Depending on the outcome of New Jersey’s gubernatorial race on Tuesday, gun owners in the state can prepare to breathe easier or bunker down for another four years of hostility.
The race pits Republican Jack Ciattarelli, who has promised to defend the Second Amendment, against Mikie Sherrill, who is backed by a plethora of anti-gun groups. The winner will appoint New Jersey’s next attorney general, who has a considerable role in enforcing the state’s gun laws and defending the Second Amendment.
Matthew Platkin, New Jersey’s current attorney general, has consistently pushed for gun control after his appointment four years ago by outgoing Democratic Governor Phil Murphy. In New Jersey, the attorney general is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate.
During his time as attorney general, Platkin has sued numerous gun manufacturers, supported a wide-ranging ban on carrying guns in public places, and defended the state’s strict gun laws.
Platkin has defended the state’s ban on AR-15s and ammunition magazines that carry more than ten rounds. The case is currently before the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Trump administration has filed a brief in support of the Second Amendment groups that challenged the law.
“Although such rifles and magazines are subject to reasonable regulations that are consistent with the Nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation, the complete bans at issue here are unconstitutional,” the Justice Department argued in a recent brief.
Platkin has also supported bans on so-called “assault weapons” in other jurisdictions, and he co-led a brief in September defending the ban in Cook County, Illinois, on AR-15s. In May 2024, he took action to defend similar gun control laws in Massachusetts.
The New Jersey Democrat also went on the offensive, accusing gun manufacturer Glock of making a semi-automatic pistol that can be illegally modified into being fully automatic.
“For decades, Glock has knowingly sold weapons that anyone with a screwdriver and a YouTube video can convert into a military-grade machine gun within a matter of minutes,” Platkin said in December 2024.
Platkin has also supported the suing of gun manufacturers under “public nuisance” law and laws banning those under the age of 21 from owning guns. Additionally, he was “thrilled” after the courts upheld a law that banned carrying guns in almost every public place.
Ciattarelli has promised to replace Platkin on his first day as governor with an attorney general “who respects all constitutional rights, including Second Amendment rights, and will review all legislation and policies for constitutional flaws to remedy or repeal them, and reevaluate the state’s position in pending lawsuits by citizens challenging state laws as unconstitutional under the Second Amendment.”
Additionally, he said he will veto any legislation that infringes on the Second Amendment.
On the other hand, Sherrill, who has been endorsed by the gun control group Everytown for Gun Safety, has promised to fight “until we fully ban assault weapons” and “require universal background checks for gun purchases.”
While New Jersey is seen as a solid blue state, recent polls have shown the gap between Ciattarelli and Sherill tightening.
