Sherrill's cash advantage

Politico

14-05-2025

Good Wednesday morning!
Before Ras Baraka's arrest at Delaney Hall, Mikie Sherrill and Steve Fulop seemed to be on the cusp of dominating the Democratic primary.
Newly released campaign finance reports show just how different their strategies are.
Sherrill as of May 9 was sitting on $4.7 million cash. Fulop: Just $787,000. They're both limited to spending $8.7 million in the primary because they're getting matching funds from the state. Sherrill has spent $4 million of that. Fulop has spent $8 million.
Fulop has the least money on hand except for Sean Spiller, who's letting the NJEA's super PAC do pretty much everything for him. Spiller is not taking matching funds and has just $126,102.73 in the bank, not including the $28,000 he still owes to produce his campaign launch video. Josh Gottheimer, who's maxed out on matching funds, has $2 million in the bank, while Steve Sweeney has $2.2 million and room to take in about $1 million more.
We won't know the details of what their super PACs are spending until May 30. But this leaves Sherrill with a lot more spending power in the final month of the campaign, and, but for Baraka's recent barrage of publicity, might have provided her a way to break away from the pack, which she narrowly leads in every public poll and every publicly released internal poll.
Baraka has lagged most of his rivals in fundraising but has significant room to grow. He's only received about half the matching funds he's eligible for, and can spend another $3.7 million. He doesn't have much cash on hand — just $666,000 (a number I'm sure some of his critics see significance in) — but these numbers were as of his arrest Friday. His campaign was already fundraising off of it, so we'll see if it provides a significant boost.
Baraka's brother and chief of staff Middy is running his field operation. Baraka's campaign has paid over $575,000 to his firm Bottom Up Consulting, of which $374,335 went to canvassers. I don't see any other campaigns paying 'walking around' money like that. But Baraka, unlike at least some his rivals, doesn't have a super PAC or county Democratic organizations doing field work for him.
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WHAT TRENTON MADE
WILL ANYONE BE ABLE TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE? — 'New Jersey is facing a possible transit strike. Here's what to know,' by The New York Times' Patrick McGeehan: 'Most threatened transit strikes, like the last one in New Jersey nine years ago, do not materialize. But the tone of these negotiations has grown harsher as the strike deadline has neared. Last week, Mr. Kolluri questioned the 'mental health' of Thomas Haas, the general chairman of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, after the union's members overwhelmingly rejected a previous agreement. ... Mr. Kolluri has refused to increase New Jersey Transit's offer, saying that any extra pay offered to the engineers would have to be paid to all 14 of the agency's other unions. 'This is the deal that was offered, that he shook my hands on, that he negotiated, and now he has to live with his consequences,' Mr. Kolluri said. Mark Wallace, the national president of the engineers' union, said that Mr. Kolluri was not interested in reaching a deal. 'He's trying to vilify us with the citizens of New Jersey,' Mr. Wallace said.'
3M x 150 — 3M settles PFAS cases with New Jersey for up to $450M, by POLITICO's Ry Rivard: New Jersey is set to collect up to $450 million over the next quarter-century from 3M after the chemical giant agreed to settle several state lawsuits alleging its products contaminated water supplies, state Attorney General Matt Platkin said Tuesday. The settlement, which is subject to public comment and court approval, is the largest single clean-water-related settlement in state history, Platkin said. 3M admitted no wrongdoing. The company announced aspects of the deal Monday after attorneys worked throughout the nights over the last week to reach an agreement. The deal allows 3M to avoid a trial next week in a lawsuit the state filed over pollution at the Chambers Works site in Salem County against makers and sellers of the chemicals, also known as PFAS, that are linked to a variety of health hazards, including cancer. Platkin said the company knew about the chemicals' harm 'and yet 3M kept selling as much PFAS as it could.'
