TRENTON, NJ — If you think Jack Ciattarelli and Bill Spadea’s cat fight for the 2025 GOP nomination is out of control, just wait until you see the level of anger and vitriol in the other corner.
Tensions in New Jersey’s Democratic Party intensified this week as Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop accused fellow gubernatorial candidate Rep. Mikie Sherrill of relying on party machine backing and avoiding policy debate in the lead-up to the 2025 primary.
Time is running out for Democrats to stand out from the pack. Unable to do it on policy, they are now attacking each other with political character barbs.
This comes days after Newark Mayor Ras Baraka roasted Sherrill with a public flogging of epic proportions.
On Thursday, Fulop posted a pointed message on X, formerly Twitter, likening Sherrill’s campaign to that of Tammy Murphy, the first lady of New Jersey who recently exited the race. “Tammy Murphy 2.0… Mikie—now I understand why you won’t talk substance,” Fulop wrote. “Feels very much like Tammy Murphy 2.0 + we know how that worked out.”
Fulop’s criticism comes amid a broader struggle for the Democratic nomination following Murphy’s withdrawal in last year’s Senate election.
Sherrill, who has yet to formally respond to Fulop’s remarks, is considered by some to be the front-runner due to her high profile and backing from key Democratic figures.
Outside Democratic circles, Republicans are watching the contest closely. At a private lunch held Monday at the Capital Grille in Morris County, GOP officials discussed the implications of a Sherrill candidacy. “Mikie Sherrill is very popular in Morris County,” said Hanover Township Mayor Thomas “Ace” Gallagher, noting concerns that her presence on the ballot could buoy other Democrats in the region.
Morris County is central to Sherrill’s congressional district and could play a pivotal role in the gubernatorial primary. The prospect of her drawing substantial support there has alarmed local Republicans who worry about the down-ballot effect on their own races in November.
Party divides reflect broader struggle for control
The friction between Fulop and Sherrill underscores a broader divide within New Jersey’s Democratic Party between establishment-backed candidates and those challenging the party’s traditional power structures. Murphy’s abrupt exit from the race earlier this spring has intensified this dynamic, with each remaining candidate jockeying to define themselves as either an insider or outsider.
In the end, like the Republican party, they are all establishment candidates, the question is which establishment they’re holding loyalties to. The bottom line is every one of the candidates running for office has often supported and fully endorsed Governor Phil Murphy’s radical agenda.
Fulop, who has leaned heavily into anti-establishment messaging, has previously clashed with party leadership and continues to brand himself as a candidate willing to challenge entrenched interests.
As the Democratic primary draws nearer, the race is likely to see more direct confrontations as candidates seek to distinguish themselves in a political environment still reshaping after the Murphy campaign’s collapse.
