Latest news with #MikieSherrill
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jack Ciattarelli taps Morris County sheriff James Gannon as Lt. Governor running mate
Republican gubernatorial nominee Jack Ciattarelli announced that Morris County Sherriff James Gannon will join him on the ticket as the lieutenant governor nominee. Ciattarelli formally announced Gannon, 64, as his running mate at Johnnies Tavern in Boonton on Wednesday morning. Gannon was first elected sheriff in 2016 and is serving his third term. He is a resident of Democratic nominee Rep. Mikie Sherrill's district. Among those in attendance was Hudson County Sheriff Frank Schilllari, a Democrat until this week. Introduced by state Sen. Anthony Bucco, Ciattarelli said that the Republican party sent a clear message six weeks ago in the primary that they were united and coming for victory. 'We're a campaign that's about people, not power or politics,' he said. 'Jim Gannon has always been a man of the people. This campaign has always been about a vision for New Jersey, not division. Jim Gannon has always been about unity.' Gannon said he learned the importance of taking care of people as a child from his father, a detective in the NYPD. 'Although I didn't recognize it at the time, those days with my dad were the beginning of a career in public service,' he said. 'I stand before you honored and humbled to be your candidate for lieutenant governor for the state of New Jersey.' Gannon said that under one party Democratic rule, New Jersey is 'broken' and that Trenton Democrats are 'spending and borrowing too much' and 'taxing and tolling us to death.' Ciattarelli isn't just looking to secure the governorship for himself, either. He said with the wind at their back, he has faith that not only he and Gannon win but the Republicans have the potential to flip enough seats in the General Assembly, which is also on the ballot, to secure a majority in that chamber. Who is James Gannon? Gannon first ran for public office in 2016 after the retirement of Sheriff Edward Rochford, who served eight terms. Rochford was preceded by John Fox, who served for 18 years. During his tenure, Gannon has prioritized programs like Hope One, which provides free Narcan training and Naloxone kits, as well as access to addiction recovery and mental health programs. A lifelong Morris County resident, Gannon grew up in Boonton Township with three siblings. He has an associate's degree in law enforcement from County College of Morris and a bachelor's degree in criminal justice administration from William Paterson University. Gannon got his start in law enforcement in Boonton Township before moving to the Morris County Prosecutor's Office, the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force and later Novartis Pharmaceuticals, as the Global Head of Security Risk. He has one daughter and two grandkids. His wife of 26 years died in 2010 after a battle against multiple sclerosis. If Ciattarelli is elected, Gannon would be the first man to serve as lieutenant governor in New Jersey since the post was formally created in 2005. It was first on the ballot in 2009. New Jersey: Alina Habba out as acting US Attorney; DOJ removes judges' replacement During his unsuccessful campaign in 2021, Ciattarelli ran with former state Sen. Diane Allen. With the filing deadline looming, Sherrill has until July 28 to name her lieutenant governor pick. Staff writer William Westhoven contributed to this report. Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: sobko@ This article originally appeared on Jack Ciattarelli names James Gannon running mate in NJ governor race Solve the daily Crossword
NBC News
23-07-2025
- Business
- NBC News
How Trump's 'big beautiful bill' is shaping this year's biggest elections
President Donald Trump's sweeping tax cut and spending law known as the 'big beautiful bill' is expected to be a major issue in the 2026 midterm elections. But first, candidates for governor this year in Virginia and New Jersey are already testing how the measure plays on the campaign trail. Rep. Mikie Sherrill and former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic nominees in New Jersey and Virginia, respectively, have warned about devastating impacts from looming cuts to social safety net programs such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Republicans are taking mixed approaches. In New Jersey, a high-tax state where affordability is a top issue, former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli and his allies are planning to go on offense, arguing that Sherrill voted to block critical tax cuts. And in Virginia, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the GOP nominee, has dismissed concerns about program cuts, arguing that the state's Republican governor has put the state in a strong position to respond. Those lines of attack could determine who holds the governorships of two key states by the beginning of next year, as well as set the tone for how candidates battling for control of Congress approach the issue in 2026. Democrats focus on budget cuts, Republicans focus on tax cuts Democrats have already signaled that they plan to go all in on the measure's changes to SNAP, the program once known as food stamps, and Medicaid. The Democratic Governors Association released a memo Monday detailing its polling of Virginia and New Jersey, which showed majorities of voters in both states have 'serious concerns' and slim majorities saying they would prefer governors who oppose the measure. 