New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Steven Fulop launched a new initiative to encourage New Jerseyans to run for local and state offices.
Fulop, who is a Democrat and has been the mayor of Jersey City since 2013, has pledged to spend $10 million on recruiting New Jerseyans to run for offices ranging from local municipalities to state-level positions. He said the initiative was to “break down barriers” of entry to run for public office.
This year, New Jersey politics have come into the national spotlight after Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ), who is running to unseat Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), filed a lawsuit against county clerks who use the county-line ballot system. A judge struck down the use of the line in this year’s primary. The county line kept powerful New Jersey politicians in office for decades, giving candidates placed on the line up to a 38-point advantage over their opponents.
“Never has it been more clear that New Jersey residents want to change our state’s toxic politics, and the best way to make that happen is to support qualified, diverse candidates with organization and money,” Fulop said.
“‘Abolish the line’ is just the first step. Changing the culture in NJ means accountability. As part of our campaign for governor, we will be supporting good government candidates up and down the ballot in every corner of NJ. We will provide the $$, the support, and the volunteers to help candidates break down barriers,” Fulop said in a statement on X.
His campaign website features a pop-up through which people interested in running for office can fill out a form. Fulop said he is not directly involved with the recruitment efforts for “obvious reasons.”
He said details about how candidates will be screened and selected will be made public soon. Fulop said he cares more about “recalibrating the political alignment” than “having direct input.” Specifics about how the $10 million will be funded were not provided.
“We will use a committee of mayors, former mayors, and trusted activists to screen/select candidates,” Fulop said. “So that I’m not directly involved in that part for obvious reasons.”
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Fulop is running for governor of New Jersey in 2025. Gov. Phil Murphy (D-NJ) cannot run again due to term limits.
Fulop’s campaign did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.