Branded as a dandy who relishes Italian bungalow vacations, ridiculed by his rival for how he eats pizza, Phil Murphy is slapping back at Jack Ciattarelli by professing a better understanding of his adopted state’s culture and communication, citing “cursing” as a vital part of how New Jerseyans talk to one another.

This from the Murphy Campaign this morning:

“Republican gubernatorial candidate Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli is out of step with New Jersey — from his support for the Trump agenda to his opposition to public health measures to his attacks on LGBTQ inclusion and much more — but there is one issue where Ciattarelli’s position might be even further outside the mainstream: his opposition to a favorite Garden State tradition, cursing.

“While serving on the Raritan Borough Council in the 1990s, Ciattarelli voted for and championed a ban on cursing in the community — that’s right, a ban on cursing. In New Jersey. What the f*ck was Ciattarelli thinking?

Watch some real New Jersey residents react to this blatantly unconstitutional, totally laughable policy in this new video ad.

“Raritan’s cursing ban included a $500 fine for violators and it was opposed from the start by the town’s police chief, who said it was a violation of free speech. Residents also pointed out its absurdity, with then 21-year old Bree Dougherty telling the Council: “The days of ‘Leave It to Beaver’ and ‘American Bandstand’ are long gone. The council should be more worried about how to protect citizens from crime and how to keep property taxes low,” and resident Carmen Snell bemoaning the fact that: “The Joke Around Here Is That Now Raritan Is On The Map – For A Ridiculous Reason.”

“The ban even attracted national news coverage, including the AP, New York Times, Washington Post, Baltimore Sun, Orlando Sentinel, and many other news outlets. Ciattarelli defended the ban in the press, telling the Home News Tribune: “When four-letter expletives are used that violates an individual’s right to a civil and tranquil environment,” and even appearing on CBS This Morning on October 10, 1994, and said, “ … our sole purpose on the council is to preserve a certain quality of life that the people of Raritan not only want but they expect.” As this ridiculous “cursing ban” shows, Ciattarelli’s attachment to extreme social positions is nothing new and Jack will stoop to anything to play extreme politics.”