What Job Creators Want in NJ’s Next Governor

At Issue

By Christopher Emigholz, NJBIA Chief Government Affairs Officer On Jun 30, 2025

New Jersey’s historic 2025 gubernatorial primaries, with crowded fields of competitive candidates running for the first time on ballots without official “county-line” endorsements, are finally behind us and the November election is coming into sharper focus.

“Affordability” dominated nearly a dozen Democrat and Republican primary campaigns, but now that there are only two candidates left, we have more bandwidth to focus on important policy specifics. Everyone running wanted greater affordability, but what did that mean exactly? What do New Jersey job creators hope to see in our next governor? 

For starters, affordability does not mean higher taxes. Businesses need a governor who prioritizes balance in New Jersey’s public policy process, producing affordability and economic growth for all – including job creators. That balanced approach, combined with the Garden State’s significant assets, will lead to growth and affordability. Conversely, policies that make us negative outliers waste our strategic advantages and lead to economic stagnation.

The Garden State lacks balance in its tax policy. New Jersey has the highest corporate business and property taxes in the nation. In fact, New Jersey is the only state in the upper third of each of the four major taxes: income, sales, corporate and property. Businesses need a governor who says enough is enough when it comes to our already high taxes.

New Jersey needs more balance in its regulatory environment because our outlier labor and environmental policies increase the cost of doing business. This disproportionately harms our smaller job creators who lack the complex compliance resources of larger corporations.

Greater balance is also critically needed in energy policy. New Jersey should prioritize reliability and affordability while striving for cleaner energy. Clean energy mandates that ignore costs hurt ratepayers. Affordable energy requires balance.

Balance is also a good government process component, meaning policies should be in the middle taking input from all sides. The business community looks forward to partnering with the next governor to provide that balance of perspectives that New Jersey has often lacked. 

Our next governor must also invest in what stimulates economic growth and job creation by prioritizing state support for workforce development, infrastructure and innovation, and minimizing unnecessary spending in other areas. 

New Jersey has enormous potential – strategically located, richly diverse, and full of entrepreneurial energy. Leadership that embraces job creators’ need for policy balance and pro-growth investments is what we need. Let’s get to work to make sure that happens. 

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