TRENTON, N.J. – The rift inside New Jersey’s Republican Party deepened Thursday as America First New Jersey chairman Mike Crispi blasted former GOP gubernatorial candidate Bill Spadea in a scathing online post, accusing him of undermining the party’s nominee, Jack Ciattarelli.
Crispi took aim at Spadea in a social media tirade, labeling him a “stone cold loser” and alleging the former radio host wants “New Jersey to implode” after his failed primary bid.
“The guy who could hardly crack 20% in the Governor Primary, and got his campaign hijacked by Team Christie is attempting to passive aggressively say Jack is losing,” Crispi wrote on X.
Spadea, who has been openly critical of Ciattarelli since losing the GOP primary, has recently appeared in soundbites featured in Democratic nominee Mikie Sherrill’s campaign ads — a move that has drawn backlash from fellow Republicans statewide.
Why doesn’t he just go knock on doors and hand out Mikie Sherrill campaign postcards?
Spadea pushes back on link to Democratic campaign
In a statement released Thursday, Spadea sought to distance himself from the Sherrill campaign’s messaging, saying his on-air comments were used without his consent.
“We’ve also seen the Democrat nominee take comments that I have made on the morning show and turned them into advertising to paint a picture that the GOP nominee has so far failed to unite the party and has failed to answer some basic questions regarding his role in the opioid epidemic,” Spadea wrote.
He added that Democrats were “ignoring countless conversations” where he criticized their policies, insisting his remarks were being taken out of context.
Spadea’s party divisions intensify ahead of election
As the race enters its final stretch, Spadea has offered Ciattarelli advice on how to defeat Sherrill but still has not endorsed him publicly. Party insiders say the continued friction between Spadea and the GOP establishment could hamper Republican efforts to reclaim the governor’s mansion after years of Democratic control.
Others dismiss Spadea as irrelevant saying, “If he think he’s so influential, why not get on board with the rest of us and use that ‘influence’ for the sake of everyone in New Jersey and put his own damaged ego aside for once.”
While some Republican strategists argue Spadea’s support could help Ciattarelli reach radio listeners loyal to his morning show, others believe the infighting risks alienating key conservative voters.