'The races for governor in Virginia and New Jersey in November will be voters' first opportunity to reject Trump's harmful budget bill — and the GOP nominees will not be able to run from their record of supporting these deeply unpopular Medicaid cuts,' DGA Executive Director Meghan Meehan-Draper wrote in the memo. A congressional analysis published by Democrats on the Joint Economic Committee estimates that in Virginia, more than 300,000 residents could lose their health care by 2034. The number is a combination of people who could lose their Medicaid under changes to the program and people who would no longer be eligible for the state's expansion of that program under the Affordable Care Act. The New Jersey Department of Human Services estimated that around 350,000 residents who are eligible for Medicaid would lose health care coverage 'because of bureaucratic barriers,' and warned that the state's food assistance program, which affects 800,000 residents, is at risk unless the state can raise between $100 million and $300 million. In New Jersey, Ciattarelli has confronted concerns about Medicaid cuts by echoing Republicans in Washington who say those who need the program's crucial health coverage will still receive it. 'The best way to protect Medicaid is to make sure that those who receive it are truly in need of it most,' Ciattarelli said in a video posted on X after the measure passed the Senate. 'As I go around the state each and every day, I find an overwhelming number of New Jerseyans agree that able-bodied adults without young children should have to work or go to school at least 20 hours a week to remain eligible for their Medicaid benefits.' Ciattarelli and his GOP allies are planning to go on offense on the measure with a focus on taxes, lauding provisions codifying the 2017 tax cuts and temporarily raising the federal deduction for state and local taxes from $10,000 to $40,000, a top issue in the high-tax state. Ciattarelli knocked Sherrill for opposing the measure after pledging to work to eliminate the SALT cap, saying in his video statement that Sherrill 'voted to raise your taxes.' (Democrats note that a SALT cap is still in place under the new law and argue the law's tax cuts will benefit the wealthy overall.) Chris Russell, a Ciattarelli campaign consultant, told NBC News that the campaign plans to emphasize Sherrill's vote against the tax provisions in this measure, which also boosted the child tax credit, and made tips and overtime pay exempt from federal taxes. 'That is going to directly impact people in New Jersey and their pocketbooks,' Russell said, later adding, 'We intend to make her defend that vote.' Change NJ, a pro-Ciattarelli super PAC, has already launched digital ads knocking Sherrill for opposing the measure, focusing on the tax provisions. The group also released a memo last week with a poll from its senior adviser and pollster Kellyanne Conway, Trump's former campaign manager. The survey, which tested a range of attacks against Sherrill, found that the best-performing attack highlighted 'her vote to not extend Trump tax cuts, leading to a potential $1,700 tax hike for families, tax hike on small businesses and a cut to the child tax credit,' although critics of the poll note it modeled an electorate more favorable to Republicans. 'This is the most recent, most vivid example of Mikie doing the things in Washington that people are tired of Trenton Democrats doing,' Change NJ spokesman Carlos Cruz said. 'To that end, you should expect to see us talking a lot about it.' Democrats highlight downstream effects of Medicaid spending cuts Hospital associations have also warned that rural hospitals in Virginia will take a major financial hit under the law, because they rely so heavily on Medicaid dollars: People living in rural areas are far more likely to receive their health insurance through Medicaid. Both Spanberger and Sherrill have emphasized those cuts on the campaign trail. Sherrill held events earlier this month at a health care center in Camden, a solar energy business in Southampton Township, and Kean University in Union to highlight the effects of the 'one big beautiful bill,' which Sherrill has called the "Republican Price Hike Bill.' 'This cruel piece of legislation will kick hundreds of thousands of New Jerseyans off their healthcare and raise costs for even more, cut food assistance for working families, and increase the cost of utilities and mortgages,' Sherrill said in her statement explaining her vote against the measure. 