Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, a Democratic candidate for governor, has unveiled six more state Assembly candidates, bring his overall total up to 20.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“We are continuing to build a campaign that empowers people and grows the Democratic Party,” Fulop began in a statement.
“The Democratic Party in NJ has been running the same playbook for years, driven by county chairmen who, as lobbyists, are more interested in putting people they can control in office than they are in governing. Next year’s campaign will change how the Democratic Party in NJ does business permanently.”
Over in Atlantic County’s 2nd District, former Atlantic City Councilman-at-Large Bruce E. Weekes will be the running mate of Linwood Board of Education Trustee Lisa Bonano, who declared in August.
On a related note, Atlantic County Commissioner Ernest Coursey, the only Democratic member of his governing body, endorsed Fulop for governor in December.
In the Camden County-based 4th District, South Jersey progressive movement leader Vonetta Hawkins, an affordable housing advocate, will run alongside Brian Everrett, an assistant dean at Rutgers University-Camden who announced in August.
In Republican-leaning Ocean County, former Montville Democratic Municipal Chair Rosalee Keech, who has worked in various women’s rights groups, will run in the 9th District, while South Toms River Democratic Municipal Chair Debra Di Donato will run in the 10th District.
Finally, Steve Barratt, an advocate for ranked-choice voting, will run in Morris County’s 24th District, with former Woodland Park Councilman Ron Arnau will run in Passaic County’s 40th District.
The six candidates join Brittany Claybrooks (D-34), Frank Vélez (D-34), Tamar Warburg (D-37), Daniel Park (D-37), Rashan Prailow (D-5), Rebecca Holloway (D-6), Kevin Ryan (D-6), Eddie Freeman III (LD-8), Assemblywoman Barbara McCann Stamato (D-31), Assemblyman John Allen, Assemblywoman Jessica Ramirez (both D-32) and Assemblyman Julio Marenco (LD-33) in aligning with Fulop in the June 4th, 2025 Democratic primary.
Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla running in place of Allen is a likely potential scenario, though neither has declared their plans for 2025 yet.
It’s an ambitious plan that I think has a better chance of working than not. $10m for 80 races comes out to $125k per candidate. $250k/district is probably more than what at least half of the incumbents will spend on a race. Maybe his Assembly candidates won’t win, but in a field of 6+ candidates for Governor it could help put him over the top.
I was encouraged by Gottheimers comments about making New Jersey a more affordable place to live – the first time we have heard that since 2021. He got my attention, and if the Dems learn anything from the recent election debacle, it should be that pocket book issues still matter – alot.
Please leave, Ravi.
No one wants you in Hoboken or NJ anymore. People are finally doing the needful and seeing the light, despite trying your best to capitalize on your “poor immigrant minority” ticket and ride the the BLM social justice movement and COVID-19 pandemic fears, no one believes you anymore.
Robert Menendez clearly showed you are a clown and have no future in politics.
Go back to practicing law, but be mindful you were both debarred in New York and censured in the state of New Jersey and Gaetz is going to expose your Gurbir scandals soon enough.