Some of the top candidates in next year's race for governor got to share the spotlight today.

Five candidates sat down for a panel at the N.J. biannual policy forum, including Jackson, Raleigh and Bill Spadina, who made their first public face off in this election cycle.

And our senior political correspondent David Cruz reports each candidate got a chance to share their vision for the future of New Jersey's economy.

Short answer is yes.

Short answer is yes.

The short answer is yes.

There was a lot of agreement at the New Jersey Business and Industry Association Policy Forum today.

Five gubernatorial candidates, three Dems and two Republicans took business and industry related questions from Ed Gebbia, Trustee Rick Thigpen.

But if lively debate and sharp policy differences are what you came here for, there wasn't a lot of that.

Instead, the candidates focused on practicing their branding the business guy.

So I give my word to the business community.

As your next governor, I will be the most pro-business governor the state has seen.

The entire cabinet will be pro-business.

Our state agencies will be there to work in partnership with.

You, the innovation guy.

I think that the best example of what type of governor I would be and what I would change is what have I done in Jersey City?

We have transformed that city to be literally the economic backbone of New Jersey and was a very different place when I took office there.

The blame it all on illegal immigration, guy.

Take a look at just the illegal immigration problem.

You're looking at a $7 billion cost a year to New Jersey because we have nearly 900,000 illegals in our state.

You're paying.

For that.

The happy warrior.

We weren't afraid to take on tough issues.

In fact, sometimes the state police had to escort me through the halls of Trenton because I was willing to take on the fight because it was worth fighting for.

The people in New Jersey are absolutely worth fighting for.

And the affordability guy.

Any time we look and say we're going to look to help this group over that group or change the structure, that truck structure that impacts one over another, we're missing the point.

New Jersey is a great place.

It's a great place to live.

It's a great place to do business.

But it's a hard place to afford.

It's a hard place to make sure that your bottom line works.

NJ Beer CEO Michel Za Kirker said the other major candidates in the race, Congress members Mikie Sherrill and Josh Gottheimer, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Republicans State Senator Jon Bramnick and former state Senator Ed Durr had scheduling conflicts and couldn't make it.

The marquee attraction was supposed to be generally versus Cepeda.

The presumed GOP front runners making their first appearance together.

But since the candidates were reportedly admonished to play nice and not engage one another directly, this was their only direct communication.

Not all kids want or need to go to college.

My son is a very successful.

Licensed diesel mechanic.

Let me first say that I'm thrilled that after my advocating for this for ten years that Jack, you agree with me that it's time to remove the stigma of people that don't want to go to college.

But as the moderator reminded the candidates, today is a forum.

Not a debate.

The audience had a few on topic only questions that the candidates handled, and nobody got hurt.

In that respect, it was a little like a royal rumble.

Gentlemen, please stay at the stage for one minute.

Gentlemen, gentlemen, gentlemen.

As you're shaking hands.

Gentlemen, can you please state the stage for one minute?

We want to get a picture.

Except nobody got thrown over the top rope.

There'll be plenty of time for that over the next six months.

I'm David Kruse, NJ Spotlight News.

I know.