| | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | | Presented by |  | | | Good Friday morning! New Jersey elections are odd. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ras Baraka wants to get even. Baraka, the mayor of Newark, proposed studying the idea of shifting to even-year elections in a summary of his “Democracy Reimagined” platform that was shared with reporters. During a virtual press conference Thursday, he said he straight up endorsed it. “We think that should happen,” he said. This would not be easy to do. It would require a constitutional amendment, and go against the intent of the framers at the state’s 1947 constitutional convention. The intention of having state-level offices like governor and Legislature elected in odd years was so that state-level issues wouldn’t be drowned out by federal ones. But Baraka doesn’t think that’s a real distinction, and points out that voter turnout drops precipitously from presidential elections (72 percent in 2020) to gubernatorial ones (40 percent in 2021). It’s even lower for state legislative elections — just 27 percent in 2023, compared to 41 percent for the 2022 congressional midterms. It would also save the state money, he said. Such a massive change would probably face long odds. My guess is Democratic organizations whose operations have more oomph in lower-turnout elections wouldn’t welcome it. Meanwhile, off-year elections have likely helped Republicans capture the governorship, since they don’t have to contend with lopsided Democratic presidential margins — 2024 excepted. TIPS? FEEDBACK Email me at mfriedman@politico.com QUOTE OF THE DAY: “‘He absolutely has Train Daddy potential.” — Regional Plan Association’s Zoe Baldwin on Kris Kolluri as head of NJ Transit HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Donald Norcross, Lenore Jenkins-Beauliere, Gene Lepore, Stephanie Wohlrab. Saturday for my cousin Kevin. Sunday for Joe Lagana, Megan Cryan, Michael Giglio, Mallie Salerno. Missed yesterday: Rich Henning WHERE’S MURPHY? |  | WHAT TRENTON MADE | | SULK SLOGAN — Party slogan clarification in new primary ballot bill promised by sponsor, by POLITICO's Daniel Han: A top sponsor of a bill to redo the state’s primary ballot design said Thursday that the legislation would be tweaked to address concerns over whether there could be more than one candidate with “Democrat” or “Republican” slogans. The Assembly Select Committee on Ballot Design held a discussion-only hearing on new legislation, A5116, to reshape the primary ballot, which writes into state law office block ballots ... One part of the bill that received pushback said candidates cannot “include or refer to the name of any political party … unless the written consent of the respective county political committee of such political party has been filed.” Some have interpreted that as meaning a candidate running in the Democratic primary could not use “Democrat” in their primary slogan unless they were endorsed by their local county party ... But the bill’s top sponsors said that is not the case — and will be addressed. “This is a language issue we have to get worked out, that’s why we're not voting this bill out today,” GOP Assemblymember Al Barlas, co-chair of the committee, said. | | | | Billions in spending. Critical foreign aid. Immigration reform. The final weeks of 2024 could bring major policy changes. Inside Congress provides daily insights into how Congressional leaders are navigating these high-stakes issues. Subscribe today. | | | | |
PASSING THE BUNT — “N.J. is too cozy with charter schools, fueling high salaries paid for by taxpayers, critics say,” by NJ Advance Media’s Matthew Stanmyre: “For months, Asbury Park school board members had been accusing the charter school, College Achieve Asbury Park, of bilking it out of millions of dollars, by charging the district to enroll dozens of students who weren’t even residents of the city. College Achieve countered that these students were indeed residents of Asbury Park and that the residency verification process the district was demanding was onerous. The state Department of Education dispatched Julie Bunt, then chief of staff, ostensibly as an impartial mediator, among other officials. Except — the Asbury Park board of education members claim — Bunt did not seem an impartial figure. According to court papers, she characterized the Asbury Park officials as “unreachable,” and “out of line” in a meeting last December. And after the January summit, some board members said they ultimately felt pressured by Bunt to release the $1.09 million in disputed funds to the charter school … Three months after that January meeting, Bunt left her job at the state Department of Education and was hired by College Achieve, the same charter network the Asbury Park board claimed she had advocated on behalf of during the dispute with their district … Bunt’s job change served as just the latest in a stream of state government officials making switches to take on highly-paid, taxpayer funded roles with charter organizations.”
