The formal endorsement of state Senator Jon Bramnick (R-21) this morning by conservative Assemblyman Robert Auth (R-39) and Bramnick’s out-of-the-gate pointed, detailed criticism of the Murphy Administration last week underscore one decisive edge possessed by the moderate Republican in the unfolding Republican Primary for Governor.
Bramnick occupies state public office, with relationships and insights derived from a forward line position in Trenton. His opponents: former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, radio host Bill Spadea, and former state Senator Ed Durr, don’t have that advantage. Certainly, MAGA Republicans make a habit of deriding elected officials generally as swamp dwellers, that is unless they or their ilk occupy elected office, in which case they adopt a self-promoting hero worshipful mode.
But Bramnick is a realist and wants to remind voters of the value of actually fulfilling public service in elected office, and relationship-building through the administrations of McGreevey, Corzine, Christie, and Murphy. “You get down there and you need to get something done, and if you’re there, you don’t have to ask somebody,” Bramnick told InsiderNJ. It helped, he said, when Republicans in the Christie era negotiated a two-percent state spending and municipal spending cap, talked Democrats away from the edge on criminal reform laws, or helped hammer out the details related to housing and affordable housing and regional contribution agreements.
Fiscal responsibility and pragmaticism lie at the core of Bramnick’s gubernatorial campaign message, and when it comes to his opponents, Spadea, for example, the veteran GOP lawmaker sees lack of real-world government experience as a significant shortfall. “I say you can hang up on people on the radio, but you can’t hang up on people when you’re elected to office,” said the state senator. “If you had an all-Republican assembly or senate maybe you can hang up with someone who disagrees with you, but not here. This is Trenton, New Jersey, not 101.5. In my judgment, he [Spadea] wouldn’t know where to start. Everybody wants to blow everything up. It’s easy to say that what you’ll do is you’ll blow yourself up.”
Ciattarelli, too, suffers in a position of unaccountability, in Bramnick’s opinion. “What he does is he follows the polls and changes positions accordingly,” as he did on the issue of driver’s licenses for undocumented workers.
“With regard to undocumented immigrants getting a license, I believe that’s a great security measure,” Ciattarelli said in the 2021 gubernatorial debate. “They’re here. They’re not going anywhere. Let’s know who they are. Let’s give them a driver’s license. We don’t want people on our roads driving without a license, without insurance.”
That was a reversal from an earlier position.
“Ciattarelli’s also been back and forth on [President-elect Donald] Trump,” Bramnick said. “First, Trump’s a charlatan, then he’s not a charlatan. I’ve been consistent. I know, as Governor Tom Kean once told Chris Christie when Chris was about to become governor, your best friend is the senate president. You maintain that relationship – that friendship – even if it’s with someone on the other side of the aisle, and you can get things done for the people.”
Bramnick says those out of office and away from the halls of the Capitol Building where elected officials work don’t develop necessary practical political and governmental skills. Those skills play out in real-time negotiating. “When Democrats wanted to raise the gas tax, we got rid of the estate tax and then made a small cut to the gas tax,” he said. “We negotiated a two percent tax cap on the budget. That’s the difference between Republican leadership and Democratic leadership. With Chris Christie as governor, we got those caps on municipal spending. That’s the kind of thing you learn in leadership. You learn that bomb throwing aint getting it done.”
Last week, Bramnick reacted quickly following a report revealing the Murphy Administration seeking five percent cuts across all government agencies due to a mounting budget deficit.
Bramnick saw it coming.
“When you see getting money from Washington, Covid money from Biden, pumped-up post-Covid income – as soon as you saw this spending where Democrats in the middle of the night took a billion dollars did it over and again, it was a clear indication you were on the wrong road,” he said.
In a statement, Bramnick explained:
“Every year since Governor Murphy took office I have warned that the out-of-control spending approved by the Democrat monopoly in Trenton was irresponsible and unsustainable. The internal e-mails circulating the administration, calling for five percent cuts in every department, proves just that.
“Under Governor Murphy, New Jersey’s budget has grown by $22 billion. That is more than $2,300 in new government spending for every resident in the state in just 7 years. New Jersey taxpayers cannot afford that kind of fiscal mismanagement. Progressive groups will claim it is a taxation problem but the residents of New Jersey, who face one of the highest tax burdens in the nation, know it is a spending problem.
“The only way we will solve the fiscal crisis in New Jersey is by shrinking the size of state government and eliminating bureaucracy. As Governor I will immediately create a Government Efficiency Panel consisting of private citizens and business owners to comb through the bloated New Jersey government to find departments, programs and waste to eliminate. We don’t need more audits or studies from professional consulting firms and insiders recycling the same tired ideas. We need the job creators and taxpayers who suffer under the current bloated government structure to lead the way.
“I will also impose a 2% spending cap on the state budget to stop out of control budget growth while I am Governor and work to pass a Constitutional amendment to enshrine the cap and fiscal responsibility into our state constitution to prevent irresponsible budget growth in future administrations. New Jersey cannot afford another four years of Democrat control in Trenton and I will bring fiscal control to the State House to make New Jersey more affordable.”
Today, Bramnick’s conservative colleague from his years in the Assembly issued a formal endorsement.
“I wholeheartedly endorse Jon Bramnick to be the next governor of New Jersey,” said Assemblyman Auth. “He is the only Republican who can can win the general election and he will bring the authentic, consistent, honest leadership we need to the governor’s office. I had the pleasure of serving with Jon in the assembly for eight years and as our Republican leader, Jon always respected opinions of every member of the caucus. No two people, even in the same political party, are 100% aligned on every issue. What is important is Jon’s ability to find common ground, bringing the party together to win back the governor’s seat and solve the mounting problems facing New Jersey.”
As the race for the GOP nomination in New Jersey heats up, Assemblyman Jon Bramnick is stepping up his campaign efforts to secure the party’s nomination. Bramnick, who has served in the state legislature for over 15 years, is facing stiff competition from several other candidates vying for the nomination.
Bramnick, who is known for his moderate stance on many issues, has been crisscrossing the state in recent weeks, meeting with voters and attending campaign events. He has also been ramping up his fundraising efforts, hoping to build a war chest that will allow him to compete effectively in what is expected to be a hotly contested primary.
One of Bramnick’s key strengths is his ability to appeal to a broad range of voters. As a moderate Republican, he has been able to attract support from both conservative and moderate voters, making him a formidable candidate in a state that has traditionally leaned Democratic.
However, Bramnick faces challenges from several other candidates who are also vying for the GOP nomination. Some of his opponents are more conservative than Bramnick, which could make it difficult for him to secure the nomination in a party that has been moving further to the right in recent years.
Despite these challenges, Bramnick remains confident in his ability to win the nomination and ultimately the general election. He believes that his experience and track record of working across party lines make him the best candidate to represent the GOP in the upcoming election.
As the race heats up, political observers are closely watching Bramnick’s campaign efforts to see if he can maintain his lead in the polls and secure the GOP nomination. With the primary election just a few months away, Bramnick and his team are leaving no stone unturned in their quest to win the nomination and ultimately the governorship.