BERNARDS TOWNSHIP, NJ — Tensions are escalating in New Jersey’s Republican gubernatorial primary as candidate Mario Kranjac accused GOP frontrunner Bill Spadea of abandoning the pro-life cause, saying Spadea should “run in the Democrat Primary” over his stance on abortion.
This comes after Spadea’s unsuccessful lawsuit to have Kranjac removed from the June primary election ballot. After two court losses, Spadea lost his appeal and is expected to bring the case to the New Jersey Supreme Court, according to political insiders.
Kranjac called Spadea’s failed legal attempts to disenfranchise voters, ‘lawfare’ similar to that used against President Donald J. Trump by the Democrat party in 2024.
Key Points
- Bernards BOE member Kirsten Light, a Spadea supporter, called Kranjac “unelectable” for his pro-life platform.
- Kranjac criticized Spadea for using pro-choice language and refusing to prioritize abortion restrictions.
- The feud highlights deep divisions in the GOP primary over abortion policy in the post-Roe era.
Surrogate sparks backlash
The clash erupted after Spadea surrogate Kirsten Light posted a message on X (formerly Twitter), stating: “These positions make @MarioKranjac unelectable in NJ against any of the Democrats candidates… Vote @BillSpadea on June 10th.” The tweet referenced Kranjac’s pledge to eliminate late-term abortions, defund Planned Parenthood, and end abortions without parental consent.
Light, a Bernards Township Board of Education member, doubled down on Spadea’s strategy to downplay abortion as a campaign issue.
Spadea has publicly said, “Abortion is not going to be an issue in this election,” during an April 5 gubernatorial forum hosted by the Morris County Republican Committee. In a PBS interview, he referred to abortion as “a woman’s right to choose.”
Kranjac: Spadea ‘surrendered’
Kranjac responded sharply, accusing Spadea of backing away from core Republican values. “President Trump gave us what we were trying to get for 50 years; the end of Roe vs. Wade,” Kranjac said. “Thanks to President Trump, we have the power to start saving babies but Bill Spadea and his team want to throw that opportunity away.”
Kranjac rejected the idea that abortion is not a priority for voters. “The only people who support radical, late-term abortion and taxpayer funding of abortion are the Democrats we’ll be running against in November — not the voters,” he said.
Deep divide ahead of primary
Spadea’s remarks and his campaign’s approach to abortion have drawn criticism from anti-abortion advocates across the state, who argue that the issue remains central to conservative voters even in a state like New Jersey.
Kranjac’s campaign has framed the contrast as a decisive litmus test in the GOP primary, which is scheduled for June 10.