Will Be Jersey’s “Lower Taxes, Lower Costs” Governor
FAIR LAWN, NJ — On Tax Day, U.S. Congressman and Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Josh Gottheimer, spoke about the high cost of living in New Jersey, made worse by Trump’s reckless tariffs and chaos in Washington.
For too many Jersey families, Tax Day isn’t just another date on the calendar—it’s a reminder of financial stress, rising costs, and a system that feels stacked against them. Josh’s detailed, expert-backed “Tax Cut Plan” will lower property taxes by nearly 15 percent, give renters an annual tax rebate, lower taxes for families and seniors, and incentivize people and jobs to move to Jersey.
Since his first run for Congress, Josh has had “Lower Taxes, Jersey Values,” emblazoned on his lawn signs. He’s been fighting for that mission every single day in Washington—from working to restore the SALT deduction to taking on New York and the MTA’s outrageous Congestion Tax. Josh will bring that same fight to Trenton in November.
“I’d say Happy Tax Day, but, let’s be honest, in Jersey, Tax Day isn’t a time of happiness or celebration, but rather a time of stress, hardship, and frustration. That’s why I’m here today, in front of one our state’s Department of Taxation’s field offices, to stress that I’m Governor, my top priority will be to lower your taxes and lower your costs. Think of me as your Xanax on Tax Day. I’ve put out a Tax Cut Plan and a separate Lower Costs Plan – more than forty pages worth of policy. Lower Taxes is even emblazoned on my lawn signs.
“When I talk to folks, they tell me over and over – they just feel nickel and dimed. Don’t get me wrong, like me, they love our state – our schools, our beautiful beaches, lakes, diverse communities, and, of course, the great people. But, it’s honestly hard to find something in New Jersey that isn’t taxed.
“And they’re right — we have the highest property taxes in the nation and some of the highest income taxes. Businesses are taxed more than any other state, causing us lots of jobs and people. They either can’t afford to move here, stay when they graduate, or retire here.
“A recent study lists Jersey as the number one outmigration state in the country. According to AARP’s recent data, at least 41 percent of people aged 50 or older in New Jersey are considering leaving the state. The top reason by a mile? High taxes. 40 percent of seniors also say property taxes are difficult to pay — and it’s no wonder when bills can easily reach five digits. Businesses are leaving too—we’ve lost a third of our public companies in the last decade. And those that decide to stay don’t want to grow or add jobs here. They’re going elsewhere, to lower tax states.
“Then, out of nowhere, Trump just whacked families with his reckless tariffs and chaotic economic policies. Those could cost families more than $3,800 a year in higher costs on everything from cars to clothing to cheese! Plus, these tariffs just gutted people’s retirement savings, and, if you’re a senior, Trump is going after your Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. This is the guy who ran on lowering your costs – and, instead, costs of nearly everything are up so far under Trump. And, let’s not forget when Trump and the Red Moocher States stuck it to Jersey during the President’s first term, when he capped the State and Local Tax deduction – or SALT — at $10,000, leaving three million Jersey families stuck paying taxes twice on the same amount of income. It’s outrageous, and I’m fighting in Congress to restore SALT and cut your taxes.
“It’s no wonder people feel squeezed from every direction – between taxes, food, utility bills … you name it.
“There are other Democrats in this race—current candidates for Governor—who want to raise taxes even more. Folks in the legislature right now are debating raising taxes in this year’s budget.
“Not me. I’m the only Democrat running for Governor who has a plan to cut taxes. That’s what I’m going to do as your Governor. It’s not impossible. Don’t believe those who tell you it is. It’s just going to take a fighter and a problem solver who is willing to get it done.
“So, to those watching at home, at work, or somewhere else, all I ask you to remember is this: we can cut taxes and lower your costs – your utility bills, your child care. This is real. My Tax Cut Plan is backed by experts, it’s detailed, and it’s fully paid for, without cutting the important programs and services Jersey families rely on.”
Watch Gottheimer’s full remarks HERE and read his “Tax Cut Plan” HERE.
