TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey Assemblyman Paul Kanitra (R-Point Pleasant Beach) delivered a wide-ranging and pointed critique of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rep. Mikie Sherrill and her positions — or lack thereof — on controversial political issues during an appearance Thursday morning on Fox & Friends First.
Kanitra is one of the frontrunners to replace embattled Ocean County GOP Chairman George Gilmore, a convicted felon pardoned by President Trump. Gilmore’s value has declined as a leader in Ocean County and across the state in GOP circles after suffering massive defeats backing state-level candidates against the Republican party, including failed gubernatorial candidate Bill Spadea.
He is one of the rising stars of the New Jersey Republican Party.
In a spirited live interview, Kanitra backed former President Donald Trump’s recent declaration to end wind-sourced energy in the United States, criticized Sherrill’s refusal to denounce New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, and recounted a personal brush with interstate crime that he says underscores the stakes for New Jersey voters.
The segment began with co-hosts introducing Kanitra as a “vocal advocate on the harms of wind energy for years,” following a clip of Trump urging European leaders to “stop building destructive wind turbines” and vowing:
“We will not allow a windmill to be built in the United States. They’re killing us. They’re killing the beauty of our scenery, our valleys, our beautiful plains. You look up and you see windmills all over the place. It’s a horrible thing. It’s the most expensive form of energy. It’s no good.”
Kanitra, whose coastal district includes some of the most prized oceanfront property in the state, said Trump was “spot on.”
“They are killing everything,” Kanitra said. “In New Jersey, the last pristine vista we have is my district. It’s the Jersey Shore. Wind turbines are killing the whales. They’re industrializing the ocean. These are all things that Democrats used to care about back in the day, and they just don’t seem to anymore. A couple of million dollars in campaign donations later, and the President’s hit it. I mean, he definitely has gone after wind turbines in the beginning. There’s still one project off the coast of New York, Empire Wind, that potentially could be built because they got all their permits under Biden. But we really need to stop these things right now.”
The hosts noted that most large-scale U.S. offshore wind projects are spearheaded by European companies, with profits flowing overseas. They also listed concerns often cited by opponents: noise, aesthetic disruption, radar interference affecting the military, wildlife harm, and the unpredictability of wind generation.
When asked how he was working to halt development, Kanitra said the fight began years ago when he was mayor of Point Pleasant Beach.
“So much of this is just about awareness. That’s how they’re able to get through all these projects in the first place,” he said. “We’ve been holding rallies since I was mayor of Point Pleasant Beach. We’ve held them on the steps of the State Assembly in Trenton as well. And we’ve tried to introduce legislation, which necessarily, because of the Democrats, is a little difficult of a proposition. But the more awareness that you raise, the more that people find out, the more people are against this. Over 50% of the population in New Jersey is against offshore wind. And obviously at the Jersey Shore, it’s over 80%.”
The conversation then pivoted to the upcoming New Jersey governor’s race, where Sherrill is expected to face Republican former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli. Sherrill recently sidestepped a question from PIX 11 reporters about whether she would endorse Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist and progressive frontrunner in the New York City mayoral race.
Sherrill told the station: “I haven’t weighed in. I haven’t made endorsements in New York because I’m running in New Jersey.”
Kanitra was blunt in his assessment.
“Before the primary, she certainly seemed like she was about to endorse him after he would win. But since then, the publicity has been a little bit difficult for her, and she’s walked those things back,” Kanitra said. “She’s acting as if what happens in New York doesn’t affect New Jersey. As somebody who was the victim of a home invasion where they actually stole my car — it was people from New York, they took it to the Bronx, back to the Bronx to get shipped out of the country, and then they got caught — I can tell you firsthand that when New York is burning, New Jersey sees those repercussions. The fact that she doesn’t have the backbone to knock down a socialist anti-Semite in Mamdani shows that she might not have the backbone to be governor of New Jersey.”
Kanitra’s revelation about the car theft — linking his personal experience with cross-state crime — underscored his argument that policies and political climates in New York have real consequences for residents in the Garden State.
The hosts pressed the political implications further, noting that several top New York Democrats — including Gov. Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries — have declined to endorse Mamdani.
“If somehow Sherrill does endorse Mamdani, does that increase Jack Ciattarelli’s chances exponentially of winning this gubernatorial race?” one host asked.
Kanitra replied confidently:
“I think Jack Ciattarelli is already on his way to the governor’s office in New Jersey. But yes, this would be an absolute fatal flaw if she actually did endorse him and his crazy leftist policies.”
The interview ended on a lighter note, with the hosts congratulating Kanitra on the upcoming birth of his first son and complimenting his “great suit.”
The appearance is the latest in a series of high-profile media spots for Kanitra, who has made opposition to offshore wind energy a defining issue in his legislative career. His stance aligns with a growing chorus of local officials, fishermen, and residents who argue that the push for offshore wind is being rushed at the expense of the environment, marine life, and coastal economies.
Sherrill, meanwhile, has generally supported renewable energy initiatives, including offshore wind, as part of broader efforts to address climate change. Her campaign has not issued a direct response to Kanitra’s remarks, but her avoidance of a direct endorsement in the New York mayoral race suggests an effort to balance progressive credentials with broader statewide appeal in a purple-leaning New Jersey.
Mamdani, the Queens-based Assemblymember and outspoken progressive, has drawn both enthusiastic grassroots support and sharp criticism for his positions on policing, housing, and foreign policy. His candidacy for mayor of New York City has become a flashpoint in debates over the Democratic Party’s direction, with moderates and establishment leaders wary of aligning with his platform.
Kanitra’s warning about “repercussions” from New York’s political leadership taps into a recurring theme in New Jersey politics: the intertwined fates of the two states’ economies, transportation systems, and crime trends. His personal story about his car being stolen and trafficked through the Bronx may resonate with voters concerned about public safety.
For Kanitra, the interview was an opportunity to link three distinct issues — offshore wind development, progressive politics in New York, and the New Jersey governor’s race — into a single narrative about defending local interests and rejecting what he portrays as harmful ideological agendas.
“Busy morning fighting the good fight,” Kanitra later wrote in a social media post recapping the segment, noting he had “even got a shout out about the upcoming birth of my first son.”