N.J. Democrats learn nothing from 2024, go fringe left in first gubernatorial primary debate

Election 2024 results in the tightest New Jersry presidential contest in New Nersey in 32 years. President Trump flipped multiple counties including diverse Passaic in the North and working class Atlantic down in the South. Heavily Hispanic enclaves like Lodi swing wildly to Trump by double-digit margins from 2020, and once purple spots (like Gloucester County) went strong for the Republican nominee.

But you would’ve never known any of that from watching Sunday night’s Democrat gubernatorial debate at Rider University hosted by The New Jersey Globe, Save Jerseyans.

“While the Democratic primary for governor in New Jersey is a complete mess, it turns out that on the issues that matter to voters the candidates are in lockstep: whether it’s taxes, education, or energy, not a single person on stage has a plan to actually improve the lives of New Jersey families,” RGA Communications Director Courtney Alexander opined after the dust settled. “The clearest takeaway is that whoever Democrats nominate will be selling the same bad ideas and failed policies that New Jersey voters clearly want to move on from.”

There was little daylight to be found on policy and ideology between the six participants: incumbent Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, outgoing Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11), NJEA President Sean Spiller, and ex-Senate President Steve Sweeney.

“Six Democrat candidates for Governor agree to codify in the NJ Constitution the most radical abortion laws in the Country,” noted Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia (R-24) on X. “THE POLICY: ”Free’ for all, up to the moment of birth, no parental notification for minors, may be performed by unlicensed ‘professionals’, and if an unborn baby is killed during the commission of a crime against the mother, it is not a homicide charge, because Democrats do not recognize personhood.”

A spring 2023 Marist poll found no less than 73% of New Jerseyans opposed to late term abortion.

No less mystifying – in light of recent headlines and voter trends – was universal acclaim by the candidates for the state’s Sanctuary Statehood policy at a time when ICE has rounded by criminals wanted for violent crimes right here in New Jersey.

Absent from the candidates’ responses was a coherent plan for tackling New Jersey’s crippling affordability crisis though the candidates played plenty of lip service to their constituents’ inability to afford housing and other basic necessities. In a slight nod, perhaps, to the mess Phil Murphy is about to leave behind, not one of the Democrat candidates was brave enough to give Murphy an “A” grade when asked by the panelists, opting instead for B or C grades.

What’s next? The Republican gubernatorial debate – which will include Save Jersey as a co-sponsor – is set for Tuesday evening at 7:00 p.m., also at Rider, and viewable right here at SaveJersey.com

Matt Rooney
About Matt Rooney 8761 Articles
MATT ROONEY is SaveJersey.com's founder and editor-in-chief, a practicing New Jersey attorney, and the host of 'The Matt Rooney Show' on 1210 WPHT every Sunday evening from 7-10PM EST.