By MICHAEL CATALINI
Associated Press

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy has been in office for only about a month and already a former Republican lawmaker says he's planning to challenge him in 2021.

Former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli left office last year after a failed run in the GOP gubernatorial primary. He told the Associated Press Tuesday that "if asked today, I'm running." Murphy's office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Ciattarelli is a certified public accountant who owns a medical publishing company. He served in the Assembly from 2012 until this year. He came in second in last year's Republican primary to former Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, who lost to Murphy in November.

He says he wants to run to address the state's biggest problems - property taxes, school funding and transportation.

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