'At the same time, they are funneling New Jersey's hard-earned tax dollars to Trump's billionaire friends and donors.' Spanberger, for her part, made criticism of Trump's bill a central tenet of a campaign bus tour through Virginia in late June, telling voters during a stop in Fredericksburg before the measure was enacted that she'd already begun 'looking at how we can make sure that, come January, as few people as possible get pushed off of Medicaid.' In video released by her campaign after the House passed its iteration of the bill, she warned that it would constitute a 'massive attack on health care as we know it' and create 'a reality where Virginians cannot afford the care they need,' warning that it would boot people off Medicaid, cause rural hospital closures, increase prescription drug costs and overrun emergency rooms. In both states, Democrats also plan to use the Republicans' support for the bill to make the broader case that they won't stand up to Trump, who lost both states by nearly 6 percentage points. Earle-Sears says 'don't panic' In Virginia, Earle-Sears has both praised Trump's tax-and-spend law and brushed off concerns about the measure. At a press conference one week after the law was enacted, Earle-Sears responded to questions about its impact on rural hospitals and voters' concerns about the law more broadly. 'I would say to Virginia, don't panic,' she said, before adding that 'things are being worked out' and saying that federal and state lawmakers had begun taking actions to counter hits to health care coverage. A week earlier — but still after the bill was enacted — Earle-Sears said during an interview on Newsmax, a conservative television network, that the bill 'does so many great things' amid a broader discussion about her policy plans to create jobs in Virginia. And in June, prior to Trump's bill becoming law, Earle-Sears told a crowd at an event in the rural town of Marion that the state would be able to fill in financial gaps created by cuts to Medicaid with 'rainy day' state budgetary funds. Virginia Democrats have pushed as loudly on instances of Earle-Sears defending the law as they have on Spanberger's criticism of it. 'After supporting and praising these cuts, all Winsome Earle-Sears has to say is 'don't panic,'' Democratic Party of Virginia spokesperson Maggie Amjad said in response to questions about how the party was positioning itself to message on Trump's law in the governor's race. Amjad called the GOP nominee's comments 'dismissive and empty advice.' Responding to questions about Earle-Sears' views on Trump's law — and about Democratic attacks on that response — campaign spokesperson Peyton Vogel wrote in an email that 'Abigail Spanberger may not be aware of this, but we're running for Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia.' 'When she and Joe Biden were sending bills that directly impacted the future of our Commonwealth, Governor Youngkin and Lt. Governor Winsome Earle-Sears fought for all Virginians,' Vogel added. 'That's where all of our priorities should be focused, on the people of Virginia. Fear mongering over President Trump's tax cuts is a losing strategy, but we aren't going to get in Abigail's way.' Republicans working for some outside groups wouldn't rule out the idea of ads promoting aspects of Trump's law in the state, as seems to be on the menu in New Jersey, where the pro-Ciattarelli super PAC noted the political value of the tax cut provisions. But Vogel said the Earle-Sears campaign was not planning to feature in any ads, or as part of any paid media, any messaging that defended or touted the "big beautiful bill." 'We are focused on Virginia and Winsome's story,' she said.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Obama making first fundraising appearance since Democrats' 2024 losses
Former President Obama will be making his first fundraising appearance since the Democratic Party suffered losses across the board during the 2024 elections. Obama will attend a high-dollar fundraiser Friday evening hosted by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) and his wife, Tammy Murphy, in Red Bank, N.J., according to a copy of the invitation that was obtained by The Hill. Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Ken Martin, who has been under pressure amid growing turmoil within the party, and New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) will also be in attendance for the 'dinner and discussion' event, a source familiar with the matter told The Hill. The fundraiser, first reported by Axios, comes ahead of New Jersey's gubernatorial and state legislative races this year. Sherrill, who represents New Jersey's 11th Congressional District, won the Democratic nomination for governor of New Jersey in early June. She is looking to succeed Murphy, who is term limited. The lawmaker will face off against Republican Jack Ciattarelli — who secured President Trump's endorsement during the GOP primary race — in the general election. The fundraiser is sold out, and the money raised will be directed to the DNC, 'as it plans to make significant investments in states like New Jersey in 2025 and beyond,' the source said. Obama hosted fundraisers for both former President Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 election cycle. In late June, the DNC rolled out an 'Organizing Summer' effort in hopes of forming a network of volunteers, generating enthusiasm and registering people to vote ahead of the elections in November and the midterms in 2026. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Daily Mail
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Obama's message to Democrats
