The governor's race took center stage Sunday night as Republican Jack Ciattarelli and Democrat Mikie Sherrill met for their first debate, sparring over a wide range of issues, from taxes and energy costs to immigration and education.

In a tense town hall-style event at Rider University with hundreds of voters in the audience, giving residents a clearer look at where each candidate stands in the closely watched contest.

It's drawing sharp lines and strong emotions.

Senior correspondent Joanna Gagis has a closer look at the highlights and what they mean for voters.

Last night, the two primary candidates for governor in New Jersey, Democratic Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill and Republican former State Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli squared off in a town hall debate, the first of this electoral season.

Both kept their focus on affordability.

I'm going to be fiscally responsible with your money.

I'm going to drive down your cost at every level.

And I'm going to make sure your kids have great opportunities here in the state of New Jersey.

Make all retirement income tax free the way it is in Pennsylvania, number one.

Freeze your property taxes for life once you hit age 70.

Allow seniors to deduct 100% of their property taxes on their New Jersey tax return.

The debate got spirited quickly when the candidates were asked whether they'd commit to not raising the sales tax, an issue that's permeated the campaign trail lately.

We are not raising the sales tax here in New Jersey.

What we need to do is lower the income tax and the property tax here in New Jersey.

Those are the most burdensome taxes we pay.

It took us 238 years to get the $36 billion budget.

In eight years we went from $36 billion to $59 billion.

Can anybody tell me their life is better off than it was eight years ago?

Has anything gotten better?

I can see why your career as a CPA was so short-lived because your math just doesn't add up, Jack.

So that's why as we look at a five billion dollar hole that we're facing from the federal government, as we're working hard to make sure that we're paying into pensions, at least one of us, to make sure that people have the hard-earned dollars that they've earned over time, as we're working to make sure that we have the best public school system in the nation.

I'm not going to commit to anything right now because I'm not just gonna tell you what you want to hear.

Now Jack raises sales tax all the time and yet tonight he said this because like we know he'll tell you whatever you want to hear.

So if any of you think I'm gonna raise your sales tax at 10% I got a bridge I want to sell you for about 50 cents she knows it's a lie they're trying to exploit you they're trying to manipulate you she knows she's in trouble in this campaign so this campaign is gonna lie to you over and over again they shared plans for how they'll try to drive down rising energy costs how to improve educational outcomes for students and whether they'd support the vaccine schedule recommended by health care experts both said yes to the vaccines when asked whether they'd continue the immigrant trust directive that limits how New Jersey State and local police assist federal officers in detention arrests.

Executive order number one on day one, we're getting rid of the immigrant trust directive here in New Jersey.

I believe the immigrant trust directive, us having sanctuary cities, us being a sanctuary state only encourages illegal immigration and restricts our local law enforcement in a number of different ways.

I've prosecuted people who were criminals here and who are undocumented and they were deported because I care deeply about public safety for the people here and I think we can all agree that violent criminals should be deported.

But what I also believe deeply in is due process.

The due process rights that are in our Constitution.

With this election, one of only two in the nation, considered to be a referendum on President Trump, the candidates took turns framing the administration's actions to their benefit.

He's beating up on the New York Democrats over their congestion pricing plan, which I think is an egregious money grab.

We shouldn't be paying for their subway system.

He's also quadrupled the SALT deduction on our federal tax returns.

The big beautiful bill also doubled the child care tax credit for those with young children.

It also doesn't tax tips over time at Social Security.

It provides a magnificent tax credit for those that send their kids to private school.

I want you to think about those four things.

They're good for all New Jerseyans.

She voted no, my opponent did, on that bill.

I'm sure he would like you to focus on those four things.

Because he doesn't want you to focus on this tariff plan, which is putting small businesses out of business and freezing hiring from our large businesses.

He doesn't want you to focus on the employment numbers or the fact that the deficit has gone up by 70 billion dollars in the year Trump's been in office.

He doesn't want you to focus on the one big beautiful bill which is going to raise families' utility costs by hundreds of dollars, which is going to imperil the health care of one in three children.

The candidates will face off one more time in October, although Ciattarelli said he's willing to add another debate.

For NJ Spotlight News, I'm Joanna Gagis.

(upbeat music)