He came close in 2021, much closer than anyone predicted in that year’s gubernatorial contest in New Jersey. Jack Ciattarelli lost his bid to unseat Democratic Gov. Phil (‘King’) Murphy 51-48. It wasn’t a total loss—for the first time since forever, there were massive swings toward Republicans, especially in Atlantic, Morris, Cumberland, and Gloucester counties, which Biden won in 2020.
OUT OF TOUCH. John Corzine wasn’t from New Jersey. Phil Murphy wasn’t from New Jersey. And Mikie Sherrill isn’t from New Jersey. That’s why none of them seem to get it. The supposedly pro-environment Democrats are taking garden right out of the Garden State with all the… https://t.co/PCT0Fs0L0o
— Jack Ciattarelli (@Jack4NJ) July 30, 2025
With Murphy about to end his residency at Drumthwacket, Jack is trying again and got a significant endorsement in June from one of the state’s most influential labor unions, the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 825 (via Washington Examiner):
This is a big deal: one of New Jersey's most politically influential labor unions, @IUOE825, has endorsed Republican Jack Ciattarelli for Governor.
— David Wildstein (@wildstein) June 19, 2025
https://t.co/kOkYsFp4WP
Greg Lalevee, the union’s business manager, told the Washington Examiner that the endorsement “has to do with the problems that are facing New Jersey and the solutions offered to fix them. The biggest one really being in the energy space.”
Lalevee pointed to New Jersey’s transformation from a net exporter of electricity under Murphy in 2018 to a net importer “to the tune of 3.4 gigawatts.”
“The Murphy administration either did not permit or sued or, in other ways, administratively killed $38 billion worth of energy projects,” he said. “Be those gas generators, natural gas pipelines, compressor stations, etc. You know, therein lies an economic problem, as you know, every state wants to attract data centers.”
In contrast, Ciattarelli has endorsed projects that utilize natural gas, while Sherrill has advocated solar projects as a solution to the state’s energy challenges.
“Our view is that’s not a real solution, where Mr. Ciattarelli is looking at real, real solutions that impact the bottom line of the state economy,” Lalevee said.
“It’s not going to be able to dig us out of the current issues that we have,” he said of solar energy. “If you can put it up and it can add to the grid, that’s fine. Our members are happy to build solar fields, but we live in a very congested state.”
🚨 Flip-Flop Alert 🚨
— Jack Ciattarelli (@Jack4NJ) July 26, 2025
First Mikie Sherrill endorses Zohran Mamdani and calls his radical policies “interesting”… now she’s pretending she never heard of him?
Come on, Mikie — NJ voters aren’t stupid.
🎬 Roll the tape. You said it. You own it. pic.twitter.com/QXABZLng7Y
Sure, Democratic candidate Mikie Sherill, who endorsed New York City mayoral candidate and total loon Zohran Mamdani, will get most of the unions behind her, but something is happening in Jersey that I’d never thought was possible after living there for almost 30 years. Then again, when a Republican has won, discarding the Kean years, it’s always been because the Democrats have been a mess. Well, that’s the case now, sprinkled in with working Americans voting Republican in increasing numbers. The Teamsters are pouring money into Republican candidates (via Politico):
It wasn’t just 2024: the Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien is signaling a more permanent realignment by donating to battleground Republicans in the upcoming midterms.
For the second year in a row, the labor union’s political arm donated to the Republicans’ House campaign arm after nearly two decades of mostly backing Democrats. The labor union’s D.R.I.V.E political action committee — Democrat, Republican, Independent Voter Education — gave the National Republican Congressional Committee $5,000 in the second quarter.
In addition to giving to the NRCC, Teamsters doled out a combined $62,000 in contributions to nearly two-dozen GOP congressional candidates, including in significant battleground districts…
The group also gave this year to GOP Sens. Deb Fischer of Nebraska, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Jon Husted of Ohio, and Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania.
And it’s not just Congress: the Teamsters’ political arm donated $50,000 to the Republican Attorneys General Association this past June.
Sarah will have more on that tomorrow.
Be sure to read Guy’s later on the state of the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial races this week, too.
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