BARABBA — 'Was Ras Baraka's arrest — a MAGAverse stunt — actually fuel for his campaign?' by The Record's Charles Stile: 'Everyone who found themselves in the ugly scrum in front of the Delaney Hall detention facility on May 9 got what they came for. President Donald Trump's masked Homeland Security henchmen, dressed as if they were entering the battle for Fallujah, needlessly provoked a peaceful protest by liberal Democrats into a chaotic, made-for-Fox News mob scene. … The moment gave Alina Habba, New Jersey's new interim United States attorney, a wobbly moral perch and helped the Trump MAGAverse toward realizing its dream of 'turning New Jersey red' — an aspiration Habba put forth in a podcast interview. … On the other side of the political chasm, Baraka, a Democratic candidate for governor, also achieved his public relations aims. He burnished his standing among the six-candidate field as the combative Democrat who is willing to take the fight to Trump rather than just talk about it.'
—'Arrest boosts Newark mayor as he runs for governor'
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TA-DUM — 'How New Jersey landed Netflix,' by The Hollywood Reporter's Tony Maglio: 'Look what's growing in the Garden State. The Hollywood Reporter was on-site Tuesday morning when Netflix broke ground on its new East Coast home, Netflix Studios Fort Monmouth in central New Jersey. … The gigantic renovation project, in which Netflix will turn a long-abandoned U.S. Army base into a dozen soundstages, a backlot, state-of-the-art post-production facilities, general office space and basically 500,000 square feet of all things Netflix, was brought to you by one thing: tax credits. … Before a wrecking ball even thrice ceremoniously slammed into some random, already-crumbling decommissioned military building (we were provided with hard hats, thank you for your concern), and before the pork roll, egg and cheese sandwiches were handed out to guests in attendance, including The Sopranos creator David Chase, Netflix had seven productions currently filming in New Jersey. In the coming years, that number is about to be a whole lot more.'
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—'How would New Jersey's candidates for governor tackle NJ Transit?'
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TRUMP ERA
ICED OUT — GOP proposal would boot 3 N.J. Democrats from House committees, by POLITICO's Nicholas Wu: Rep. Buddy Carter is proposing to strip three New Jersey lawmakers of their House committee assignments after they participated last week in a protest at a Newark migrant detention facility. The Georgia Republican introduced a one-page resolution that would remove Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman from the Appropriations Committee, Rep. Rob Menendez from the Energy and Commerce Committee and Rep. LaMonica McIver from committees on Homeland Security and Small Business. 'This behavior constitutes an assault on our brave ICE agents and undermines the rule of law. The three members involved in this stunt do not deserve to sit on committees alongside serious lawmakers,' Carter said in a statement.
BENEFITS — 'With Medicaid threatened, Kean's committee seat may cost him,' by NJ Spotlight News' Benjamin J. Hulac: 'People jockey and scrap to get seats on the Energy and Commerce Committee, one of the most prestigious panels in Congress … Now that [Tom] Kean has a seat on the sought-after panel, it could become politically toxic. Republicans on Capitol Hill are assembling a massive bill to cut taxes primarily for high-income earners and corporations while slashing spending on federal programs for the public, notably to a broad array of social safety net services. Kean is one of 30 Republicans on the committee that will begin debate Tuesday and potentially pass legislation that could take away health coverage through Medicaid. … Kean's office did not respond to a request for comment about how he plans to vote or if he would try to amend the bill About 73,000 people in his district are enrolled in Medicaid, according to data from KFF, a health policy research group, the lowest enrollment number of New Jersey's 12 congressional districts.'
—'Kean gives thumbs up to GOP's Medicaid plan'
—'Here's how the proposed deep cuts to Medicaid would affect N.J.'
BULLET PROOF VESTED — 'Federal law now strips convicts like Bob Menendez of congressional pensions. he's likely still getting one anyway,' by New Jersey Globe's Joey Fox: 'Under the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007, members of Congress convicted of a variety of felonies like bribery, acting as a foreign agent, perjury, and racketeering had their congressional pensions revoked … But the act contained an enormous loophole: it would only take effect after a final conviction was reached, meaning that convicted ex-senators and representatives could drag out the legal process for years via appeals and retain their pension all the while. … Thus was born the No Corruption Act, which amended the law to strip pensions after an initial public corruption conviction rather than delaying it until a final conviction. … But that law, too, contains a loophole that Menendez can take advantage of: it only applies to convictions handed down after its enactment date of December 23, 2024. Menendez was convicted on July 16, meaning that because the House waited for a year and a half to take up the bill (despite it being so uncontroversial that it passed on a voice vote), its provisions don't apply to him.'
