A decade in New Jersey

Politico

6 days ago

Good Thursday morning!
It's a milestone day here at POLITICO — the 10th anniversary of New Jersey Playbook. When it officially launched on July 24, 2015, Chris Christie was preparing to run for president, a relative unknown named Phil Murphy was laying the groundwork for governor and — you won't believe this — New Jersey Transit riders had been getting stranded and delayed for days.
Playbook has evolved, but it has had one constant. Matt Friedman has been the author from day one, delivering exclusive reporting, sharp insights into New Jersey politics and tons of puns. It is an unmatched length of time to lead a POLITICO newsletter and a rare feat to keep it relevant with increased competition.
Thanks to Matt, Playbook is New Jersey's must-read newsletter weekday mornings. But a special thanks goes out to all the political junkies and devoted readers who don't hesitate to send me or Matt a note when it hasn't hit their inbox on time, is missing a birthday or the top simply ticks them off.
I also want to acknowledge Ryan Hutchins, who has also been with POLITICO New Jersey from the start, first as bureau chief and now as the company's editorial director of states. He's done his fair share of Playbook duty and been integral to the success of New Jersey's operation.
On behalf of the whole New Jersey team, thank you for waking up with Playbook the last 10 years. Here's to many more.
FEEDBACK? Reach me at [e-mail]
WHERE'S MURPHY? Traveling to Colorado for the National Governors Association summer meeting.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'The right to vote is a fundamental aspect of our democracy, one that the FBI and our law enforcement partners strive to protect. Craig Callaway's nefarious plot to hijack mail-in ballots resulted in his arrest and subsequent sentencing, and serves as a reminder to like-minded criminals, voter fraud will not be tolerated in New Jersey,' FBI Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, after Atlantic City council president and operative Craig Callaway was sentenced to two years in prison.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY — The AP's Mike Catalini, former Assemblymember Ned Thomson, Ridgewood manager Keith Kazmark.
MORNING MONEY: CAPITAL RISK — POLITICO's flagship financial newsletter has a new Friday edition built for the economic era we're living in: one shaped by political volatility, disruption and a wave of policy decisions with sector-wide consequences. Each week, Morning Money: Capital Risk brings sharp reporting and analysis on how political risk is moving markets and how investors are adapting. Want to know how health care regulation, tariffs, or court rulings could ripple through the economy? Start here.
WHAT TRENTON MADE
JACK AND JIM — Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli formally unveiled his lieutenant governor pick, Morris County Sheriff Jim Gannon, on Wednesday.
Gannon's supporters range the political spectrum. He's posed for pictures with conservative radio host Bill Spadea — who ran against Ciattarelli in the GOP primary for governor — and has been supported by Democrats like former Gov. Dick Codey.
Ciattarelli was eager to note one erstwhile Gannon supporter: Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill (she represents Morris County in Congress).
'I read a quote this morning from someone that said: 'Thank you, Jim, for all your excellent work and making our community better,'' Ciattarelli said inside a packed bar in Boonton. 'That was Mikie Sherrill.'
While lieutenant governor picks are not viewed as attracting votes in November, the selection of Gannon could be viewed as a way to shore up support in Morris County — a longtime GOP stronghold where Democrats have been making inroads. Senate Minority Leader Anthony Bucco, a childhood friend of Gannon who spoke at the launch, said that the sheriff 'has outperformed other Republicans in the district time after time.'
The Sherrill campaign — which has not announced a running mate yet — said that the pick showed Republicans on 'defense.'
'Trailing badly in the polls, Ciattarelli is clearly playing defense in Morris County, a traditional GOP stronghold where Mikie has consistently won and overperformed, as New Jersey voters gear up to reject him a third time around,' Sherrill campaign manager Alex Ball said in a statement.
Spadea praised Ciattarelli's pick for LG in a statement as 'a solid law enforcement leader' and 'beloved public servant' who 'forces Sherrill to fight on her home turf in Morris County and brings some LEO credibility to the Republican ticket.'
— Daniel Han
PLATERSON — Supreme Court sides with Platkin in Paterson police takeover, by POLITICO's Dustin Racioppi: The state attorney general can maintain oversight of the Paterson Police Department, New Jersey's Supreme Court ruled Wednesday. The decision is a victory for Attorney General Matt Platkin in the nearly two-year legal battle questioning his authority. His office took control of the city police in March 2023 shortly after officers fatally shot a Paterson man experiencing a mental health episode and after years of misconduct in the department.