CONGRESSMAN JOSH GOTTHEIMER REMARKS ON TAX DAY, AS DRAFTED
FAIR LAWN, NJ
April 15, 2025
Hi everyone, thanks for joining us today. I’d say Happy Tax Day, but, let’s be honest, in Jersey, Tax Day isn’t a time of happiness or celebration, but rather a time of stress, hardship, and frustration. That’s why I’m here today, in front of one our state’s Department of Taxation’s field offices, to stress that I’m Governor, my top priority will be to lower your taxes and lower your costs. Think of me as your Xanax on Tax Day. I’ve put out a Tax Cut Plan and a separate Lower Costs Plan – more than forty pages worth of policy. Lower Taxes is even emblazoned on my lawn signs.
Why am I obsessively focused with lowering taxes? You don’t have to walk more than a few steps into a diner to hear someone complaining about how high taxes are in Jersey. And they’re right — we have the highest property taxes in the nation and some of the highest income taxes. Businesses are taxed more than any other state, causing us lots of jobs and people. They either can’t afford to move here, stay when they graduate, or retire here.
A recent study lists Jersey as the number one outmigration state in the country. According to AARP’s recent data, at least 41 percent of people aged 50 or older in New Jersey are considering leaving the state. The top reason by a mile? High taxes. 40 percent of seniors also say property taxes are difficult to pay — and it’s no wonder when bills can easily reach five digits. Businesses are leaving too—we’ve lost a third of our public companies in the last decade. And those that decide to stay don’t want to grow or add jobs here. They’re going elsewhere, to lower tax states.
When I talk to folks, they tell me over and over – they just feel nickel and dimed. Don’t get me wrong, like me, they love our state – our schools, our beautiful beaches, lakes, diverse communities, and, of course, the great people. But, it’s honestly hard to find something in New Jersey that isn’t taxed. Take a look at this [gesture to poster] – there are more than 50 different taxes, or being considered right now, in our state, and that doesn’t even include the endless fees or charges. It’s holding back Jersey from our true potential and from growing our economy.
And look at all the other taxes that are getting levied on Jersey families. New York’s ridiculous Congestion Tax, which hits hardworking commuters with a $9 a day charge – that’s on top of the tolls, parking, and gas. Then, out of nowhere, Trump just whacked families with his reckless tariffs and chaotic economic policies. Those could cost families more than $3,800 a year in higher costs on everything from cars to clothing to cheese! Plus, these tariffs just gutted people’s retirement savings, and, if you’re a senior, Trump is going after your Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. This is the guy who ran on lowering your costs – and, instead, costs of nearly everything are up so far under Trump. And, let’s not forget when Trump and the Red Moocher States stuck it to Jersey during the President’s first term, when he capped the State and Local Tax deduction – or SALT — at $10,000, leaving three million Jersey families stuck paying taxes twice on the same amount of income. It’s outrageous, and I’m fighting in Congress to restore SALT and cut your taxes.
It’s no wonder people feel squeezed from every direction – between taxes, food, utility bills … you name it.
The truth is that taxes in Jersey are out of control. And our state budget has grown significantly — up more than 46 percent since Fiscal Year 2019 — putting even more pressure on folks to keep those state and local taxes high, unless something is done about.
There are other Democrats in this race—current candidates for Governor—who want to raise taxes even more. Folks in the legislature right now are debating raising taxes in this year’s budget.
Not me. I’m the only Democrat running for Governor who has a plan to cut taxes. That’s what I’m going to do as your Governor. It’s not impossible. Don’t believe those who tell you it is. It’s just going to take a fighter and a problem solver who is willing to get it done.
Here’s my plan to do it.
My “Tax Cut Plan” will cut property taxes by nearly 15 percent. That will put more than $1,000 back into the average homeowner’s wallet. And, my property tax cut won’t just help homeowners afford to keep their home—it’ll help small businesses keep their doors open. They also qualify for my property tax cut, which will free up dollars to hire workers, investment, and to grow their business in Jersey.
More than 1.2 million Jersey residents rent – and they deserve a break, too, especially since rents are up more than 33 percent over the last few years. That’s why I’m giving a $500 annual rental rebate to every renter in the state to help make that monthly payment a little bit easier to afford.
My “Family Tax Credit” will cut income taxes for middle class Jersey families to help pay for food, childcare, clothing, and more. For families in the bottom income bracket, I’ll cut your income taxes in half with my tax credit. And, for the next bracket up, I’ll cut by 25 percent. My plan is helping deliver lower taxes to people and families who need it most.
My Tax Cut Plan also gives folks a “senior bonus” when they turn 70 and have lived here for at least a decade. I want our seniors to be able to afford to stay in Jersey near their family and friends, not leave for cheaper states after retirement.
