Fulop condemns two congressional Democrats running for governor of New Jersey who missed the vote

On Wednesday afternoon, the Associated Press reported that Democrat Derek Tran flipped a California House seat to Republican Rep. Michelle Steel.

Why does this matter to New Jersey voters? Now that another California Democrat is leading a Republican-controlled district that has yet to be called, Republicans are counting on a House majority in January that could end up being a whopping two votes.

Coincidentally, here on Prime Coast, two Democrats in the New Jersey House of Representatives recently decided to seek their party’s nomination for governor next year.

In such a narrowly divided House, will Reps. Josh Gottheimer and Mikie Sherrill’s gubernatorial ambitions impact major legislation because they are campaigning up here and not down in the Washington DC election?

Both campaigns said they could actually run for governor while also tending to their House duties.

Sherrill’s campaign spokesman, Sean Higgins, noted that the Center for Effective Lawmaking ranked her as the most effective House member from New Jersey in the last House session “because of her commitment to making a difference for the people she serves.” afford”. Gottheimer was elected No. 4 in the 12-member New Jersey House of Representatives delegation.

“Mikie will coordinate closely with House Democratic leadership on the voting plan and will always fight to protect the interests of New Jersey families,” Higgins said.

Regarding Gottheimer, Zach Florman, his communications director, said: “As always, the congressman will be present for every crucial vote and is already working closely with leadership to ensure this.”

Both Sherrill and Gottheimer have missed at least one vote since filing their gubernatorial bids. On the evening of November 18th – the day Sherrill announced her campaign for governor – the House of Representatives voted in favor of the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, which would close gaps in the services provided by the United States shall Department of Veterans Affairs. Sherrill and Gottheimer were the only two members of the New Jersey House delegation who did not vote on it. Three days later, Gottheimer was the only member of the New Jersey House of Representatives to miss two votes, including one on a bill that would give the Trump administration more power to punish nonprofits it doesn’t like (Sherrill voted no). Two of those bills passed overwhelmingly, and the nonprofit bill passed with 35 votes, so their presence in DC would not have changed anything in those votes.

I asked Steve Fulop about it. He is the mayor of Jersey City and one of six Democrats hoping to succeed term-limited Gov. Phil Murphy (the others are Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, teachers union boss Sean Spiller and former state senator Steve Sweeney).

Of all of Sherrill and Gottheimer’s primary opponents, Fulop was the most critical of them, chiding them for seeking re-election to the House this month while simultaneously preparing their campaigns for governor. He dropped so many bombshells her way on social media that one Sherrill supporter said Fulop was “thirsty for engagement.”

Fulop told me he believes Sherrill and Gottheimer’s campaign is putting Democrats at risk of pushing President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda through the House.

“In a time of Trump when the House of Representatives will be the front line of defense, every New Jersey resident should be offended that they were lied to by Mikie and Josh during the congressional campaign. “Telling people you want a job and then reneging on it before they’ve even been sworn in is unheard of, and it appeals to their own egos to have a title above the purpose of the service.” said Fulop in an email.

Spiller also quoted Trump when asked for comment.

“As Democrats, we must all be fully focused on defending against a Trump agenda. As an educator and leader in New Jersey, I have the experience and am prepared to champion his agenda and New Jersey values,” he said in a statement from his campaign.

To be fair, Gottheimer and Sherrill have great attendance numbers. GovTrack says both miss few votes: Gottheimer missed 1.3% of the vote in his first term, and that percentage hasn’t risen above 1% since, while Sherrill missed 0.6% in her first term and 3% in her second. of votes missed (numbers for their current terms are not available).

House members missing out on votes because they are running for another job is a story as old as time. Earlier this year, Rep. Andy Kim was criticized by then-opponent First Lady Tammy Murphy for missing a vote on a bill to ban TikTok. But back in March, the GOP had a six-vote majority. If there are only two left in January, the Democrats will need all the forces they have in DC. What happens if Sherrill hosts a big fundraiser in Montclair or Gottheimer hosts a meeting with constituents in Asbury Park and the House decides? vote on an important bill at the last minute? What is the priority, the job they have now or the job they want in January 2026? We’ll find out very soon.

Republished with permission from New Jersey Monitor, part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network operating as a 501c(3) charity and supported by grants and a coalition of donors. New Jersey Monitor maintains editorial independence. If you have any questions, please contact Editor Terrence T. McDonald: [email protected]. Follow New Jersey Monitor on Facebook and X.