Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small is backing Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop for governor, also coming on board as his campaign co-chair.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“Mayors have a unique understanding of the skills necessary to lead and they have executive experience that qualifies them to be effective in the Office of Governor,” Small said in a statement.
“I’m proud to call Steve Fulop a friend and his accomplishments in Jersey City as a Mayor speak for themself. He is a transformational leader who will work tirelessly to help our state reach new heights, and I look forward to working closely with Mayor Fulop to make this campaign a success.”
Small’s recent track record includes a $2.7 billion development plan at the long dormant Bader Field property, four straight property decreases, investing more money in youth and senior programs and increasing tourism.
Atlantic City represents both the largest block of Democratic primary votes in Atlantic County and a large portion of its Democratic county committee seats, putting Fulop in a position to vie for the Atlantic County line.
“After decades of Atlantic City struggling, Mayor Small is moving the community forward with major redevelopment initiatives, lower property taxes and improved services, and I could not be more proud to have him join our campaign,” added Fulop.
“Mayors are on the front lines of government and have a tremendous responsibility to deliver what their constituents need every day — there’s no more difficult or rewarding job in politics. As Governor I will bring that experience as a Mayor to the State House and enact policies that support local government and help it deliver the progress that residents deserve.”
Fulop announced his candidacy for the June 3rd, 2025 about two weeks ago and rolled out the first nine members of his campaign team last week.
For the time being, he is the only declared candidate in the race from either side of the aisle, though on the Republican side, 2021 nominee Jack Ciattarelli and 101.5 radio show host Bill Spadea are all but guaranteed to run.
On the other side of the coin, political observers are watching to see what U.S. Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-5) and Mikie Sherrill (D-11), along with Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and former Senate President Steve Sweeney, decide to do.