I NEED A PIRRO! — 'Alina Habba weighs major career shake-up that could showcase her 'firecracker' personality,' by The Daily Mail's Katelyn Caralle: 'Alina Habba, 41, could be the next co-host of Fox News' The Five program. After a short stint as President Donald Trump's counselor, Habba left Washington, D.C., in March to move back to her home state and serve as acting U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey. But a White House source told Daily Mail that Fox News is eyeing Habba to replace longtime Fox star Jeanine Pirro on their hit weeknight show.'
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— Another NY Republican unleashes harsh criticism of top tax writer over contested deduction
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LOCAL
HACKENSACKED — 'Labrosse ousted in Hackensack with five insurgents winning easily,' by New Jersey Globe's David Wildstein: 'Hackensack Mayor John Labrosse lost his bid for re-election to a fourth term, with a slate backed by the city's Democratic leader, Lynn Hurwitz, flipping five council seats in Bergen County's largest city by a wide margin. The 'Hackensack Unites' slate, which included Councilman Gerard Carroll, and newcomers Caseen Gaines, Agatha Toomey, Roberto Diaz, and Sonya Clark-Collins, will take office on July 1. Gaines, the top vote-getter on the winning slate, is considered the leading candidate to become the next mayor. A public school teacher active in his local union, Gaines helped the New Jersey Attorney General's office in their report aimed at combating bias and hate crimes among students.'
— 'Results from May 13 municipal elections in Hackensack, Lyndhurst, Passaic and Cedar Grove,'
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—'Ali: I won't take donations from any Jersey City contractors over the past 2 years'
—'House explosion in Washington Twp. was a murder-suicide, say Gloucester County prosecutors'
EVERYTHING ELSE
GROUP HOMES — 'NJ group home staff are overburdened and underpaid, leading to care lapses,' by The Record's Ashley Balcerzak and Jean Rimbach: 'A caregiver left alone struggled to save four women with disabilities — only one who could walk unattended — when fire broke out at their group home. Another group home worker said she was 'thrown to the wolves,' forced to learn on the fly that one resident was prone to seizures and another would smear feces on walls. An aide with a criminal record pulled a knife on a colleague who confronted him for having sex on the job with a woman he brought to the group home. Workers on the front lines of New Jersey's group home system provide critical care for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities amid chronic understaffing, low pay, and a lack of preparation and support that puts them — and vulnerable residents — in jeopardy.'
HOBOKEN MAYORAL CANDIDATE SAYS SHE'S NO WEASEL — 'Are these mammals in the weasel family making a comeback in NJ? What to know about fishers,' by The Record's Kyle Morel: 'New Jersey wildlife officials are looking into the migration habits of a mammal that is making a comeback in the state after being driven out nearly a century ago. The fisher, a member of the weasel family more commonly found in the northern United States into Canada, is the subject of an ongoing research study by the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife. The animal has been spotted in several areas north of Route 80 and west of Route 287 over the past two years, said senior biologist Peter Stark, a member of the division's bureau of wildlife management. … The animal was extirpated, or completely eliminated, from the Garden State early in the 1900s due to a combination of habitat loss and trapping, Stark said. … New York reintroduced fishers in the area of the Catskill Mountains in the 1970s, and Pennsylvania followed suit in the late 1990s, Stark said. Wildlife experts believe these two programs resulted in the animal reappearing in New Jersey despite no official reintroduction initiative of its own.'
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—'$100 million New Jersey deli fraudsters father and son sentenced to prison'
—'JPMorgan Chase announces another round of layoffs at N.J. offices'