NORCROSS CASE — Norcross attorneys lambast Platkin's appeal of corruption indictment dismissal, by POLITICO's Madison Fernandez: Attorneys for Democratic power broker George Norcross pushed back against state Attorney General Matt Platkin's appeal of a Superior Court judge's dismissal of a corruption indictment against their client, saying that the indictment's 'allegations are stale, with nothing of consequence happening in almost a decade.' Michael Critchley, one of Norcross' attorneys, acknowledged that their response to the appeal, which was filed on Wednesday, 'seems very similar to the arguments we've made previously' because 'the Attorney General has once again failed to identify a single crime that any Defendant committed.' 'Simply repeating the inaccurate and insufficient claims contained in the original charges, as the Office of the Attorney General did in its lengthy appeal, does not change the simple fact that hard bargaining is not a crime and never has been,' Critchley said in a statement.
ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL ORDER — Murphy signs executive order to evaluate megabill impacts, by POLITICO's Madison Fernandez: Gov. Phil Murphy said he is looking to 'mitigate harm' caused by President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act with an executive order that directs state agencies to evaluate the impacts of the federal legislation on their budgets.The order, which Murphy signed on Wednesday, requires all state agencies to submit a preliminary assessment and recommended legislative measures for the current session by Oct. 1. Non-legislative measures need to be submitted by Nov. 15. … 'The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is a fiscal disaster that fails to deliver for working-class families in New Jersey and across the country,' Murphy said in a statement. 'This law rips away health care from vulnerable children and families, guts food assistance, and raises costs for everyday Americans.'
GETTING THE HELL OFF THE BEACH — Assembly considering summer voting session, Greenwald says, by POLITICO's Daniel Han: The state Assembly may reconvene for a rare summer voting session, the chamber's majority leader said. The exact scope of the voting session isn't clear, although it would be expected to address legislation to overhaul the beleaguered State Health Benefits Program. The public workers health insurance program is headed toward insolvency and local governments on the plan face a proposed rate hike of around 37 percent for the upcoming plan year. 'I think there needs to be a short-term fix and a long-term fix,' Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald said of the SHBP in an interview. 'We are scheduling a voting session for the summer, which has really never been done in my career.'
— 'NJ public defender's office sues over 'secret' state police DNA database'
TRUMP ERA
HABBA SAGA — The firing of a veteran prosecutor in New Jersey escalates Trump's war with the courts, by POLITICO's Kyle Cheney and Ry Rivard: The Trump administration opened a new front in its war with the courts this week — and fired a veteran federal prosecutor in the process — in a dramatic tussle over the New Jersey U.S. Attorney's Office. Now it's not clear who is in charge. Federal judges exercised a 160-year-old power to select a temporary prosecutor on Tuesday to lead the office, following President Donald Trump's failure to win quick Senate confirmation for his pick: his former personal lawyer Alina Habba.
— 'Who Is Desiree Grace, the Prosecutor Caught Up in a Judicial Crisis?'
IMMIGRATION — 'ICE arrests in Pa. and N.J. are surging, including people without criminal records,' by the Philadelphia Inquirer's Joe Yerardi: 'The number of people ICE arrested in Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania surged around the time the agency reportedly implemented a 3,000 arrests-a-day quota in late May, according to recently released government data. Arrests doubled from an average of 26 a day since President Donald Trump took office through May 21 to an average of 51 a day between May 22 and June 26 for the three states. At the same time, the proportion of people arrested without a criminal record or pending criminal charges has exploded, up two-thirds since the directive to Immigration and Customs Enforcement was issued.'
SAND DOLLARS — 'Federal cutbacks hit NJ beach renewal projects,' By NJ Spotlight News' Brenda Flanagan: 'For the first time in almost 30 years, the flow of sand and dollars for beach renewal at the Jersey Shore has stopped. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' projects in Ocean City, Stone Harbor and Avalon, among others, were cut in 2025 by the Trump administration. Avalon on its own scraped up and moved 40,000 cubic yards of sand to bolster eroded beaches at its northern end, a stopgap paid for with local tax dollars. But Avalon Mayor John McCorristin said Avalon needs 10 times that amount of sand replenishment, at a cost of millions they can't afford without federal aid.'
LOCAL
WRECKED DIRECTOR — 'Ex-rec director says Bergen County town fired him over objections to summer camp issues,' by NorthJersey.com's Kaitlyn Kanzler: 'Did a complaint about alleged issues at a summer camp hosted by Cresskill, and run by a councilwoman's relative, lead to the firing of the recreation director? He says so. Jason Mitchell was hired as the director of the department of parks and recreation in 2020 and said he was responsible for 'the planning, implementation and management of recreational programs, including summer camps,' and received praise for his performance.'
— 'Arango, District 9 GOP congressional hopeful, praise Schillari for leaving Dem Party'
— 'As rents surge in Jersey City, mayoral candidates offer diverging plans on affordable housing'