Ed “The Trucker” Durr was the state’s most popular Republican (among his fellow Republicans) for a brief time in 2021 after her dethroned Senate President Steve Sweeney with a shoestring budget. That was then. Four years later, Durr is a former senator and his gubernatorial campaign is ending under a cloud of endorsement confusion and internal recriminations.
“My supporters are the best! They worked down to the wire to ensure I have enough signatures to qualify for the ballot, and I thank them for their love and support,” Durr said in a statement released Monday announcing the end of his uphill run for the GOP nomination. “Unfortunately, the second part of the equation is money. We will not qualify for matching funds. Without matching funds we are out of the debates, making it difficult to get our message beyond those who already support this campaign.”
Durr also appeared, at least initially, to endorse primary rival Bill Spadea on his way out the door.
“I will not make the mistakes that were made in the gubernatorial primary four years ago and split the MAGA conservative vote. Jon Bramnick openly admits he is not MAGA and Jack Ciattarelli has always been a never-Trumper,” the Trucker continued. “While there are two of us carrying the conservative message of the MAGA movement only one has the financial resources necessary to carry that message through to November. I am ending my campaign so Bill Spadea can use all his campaign resources to defeat the two never-Trumpers in this race and carry a conservative message to November.”
Durr nevertheless appeared to contradict his own campaign statement in a same-day interview with Spadea’s former radio statioin, NJ 101.5. “I didn’t endorse Bill. I believe Bill is closely aligned with me. I think he’s more conservative. Jack (Ciattarelli) is not a pro-life candidate, nor is Jon (Bramick). I’m pro-life, and I’ve never changed from that,” Durr added. Save Jersey subsequently confirmed with a senior Durr campaign official that the now former candidate was slated to attend an event with Spadea on Tuesday evening but the issue of whether a formal endorsement is imminent remains unresolved.
And then came the recriminations which aren’t unfamiliar in the context of an unsuccessful campaign but jarring all the same.
“The campaign was dysfunctional from the get-go,” said Stan Kershaw Durr’s Political Director in a Monday evening email release featuring statements from campaign figures. “We knew he didn’t have money so we were willing to work for free, but what we were greeted with was insane,” including – allegedly – campaign staffers purchasing tickets and food for the candidate with personal funds but who were never reimbursed for the expenditures.
Another staffers also insisted that Durr wasn’t going to meet Monday’s petition deadline. “With 24 hours left on campaign, Durr was nowhere to be found while we struggled, and ultimately failed to get 2,500 signatures,” said Noah Tighe, a Durr volunteer organizer. “Then this morning with everybody ready to make the final push to get him on the ballot, Durr said he was quitting the campaign. He’s a complete fraud who has abandoned the grassroots.”
What’s equally unclear is the true effect of a Durr endorsement on the primary contest. Two wintertime polls showed Durr at 2% and failing to register, respectively.