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OFF THE GLOCK — “New Jersey sues Glock for allowing handguns to be turned into automatic weapons,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Katie Sobko: “Attorney General Matthew Platkin on Thursday unveiled the nation’s largest civil litigation case against the gun industry and said he will lead a coalition of 15 states representing more than 100 million Americans to hold the firearm industry accountable for breaking state laws … Platkin said the coalition will hit the ground running because he, as well as Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, filed lawsuits against the well-known gun company Glock alleging the handguns it makes can easily be configured to fire automatically as illegal machine guns by affixing an inexpensive add-on component commonly known as a ‘Glock switch.’ … ‘With this lawsuit, we are putting the homemade machine gun industry out of business,’ Platkin said. ‘For decades, Glock has knowingly sold weapons that anyone with a screwdriver and a YouTube video can convert into a military-grade machine gun in a matter of minutes.’”
KIMGMAKER — “Kim plans on getting involved in 2025 gubernatorial primary,” by New Jersey Globe’s Joey Fox: “With six major candidates battling for the Democratic nomination for governor in 2025, few endorsements will be as valuable as that of Senator Andy Kim, who assembled a surprising grassroots coalition this year to beat back New Jersey’s Democratic establishment and win a seat in the Senate. And Kim said today that he does plan on playing a role in the race – but he’s not quite sure yet what form that will take. ‘I would likely get involved, I just don’t know how yet,’ Kim said. ‘I have opinions, and I have thoughts of who I can work with better than others. At some point, I’ll make that known. I’d like to be thoughtful about it and not shoot from the hip.’” MY OWN SUMMER (SHAVUOT) — Governor, legislative leaders plan to move 2025 primary to June 10, by POLITICO’s Daniel Han: New Jersey’s top three elected Democrats support moving the primary date a week later than planned so it does not overlap with a Jewish holiday. Several Jewish advocacy groups have asked state officials to move the June primary since it would overlap with Shavuot, which could prevent some holiday observers from voting. Those observing the holiday cannot travel, use electronics or write. “We cannot allow deeply held and legitimate religious beliefs to become a barrier to voting,” Gov. Phil Murphy, Senate President Nick Scutari and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin said in a joint statement on Thursday. “We support moving the 2025 primary to June 10 and will work together to accomplish that goal. | | | | Write your own chapter in the new Washington. From the Lame Duck Congress Series to New Administration insights, POLITICO Pro delivers intelligence across 22+ policy areas to help you anticipate and navigate change. Discover how a Pro subscription empowers you. Learn more today. | | | | |
WARD F U — “New Jersey needs real change and Steven Fulop is not the answer,” by Jersey City Ward F Councilmember Frank Gilmore for Hudson County View: “Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop embodies everything wrong with New Jersey politics. I refuse to sit back and allow someone who has built his career on machine politics to masquerade as an anti-establishment candidate. While many of us have fought for years to dismantle the unjust political machine in New Jersey, Steven Fulop has been both a willing participant and a beneficiary of that same system. Now, as he runs for governor and fails to secure the backing of county chairs and the party line, he suddenly claims the system is undemocratic. But was it undemocratic when he and the Hudson County Democratic Organization (HCDO) leadership pressured Jersey City council members not to run for Senator Cunningham’s seat to protect his gubernatorial ambitions? Was it undemocratic when he handpicked Angela McKnight as the party candidate for Senate in the 31st district and then turned around and handpicked Barbara Stamato for Assembly in the 31st district because he said there can’t be three African American elected officials in the district?”
