Former state senator, TV anchorwoman Diane Allen chosen as Ciattarelli running mate

Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli has announced former state Sen. Diane Allen as his pick for lieutenant governor.
The Ciattarelli-Allen ticket made its debut at the Burlington County Agricultural Center in Moorestown for the announcement.
“A champion for equality and a trailblazer for women's rights. Respected by Republicans, Democrats and independents across New Jersey,” Ciattarelli said of his running mate.
“You can't just pick up stakes and move, you're stuck in New Jersey. We don't want you to feel like you're stuck in New Jersey, we want you to feel like you're happy in New Jersey and we're going to change things so you feel that way,” Allen said.
Ciattarelli and Allen took aim at Gov. Phil Murphy for scandals including allegations of a toxic environment for women on the governor's 2017 campaign, charges of beatings and sex abuse of female inmates at Edna Mahan women’s prison, and that Murphy officials knew a campaign volunteer had accused a campaign worker of rape, but the man held onto a six-figure administration job.
“It seems that all the women in his orbit are put aside, they're thought of as less-than, and the men always seem to be taken care of,” Allen said.
Allen spent a career as a television anchorwoman before being replaced for a younger female anchor. She sued for sexism and age discrimination and set a precedent. The state's law mandating equal pay for women in public jobs is named after her.
“When you see something that's wrong you need to fix it. You can't put your head in the sand. You can't run away. If you want to represent the people of New Jersey, you need to act and you need to act quickly,” Allen said.
Ciattarelli and Allen both traveled to Edna Mahan Correctional Facility later in the day to highlight conditions there.
Gov. Murphy is running for reelection alongside current Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver.