Democrats use N.J. gubernatorial debate to bash Christie, front-runner's Goldman-Sachs ties

GALLOWAY, N.J. — The New Jersey Democrats running for governor used their first debate before next month’s primary to bash Gov. Christie’s stewardship of the economy, environment, and public schools, and called for a liberal counterbalance to President Trump.

Sharing the same stage for the first time Tuesday at Stockton University, two of the contenders attacked the front-runner, Phil Murphy, for his background as a Goldman Sachs banker and ties to party bosses who helped elevate his candidacy.

The candidates rarely disagreed on the issues, as they proposed to fully fund schools and public workers’ pensions, and pursue liberal priorities such as renewable energy and legalizing marijuana.

For his part, Murphy railed against “special-interest politics” and ignored references to his two-decade past on Wall Street. He nodded in agreement as other candidates discussed the issues.

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