NOTHEIMER — Top Mercer Dems preparing to back Sherrill for governor, by POLITICO’s Matt Friedman: Several top Mercer County Democrats are expected to back Rep. Mikie Sherrill for governor, according to two officials with knowledge of their plans. Mercer County Executive Dan Benson, Mercer County Democratic Chair Janice Mironov and Hamilton Mayor Jeff Martin plan to back Sherrill before Christmas, according to the officials, who were granted anonymity to speak ahead of a formal endorsement. Other officials will likely be on board as well. Mironov is also the mayor of East Windsor. Hamilton is the most populous municipality in the county — just ahead of Trenton. The expected endorsements likely make Sherrill the front-runner for the county party’s endorsement and furthers her early dominance of the establishment Democratic lane in a crowded primary. — “New Jersey, home to many oil and gas producers, eyes fees to fight climate change” —“NJ rents keep rising” —“Toll hikes OK'd for GWB, NJ tunnels to Manhattan, and PATH service” —“How the resurrected congestion pricing plan could die in the courts” —“School funding bill may allow bigger property-tax increases” —“NJ Transit’s new boss discusses the ambitious agenda he wants to do in 13 month” —“NJ Transit starts building $497M safe place to protect trains from the next hurricane” —“Project to replace NJ Transit bridge linking Jersey Shore to Manhattan advances” —Stile: “Frustrated NJ officials don't know where to turn on supposed drone sightings” | | BIDEN TIME | |
DRONES? — After days of uncertainty, officials suggest NJ drones may be a case of mistaken identity, by POLITICO’s Oriana Pawlyk: A barrage of aircraft have been spotted hovering over parts of New Jersey in recent days, spawning dozens of social media videos from alarmed citizens showing the craft’s whirring engines and blinking lights cutting through the darkness of evening. The craft could be drones, planes, helicopters or some combination of all three, and for days federal authorities couldn’t lend much clarity. It took until Thursday for the Department of Homeland Security to offer assurances, saying that after review, “it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft, operating lawfully.” “There are no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted air space,” DHS said in a statement. But for days, nobody in the federal government was willing — or able — to say what the craft were that had spooked residents or who was responsible for them … Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) called the situation “frustrating” and said “there needs to be a lot more transparency with the people of New Jersey.” —Lawmaker accuses Pentagon of lying about New Jersey’s mysterious drones | | | | A message from Alibaba:   | | |
SALT LICKED? — “Trump Advisers Consider Raising SALT Write-Off Limit to $20,000,” by Bloomberg’s Stephanie Lai: “Trump’s economic advisers are considering doubling the state and local tax deduction, a popular — but expensive — tax break that could deliver big savings to many residents of New York, New Jersey, and California. Economist Stephen Moore, a member of President-elect Donald Trump’s economic advisory transition team, told Bloomberg Thursday that the group has discussed expanding the tax write-off limit from $10,000 to $20,000 … Moore said the group is opposed to making the deduction unlimited — as some New York and New Jersey politicians have advocated for — because that would amount to ‘the biggest tax cut for millionaires and billionaires ever.’”
—“ACLU urges state, local leaders to set up ‘firewalls’ against new Trump administration” ‘ —“Final price tag in 2024 NJ-7 race: $26.3 Million” | | LOCAL | |
LEGENDS OF THE SHORTFALL — Some Union County Department of Public Safety employees might have to be put off their Christmas shopping for a week, as their paychecks have been delayed “due to a lack of funding in the department’s budget,” according to a Tuesday memo from Director of Public Safety Dennis Burke, who said today’s paychecks will be delayed until next Friday. “We understand that the delay in payroll may be a hardship for you. Unfortunately, the Department’s budget has been depleted and, until the transfer has been completed, we cannot make payments for payroll, expenses or otherwise,” Burke wrote. Ed Oatman, Union County’s manager, said the county understands the “impact, frustration and concern” about the delayed paychecks but said it “ does not reflect any financial instability in Union County.” Added Oathamn: “Individual Departments are responsible for managing their budgets and communicating the needs of their Department in a timely manner so that adequate funds can be made available. At this time, we are making arrangements to transfer the appropriate funds during the December 18th Commissioner Meeting to cover the unanticipated needs associated with greater overtime and hiring additional per diem staff within the Department of Public Safety.”
