Njea boss sean spiller struggles in dem party governor polls despite union backing

MADISON, N.J. — Sean Spiller’s bid for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination is off to a rocky start, with new polling showing the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) president trailing behind top contenders despite his high-profile union backing.

Key Points

NJEA president Sean Spiller lags in polls, with lower name recognition and favorability than top Democratic contenders.
His connection to the NJEA appears to hurt him, as unfavorable ratings rise when voters associate him with the union.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Rep. Mikie Sherrill, and Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop are leading in favorability among Democratic voters.

The latest Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) poll reveals that Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill, and Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop are leading the Democratic pack in favorability, while Spiller lags with lower name recognition and voter support. Among Democrats surveyed, just 56% say they have heard of Spiller, significantly behind Baraka (78%) and former State Senate President Steve Sweeney (73%).

The poll also highlights a surprising liability for Spiller: his NJEA ties. An experiment within the survey found that respondents were more likely to recognize Spiller when described as NJEA president rather than as the former Montclair mayor. However, this recognition came with a downside—his unfavorable ratings increased from 10% to 16% when his union role was mentioned.

“One of Spiller’s biggest advantages in this race—his connection to the NJEA—also looks like something of a liability among voters,” said Dan Cassino, executive director of the poll and a professor of government and politics at FDU.

While ideological divisions within the Democratic Party are shaping the primary race, Spiller has yet to carve out a strong base of support. Baraka leads among progressives, Sherrill dominates among liberals, and Fulop is holding steady across all groups. Spiller, however, has failed to gain traction among any key Democratic voting bloc.

With a crowded field and name recognition playing a major role, Spiller faces an uphill battle to turn his NJEA influence into voter support.

Shore News Network Staff Report Latest posts

Shore News Network Staff Report is the official newsroom byline used by Shore News Network when a story is produced through the collaborative work of multiple members of the editorial team rather than a single reporter.

This newsroom account is reserved for articles that involve contributions from multiple journalists, editors, photographers, researchers, or news desk staff. It is also used for developing stories that are updated as new verified information becomes available, as well as for community announcements, weather coverage, public safety alerts, election results, and other newsroom-produced content.

Every article published under the Shore News Network Staff Report byline is reviewed and edited in accordance with the organization's editorial standards for accuracy, fairness, attribution, and transparency. Information is verified through official government agencies, court records, law enforcement, public documents, direct reporting, interviews, and other reliable primary and secondary sources before publication whenever possible.

The Staff Report account does not use artificial intelligence to independently generate news or publish unverified information. AI-assisted tools may occasionally be used for editorial support tasks such as transcription, formatting, grammar review, or workflow efficiency, but all published content is subject to human editorial oversight and approval by Shore News Network's newsroom staff.

As an independently owned digital news organization, Shore News Network is committed to original reporting, public safety journalism, government accountability, local community coverage, and breaking news throughout New Jersey and surrounding regions. Stories published under the Staff Report byline reflect the collective experience and editorial judgment of the Shore News Network newsroom.

Readers who have corrections, additional information, or news tips related to a Staff Report article are encouraged to contact the newsroom at news@shorenewsnetwork.com. Shore News Network welcomes factual corrections and updates as part of its commitment to accurate, transparent journalism.