The Hotel Trades and Gaming Council is endorsing Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop for governor, citing his advocacy for them during an expensive referendum fight over Airbnb regulations in 2019.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“I am so proud to be announcing this endorsement today, and I am eager to see Mayor Fulop take his policy agenda to Trenton. As Mayor, Fulop put his political capital and identity all in to fight for our members when their jobs and wages were on the line,” HTC President Rich Maroko said in a statement.
He worked with us to make sure that Jersey City had the strongest local labor protections in the state. More than that, he created a pro-labor environment that saw our union grow from just one unionized hotel in Jersey City prior to his administration, now to one of the most densely-unionized hotel markets in the country. With a track record like that, there is no one better prepared to build upon the successes of the Murphy Administration and tackle the issues facing our state’s working families today than Steven Fulop.”
Between both sides, over $5 million was spent, with approximately $4 million by the opposition on the ballot question about short-term rentals in Jersey City, but voters were widely in favor of new regulations, with the question passing by about a 2.5-to-1 margin.
The HTC didn’t forget that when they endorsed Fulop for a third term as mayor in 2021, and evidently, a lot of good will still exists.
HTC represents hotel, club, racetrack, and casino workers in a region which includes NYC, northern New Jersey, and upstate New York. Over 6,000 HTC members live and work in Northern New Jersey, the group said today.
“Today is a big day for our campaign for Governor of New Jersey, as HTC is with few peers in the labor world with regards to impact. They are extremely organized and effective whenever they engage in a campaign,” Fulop added.
“Over the years, we have stood shoulder to shoulder with HTC and won some tough fights together – fights that few thought we could win when they began. I’m excited to continue this partnership with Rich and the HTC team.”
Fulop is in a crowded Democratic primary field that also includes U.S. Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-5) and Mikie Sherrill (D-11), as well as Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, former state Senate President Steve Sweeney, and New Jersey Education Association President Sean Spiller.