And, finally, I’ll work to grow our state by bringing more people and more good-paying jobs to Jersey. I’ll offer tax incentives to both families and businesses to move to our great state, not only bringing more revenue to Jersey, but also growing and strengthening our economy for generations to come. I have tax incentives for every new job a business brings to the state, and my “Move to Jersey” plan will match property tax rates from another state for five years when someone moves to Jersey.
Now, I know that this all might sound too good to be true. I hear from all these politicians who’ve seen ads about my Tax Cut Plan who say it’ll never happen. That, unlike other states like Connecticut and Massachusetts that have cut their taxes – Connecticut literally just cut income taxes for middle class families – that Jersey is different. That we can’t run our state more efficiently. That we can’t rethink our model. Frankly, that’s total BS — the exact attitude that got us into this mess.
Jersey families can’t afford to continue with the status quo. It’s going to take work. It’s going to take breaking some eggs – actually eggs are too expensive – breaking some glass. And, those naysayers also haven’t ever worked with me—because anyone who has would tell you that I’m a fighter, that I know how to get stuff done, and I’ve done in Congress what others said was impossible.
So, to those watching at home, at work, or somewhere else, all I ask you to remember is this: we can cut taxes and lower your costs – your utility bills, your child care. This is real. My Tax Cut Plan is backed by experts, it’s detailed, and it’s fully paid for, without cutting the important programs and services Jersey families rely on. It takes into account our structural deficits and makes critical pension payments.
It takes four major steps to pay for it. I’ll start by making our government run more efficiently. There are so many ways we can save money and stretch our tax dollars further in Trenton—from how we buy the salt we use on our roads to negotiating the prescription drugs in our state health plan. Then, I’ll go after New York, which is robbing us blind every day by taking income taxes from people who work in Jersey. I’ll also get more money back from Washington—we’re the second worst state in the country at getting money back. I’ll change that as Governor. And finally, I’ll go after tax cheats who aren’t paying what they owe. Together, this is more than enough money to pay for my plan and tackle our structural deficit—and that doesn’t even include job growth.
I developed my plan working with the smartest people and experts over years. If you haven’t read it already, you can find it on josh4jersey.com. I’d encourage you to read it, to share it with your friends and family, and to join our team to help lower taxes and lower costs for folks across Jersey.
I’ve always been a problem solver, taking on challenges others said were impossible — and solving them, including the first commonsense bipartisan gun safety legislation in thirty years, the largest investment to beat climate change, or the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, which is now fixing our roads, bridges, and the Gateway Train Tunnel. We passed bipartisan legislation expanding the Child Tax Credit to help parents pay for their kids. All of this everyone said was impossible. We got it done.
Again, Connecticut cut their income taxes last year. Our neighbors, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, have cheaper taxes than us — and they don’t have half of what we have going for us. The bottom line: it’s doable. We just have to fight, and we have to elect people who have experience getting the impossible done, like I do.
I know that, if we work together, and aren’t afraid to fix what’s broken, we can solve this problem.
Before I close, I’ll leave you with one last thought. Not only am I the only candidate in the race with a detailed “Tax Cut Plan” and the only one with a record of actually taking on and solving the toughest problems, but I’m also the one with the best shot at winning in November. Donald Trump would like nothing more than for his allies to win the New Jersey Governor’s race—putting our state at risk of even higher costs and more extreme policies. And to be frank, we should be worried. Jersey shifted to the right by 10 points last November – Harris only won by 6 points compared to Biden’s 16. Governor Murphy only won his last election by 3 points. I’m the only one in this race who defeated a Republican Member of Congress, whose seat had been red for 84 years. I’m the only one who outran Vice President Harris by 11 points last year in my district. I got support from Democrats, Independents, and even a bunch of Republicans. Why? I’m the only one who is laser-focused on Jersey families’ top issue—affordability – and have been since the day I ran for Congress in 2016. And I’ve got a long record to show for it.
As Governor, I’ll stand up to Trump, Jack Ciattarelli, Bill Spadea, and anyone who comes for Jersey families. I’ll lower taxes and costs and make your life more affordable.
Together, we can do this. We can get the impossible done. We can cut taxes. We can lower costs. When I’m Governor, I’ll get it done. Thank you so much. God bless you and God bless our great state and country.
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