PELLEGREEDY — “Feds: Ex-Hoboken health director pleads guilty to embezzlement,” by Hudson County View’s John Heinis: “Former Hoboken Health and Human Services Director Leo Pellegrini has pleased guilty to embezzlement and filing a false tax return, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger announced. Pantaleo ‘Leo’ Pellegrini, of Hoboken, pleaded guilty … [to] embezzling money from the City of Hoboken and filing a false tax return. While working for the City of Hoboken, Pellegrini embezzled money from the city by diverting payments intended for them to bank accounts he controlled. Pellegrini also embezzled money from the City of Hoboken by submitting invoices for his personal business expenses, which the city unknowingly paid.” | | A message from Alibaba: New Jersey-based businesses are growing globally on Alibaba’s online marketplace. Dr. Eddie Omar, CEO of New Jersey-based Phyto-C, said that his company “experienced a 600% increase in revenue since selling globally on Alibaba.” According to NDP Analytics research company, those sales contributed millions to New Jersey’s GDP, and supported thousands of local jobs in just one year.
Learn how global sales by New Jersey-based businesses are supporting the local economy in our state. | | |
DEBT MAN WALKING — “Hudson County commissioner faces $29K in fines after ELEC says he didn’t file campaign reports,” by The Jersey Journal’s Ron Zeitlinger: “Hudson County Board of Commissioners member Jerry Walker is facing nearly $30,000 in fines after the state’s Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) said he failed to failed campaign reports for the 2023 general election. The four-page complaint alleges that Walker, in his third term representing District 3 in Jersey City, has failed to 29-day pre-election report ― which lists contributions and expenditures ― or in lieu of the 29-day report, a candidate sworn statement or a joint candidates committee sworn statement”
CAMDEN — “Longtime Camden Parking Authority head charged with domestic violence,” by WHYY’s P. Kenneth Burns: “The longtime head of the Camden Parking Authority has been charged in relation to a domestic violence incident. Willie E. Hunter Sr. was arrested on Nov. 29 after Camden County Police were called to the 3100 block of Fremont Avenue in Camden’s Stockton neighborhood, according to police spokesman Dan Keashen … Hunter faces charges of aggravated assault by strangulation, aggravated assault on a domestic violence victim, terroristic threats, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.” — “Dry towns like Haddon Heights and Moorestown are banking on booze for downtown revival,” “Why are more and more local governments communicating through public relations firms?” —“[Pompton Lakes] teacher’s aide taped child to desk for nearly an hour, cops say” —“Residents call for more transparency from Cape May County board” —“Jackson agrees to sell Rosenauer Elementary to an Orthodox group. Which school is next?” —“State rejects complaints against Newark board members who failed to seat Thomas Luna” —“Netflix asks another [Eatentown] to approve massive studio plan” | | EVERYTHING ELSE | | NURSING HOMES — Comptroller moves to boot two nursing homes from Medicaid, by POLITICO’s Daniel Han: Acting Comptroller Kevin Walsh on Thursday announced that two nursing homes and their owners will be suspended from participating in the state’s Medicaid program after an investigation found that the owners and operators funneled Medicaid funds meant for patient care into companies that they owned at one of the homes — a move that is quickly renewing calls for more financial disclosures of nursing homes and related parties. Within 60 days, South Jersey Extended Care in Bridgeton, Sterling Manor Nursing Center in Maple Shade and companies that provided services to them and their owners and associates will be booted from the state's Medicaid program, a major source of funding for nursing homes. —“What are the mystery drones hovering above N.J.? Here’s what 3 experts say” —“Wages for North Jersey restaurant workers rise, but tipping rates drop” —“Bayonne police break up unauthorized warehouse rave; more than 250 people cited” —CRC approves social equity tax increase
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