All campaign accounts considered, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop has raised over $13 million for the 2025 gubernatorial contest.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
His campaign announced last night that they raised $2.2 million, the maximum allowed for a gubernatorial candidate in a quarter, which expands to approximately $6.3 million with public matching funds.
The Coalition for Progress, a super PAC linked to Fulop, has about $6.5 million cash on hand, and another PAC, the Fund for Quality Leadership, had another $310,678.69 cash on hand, according to their most recent filing with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (NJ ELEC) from January 16th.
“From the day we launched we have received an overwhelmingly positive reaction from Democrats throughout New Jersey, and this unprecedented fundraising total is the latest sign that our campaign is gaining major momentum,” Fulop said in a statement.
“I’m so thankful to the more than 1,300 individuals who contributed to our campaign and who have bought into our vision for New Jersey’s future.”
While Fulop’s 2nd quarter filing was not provided by the campaign and/or available on the ELEC website, his team said they received contributions from over 1,300 individual donors, with amounts ranging from $50 to the current maximum allowable contribution of $4,900.
Currently, the maximum that candidates participating in the state’s public financing program can raise in the primary is $2.7 million, though the limit is expected to be increased by the state Election Law Enforcement Commission before the 2025 election.
The Fulop campaign also said they will report just over $50,000 in expenses.
Our campaign is growing every day with new volunteers, supporters and donors coming on board, and I’m proud of not only what we raised but the fact we have kept expenses remarkably low for a campaign of this scope,” said Mayor Fulop. “We’re going to continue working hard over the next 23 months to build our coalition and roll out the most detailed and forward-looking policy agenda in any New Jersey gubernatorial campaign.”
Less than three months since announcing his campaign, Fulop has secured the county line in Hudson and Warren counties and been endorsed by several mayor, including Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small, Westfield Mayor Shelley Brindle, Morristown Mayor Tim Dougherty, South Orange Mayor Sheena Collum, Clinton Mayor Janice Kovach and more.
The campaign has also secured endorsements from the Amalgamated Transit Workers Union International and New Jersey Council as well as four Teamsters locals representing thousands of active and retired workers.
For the moment, Fulop is the only formally declared candidate for the June 3rd, 2025 Democratic primary.
Other potential candidates include U.S. Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-5) and Mikie Sherrill (D-11), Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin (D-19), former state Senate President Steve Sweeney, and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka.
On the Republican side, 2021 gubernatorial nominee Jack Ciattarelli has said he plans to run again, while NJ 101.5 host Bill Spadea is widely expected to run.