Published: | Updated: Former President Barack Obama told whining Democrats that they needed to 'toughen up' as the party figures out how to fight back against President Donald Trump. On Friday, Obama headlined a private fundraiser in New Jersey hosted by the state's current Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy in support of the Democratic nominee for New Jersey governor, Rep. Mikie Sherrill. CNN obtained excerpts of the former president's remarks. 'You know, don't tell me you're a Democrat , but you're kind of disappointed right now, so you're not doing anything,' Obama said. 'No, now is exactly the time that you get in there and do something.' The ex-president complained about party members grumbling over there not being a defined leader of the party. 'I think it's going to require a little bit less navel-gazing and a little less whining and being in fetal positions,' he said. 'And it's going to require Democrats to just toughen up.' There are two off-year elections that Obama said Democrats should be focused on - the governors races in New Jersey and Virginia. In past years, both races have been considered bellwethers - and if Democrats are successful they could give them momentum going into the midterms. Obama called the races 'a big jumpstart for where we need to go.' 'Stop looking for the quick fix,' he told the crowd. 'Stop looking for the messiah.' 'You have great candidates running races right now. Support those candidates,' the ex-president said. In the primary last month, New Jersey Republicans selected former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli to be there guy. He was backed by Trump. Ciattarelli unsuccessfully pursued the governorship in both 2017 and 2021 - losing the primary in 2017 and losing the general election to Murphy in 2021. 'Make sure that the DNC has what it needs to compete in what will be a more data-driven, more social media-driven cycle, which will cost some money and expertise and time,' Obama advised on the two races. More broadly, he encouraged Democrats to 'stand up for the things that you think are right.'
Daily Mail
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Obama pulls no punches in savage two-word message for Democrats struggling to fight back against Trump
Former President Barack Obama told whining Democrats that they needed to 'toughen up' as the party figures out how to fight back against President Donald Trump. On Friday, Obama headlined a private fundraiser in New Jersey hosted by the state's current Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy in support of the Democratic nominee of New Jersey governor, Rep. Mikie Sherrill. CNN obtained excerpts of the former president's remarks. 'You know, don't tell me you're a Democrat, but you're kind of disappointed right now, so you're not doing anything,' Obama said. 'No, now is exactly the time that you get in there and do something.' The ex-president complained about party members grumbling over there not being a defined leader of the party. 'I think it's going to require a little bit less navel-gazing and a little less whining and being in fetal positions,' he said. 'And it's going to require Democrats to just toughen up.' There are two off-year elections that Obama said Democrats should be focused on - the governors races in New Jersey and Virginia. In past years, both races have been considered bellwethers - and if Democrats are successful they could give them momentum going into the midterms. Obama called the races 'a big jumpstart for where we need to go.' 'Stop looking for the quick fix,' he told the crowd. 'Stop looking for the messiah.' 'You have great candidates running races right now. Support those candidates,' the ex-president said. In New Jersey, Democrats nominated Sherrill, a 53-year-old former Navy officer and federal prosecutor, who was first elected to Congress in 2018, when Democratic candidates swept the House of Representatives in a rebuke of Trump's first term. In the primary last month, New Jersey Republicans selected former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli to be there guy. He was backed by Trump. Ciattarelli unsuccessfully pursued the governorship in both 2017 and 2021 - losing the primary in 2017 and losing the general election to Murphy in 2021. Murphy is term-limited so not pursuing re-election. In Virginia, the state's voters will make history no matter what and elect their first female governor. Democrats nominated former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, while Republicans nominated the state's current Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, as the commonwealth's current GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin is term-limited. 'Make sure that the DNC has what it needs to compete in what will be a more data-driven, more social media-driven cycle, which will cost some money and expertise and time,' Obama advised on the two races. More broadly, he encouraged Democrats to 'stand up for the things that you think are right.' 'Don't say that you care deeply about free speech and then you're quiet. No, you stand up for free speech when it's hard. When somebody says something that you don't like, but you still say, "You know what, that person has the right to speak." … What's needed now is courage,' Obama said.
