On Saturday, the first Republican to officially launch his candidature for governor was Jon Bramnick, a self-described centrist and state senator from New Jersey who also happens to be a stand-up comedian.
A comedy club in New Brunswick, where Bramnick sometimes performs, was supposed to be the starting point for his 2025 run. He utilises the honorary title of “Funniest Lawyer in New Jersey” that he received in a State Bar Association contest decades ago. To become the first Republican from the blue state to succeed in becoming governor since Chris Christie in 2009, he is running against Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, who is entering his term limit.
The 21-year-old legislator is going against the grain by campaigning against the Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump, even though his party is still heavily favouring the former president.
“I’m going to represent the traditional values of the Republican Party, not simply the voice of one person,” Bramnick stated in a phone interview before to his launch. “The destiny of the Republican Party should not be determined by a single individual, be it Donald Trump or anybody else.”
Although he now resides in Westfield, Union County, Bramnick was a councilman in Plainfield from 1984 to 1991. He is 70 years old and practices personal injury law. He first served in the state assembly in 2003, and after Alex DeCroce’s untimely death in 2012, he was named minority leader. In 2021, he won reelection to the position of state senator.
Former Bramnick Assembly colleague and that year’s Republican gubernatorial nominee Jack Ciattarelli has stated his intention to run for office but has not yet officially announced his candidature. Additionally, far-right radio broadcaster Bill Spadea, who is pro-Trump, has been canvassing New Jersey with the hopes of running for governor.
“Most New Jerseyans don’t want hateful rhetoric from a know-it-all radio talking head who has never had to make a decision as an elected official.” Bramnick slammed Spadea soon after the 2023 state legislative elections, when Democrats unexpectedly gained seats against Republicans who had campaigned on culture war issues.
Despite the fact that there are around one million more registered Democrats than Republicans in the state, Bramnick is trying to win over Republican voters by highlighting his electability. This is especially true in the Trump era, when many suburban communities that were once Republican have switched allegiances.
As part of their poker game, a group of guys with Jersey accents debate Bramnick’s candidature while bringing up the state’s much-discussed cured meat in a campaign promotional video. The only Republican with a chance of winning the general election is Jon Bramnick, they believe. “Traylor Ham, not pork roll,” he says. He’s got everything.
Jersey stereotypes are the punchline to many of Bramnick’s jokes. One of his jokes from a show in 2017 was that he never hears of UFO encounters in New Jersey.
“It’s usually like, Arkansas… What if they roused Tony from his slumber in the wee hours of the morning in Bayonne? He announced that four Martians would be missing.
Christie is only one of several Republican governors elected and reelected by New Jersey voters, despite the fact that the state is consistently blue in national elections. As a matter of fact, in 2021, the first Democratic governor to gain reelection since 1977 was Murphy, who ran as a progressive. He narrowly defeated Ciattarelli by approximately three percentage points.
My point is that the state isn’t moving significantly to the right. Thus, this is a chance for you to get it back to its midpoint. So now you’re faced with a decision: either stick with the status quo of just one party or back a viable contender.
Among Bramnick’s legislative achievements are a 2012 law mandating the installation of defibrillators in schools and a newly passed bill mandating the instruction of students on mourning in school curricula. Bramnick emphasised the significance of his leadership roles as a Republican, serving as minority leader and conference leader, in assisting with the negotiation of significant state laws, such as the elimination of the estate tax and the limitation of local government expenditure.
Budgets that were “much less efficient, with much less spending than what you see today” were passed through negotiations, according to Bramnick.
One of Bramnick’s more contentious legislative accomplishments was a bill he co-sponsored with Democratic Senate President Nick Scutari, a personal injury attorney from Union County who is also a driver. The bill would have increased drivers’ minimum insurance requirements, which the insurance industry had claimed would result in higher premiums. According to Bramnick, the measure was “pro-consumer.”
“It’s very fair and I’m very proud of it,” Bramnick stated. “The majority of the calls I receive from constituents do not contain the sentiment, ‘I am very satisfied with my insurance company. They cover all of their expenses and more.'” ‘They’re not going to cover my medical expense,’ or ‘I had a terrible accident and all I got was $15,000,’ are common examples.’
Three Republicans with little to no involvement in New Jersey politics—former U.S. House Speaker John Boehner, George P. Bush, and Michael Chertoff—are joined in Bramnick’s announcement with videos of support. Chertoff is a fellow Union County native and served as U.S. Attorney for New Jersey in the 1990s. Bush and Boehner also served as Texas land commissioners.
Notably absent from the video endorsements was Christie, a political ally of Bramnick’s: the most unpopular governor to resign since the introduction of public polling. Christie departed from office in 2018.
Bramnick claimed that Christie’s involvement in a presidential campaign was one reason he refrained from asking. Earlier this month, Christie withdrew from the race. As far as Bramnick is aware, he has not yet reached out to Republicans in New Jersey for support.
“I wouldn’t turn it down later on,” Bramnick told the press. He was elected to two terms after that. Some of his actions must have been commendable. Plus, he’s a friend.