The Essex County-based SOMA (South Orange-Maplewood) Action group endorsed Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop for governor after utilizing a ranked-choice voting system.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“SOMA Action’s process is exactly what democracy in New Jersey should look like, transparent, inclusive, and reflective of true voter support,” Fulop said in a statement.
“I’m especially honored by this endorsement because SOMA Action is based in Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill’s home district, where their members were instrumental in her election. Their commitment to progressive values is unmatched.”
Of the six gubernatorial candidates considered, only Fulop (47%), Newark Mayor Ras Baraka (28%), and Sherrill (15%) received first choice votes, while 10% of voters selected “no endorsement.”
Therefore, New Jersey Education Association President Sean Spiller, former state Senate President Steve Sweeney, and U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-5) received no first choice votes.
Since no candidate reached the required two-thirds threshold initially, and 90 percent of the members wanted the group to endorse, a ranked-choice runoff was triggered.
After successive rounds, Fulop emerged as the consensus choice with 81.6% support. His lieutenant governor running mate is South Orange Mayor Sheena Collum, which likely contributed to his success here.
“Giving voters a meaningful say in elections is a critical part of rebuilding our democracy,” SOMA Action Co-President Allison Posner added.
“New Jersey has a bad habit of picking ‘elected’ officials behind closed doors and teaching them that they don’t need to bother to engage with their voters.”
Lisa Mandelblatt, Fulop’s senior advisor for community engagement, credited his approach of taking his campaign directly to voters, hosting 120 meet and greets, and standing up to Democratic party machine politics for his base of support.
“No one in this race has been more direct with voters about what they’ve accomplished and what they plan to do, even when it’s not the easy or popular answer,” she said.
“Steve’s authenticity is resonating, and that’s why we now have 2,000 energized volunteers on the ground, ready to deliver the change New Jersey deserves.”
For the timing being, Sherrill remains the frontrunner in the June 10th Democratic primary, though Fulop and Baraka and both believed to still be contenders among pundits.
