Republican Assemblyman Alex Sauickie is demanding that Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill publicly distance herself from comments made by her running mate, Dale Caldwell, that he says insulted members of the New Jersey National Guard.
Sauickie, who serves on the Assembly Military and Veterans’ Affairs Committee, accused Caldwell of using “reckless and offensive language” during a recent lieutenant governor debate with Republican candidate Sheriff Jim Gannon. In that debate, Caldwell suggested that deploying National Guard troops to protect federal facilities or assist law enforcement could lead them to “assault” civilians — remarks that Sauickie said show “deep disrespect” for service members.
“I simply couldn’t believe my ears when I heard a man running for the second-highest office in the state say that National Guard members would ‘assault’ New Jersey communities if they were activated,” Sauickie said in a statement. “Mr. Caldwell must retract that statement immediately, and Mikie Sherrill must renounce the idea as well if she wants to have any hope of being taken seriously by our state’s honorable Guard members.”
Caldwell repeated the claim twice during the debate, prompting sharp pushback from veterans’ groups and Republican officials.
“Our National Guard members serve so they can protect the innocent and ensure communities are safe,” Sauickie continued. “If the Sherrill campaign thinks they’re violent thugs who would attack peaceful citizens, then Mikie Sherrill can’t govern our state.”