MAGA activist and podcaster Mike Crispi may be on the brink of joining the 2025 Republican gubernatorial primary.
Crispi, host of the “Mike Crispi Unafraid” podcast, plans to make an unspecified announcement on Thursday, December 5th which he’s teased on X following the Thanksgiving holiday.
He’s run for office once before, falling short in a 2022 primary challenge to long-time incumbent Congressman Chris Smith (R, NJ-04), 57.8% to 36.9%. But Crispi has worked hard on his brand in the interim, earning a speaking slot and a shoutout from President-elect Donald Trump during last May’s epic Wildwood beach rally.
The millennial pro-Trump influencer may now attempt to leverage his grassroots efforts and developing MAGA street cred into a statewide run. In recent days, he’s also repeatedly criticized what he views as a currently-constituted GOP field that lacks an “authentic MAGA candidate.”
Crispi would face off against NJ 101.5 radio host Bill Spadea, 2021 nominee Jack Ciattarelli, state Senator Jon Bramnick (R-21) and former state Senator Ed “The Trucker” Durr (R-3). Crispi has been particularly critical of Ocean County Republican chairman George Gilmore, the chief internal party backer of Spadea who has worked at a lobbying firm co-run by the brother of Democrat party boss Phil Norcross.
“The Crispi team is exploring Mike’s next steps, fed up with insider deals driven by personal gain and weak Republican leadership,” New Jersey attorney and Crispi advisor Carlo Ghione told Save Jersey on Tuesday when I inquired into the possibility of a Crispi gubernatorial bid. “The current field lacks true outsiders, dominated by perennial candidates or candidates controlled by insiders known for cutting deals with Governor Murphy and Democrats. The era of Republicans in safe counties prioritizing their own benefit over the party’s is over. Mike will soon announce his plans after consulting with our friend Roger Stone and other key individuals who have been involved in the Trump 2024 campaign. We are set to hear next steps this Thursday.”
Governor Phil Murphy is term-limited; multiple Democrats are competing for their party’s nomination including three mayors (one of which is a long-time NJEA boss), two congressmen, and a former State Senate president.
New Jersey is receiving renewed attention heading into next year not just because Virginia is the only other show in town but owing to the fact that Donald Trump lost the Garden State by less than 6-point this year, the closest finish here for GOP nominee since 1992 (no Republican presidential candidate has carried New Jersey since 1988). In 2021, the last gubernatorial contest, Ciattarelli over-performed public polling and fell only 3-points short of unseating Murphy, further solidifying the state’s new status as an emerging swing state.
