by any statistical measure, violent crime in New Jersey is on the low side when compared to the rest of the country. Still, you can expect Republicans to make public safety an issue this fall. Sheriff Gannon will help them do that.

Years ago, I heard a criminologist say that in suburbia, which is where Ciattarelli needs to do well, there is a fear of crime even while crime rates are generally very low.

Republicans are counting on that.

Sherrill's statement is a bit creative as well.

A main theme of her campaign is Ciattarelli's attachment to Trump. The president endorsed Ciattarelli in the primary, which basically ended that race.

Still, it seems a stretch to see any connection between the president and the selection of Gannon to run as LG. But, as noted, tying "Jack" to the president is a big part of "Mikie's" campaign.

Sherrill is on firmer ground claiming that Ciattarelli is playing "defense."

As her statement noted, Morris County is traditional Republican territory. And, as pointed out, Sherrill has won the county since she began running for Congress in 2018. Sherrill's CD-11 covers most of Morris and parts of Essex and Passaic counties.

Ciattarelli has to do well in Morris, and he hopes Sheriff Gannon will help.

Gannon is quite popular. Democrats have not challenged him the last two times he's run.

But, as noted previously, it's worth wondering just how far that popularity goes among average voters, some of whom are clueless about county government and who the sheriff is.