Large Democratic majorities in both Houses of New Jersey legislature.

0:00 Speaker 1 What is today is Eric Shuffler, and he is a lobbyist. He is a rainmaker in New Jersey. He was consul to Governor McGreevy and so many other governors and joysy tell us, Eric, tell us about yourself. Hey John, Happy Thanksgiving by.

0:16 Speaker 2 The way, gobble gobble hope everyone a great holiday. My most important thing. I’m a dad and husband, and I’ve been in Jersey politics for almost thirty years, counsel to Governor McGreevy, Governor Cody, chief of staff, about to our selling the Senate and proudly now your baseball partner and running the Fairyhawks and our year round entertainment center over

0:35 on Staten Island. And I run a lobby shop in New Jersey. Been doing you know, political operative and government affairs work for twenty thirty years.

0:42 Speaker 1 Now we’re gonna win the pennant for the Atlantic League next year.

0:46 Speaker 2 We are finally going to make their corner and bring a title and a playoff contender to Staten Island and have our own tanion of heroes prayed.

0:54 Speaker 1 Well. I look forward to it, and let’s make sure it was. The Thanksgiving was great, and let’s make sure we uh have a great holidays period of time, Christmas, New Year’s and and we’ll start the new year off right. Uh, tell us now New Jersey. Many times we’ve had people on from New Jersey saying that the uh, the GOP

1:18 was helping to sweep New Jersey and they got a big disappointment. You’re you’re on the Democratic side. Tell us what the heck is going on? And and uh, where do you see New Jersey going? Yeah, and my only, my only big interest in Jersey save our whales.

1:37 Speaker 2 We know you love the whales, and we want to keep the whales safe along our beautiful uh you know, coastline. I think the Republicans went into election day with high hopes. There was a sense that, you know, maybe a little bit democratic fatigue, the Culture War, some issues around parental notification, the whales, and offshore wind were really bringing together what

1:57 they thought was going to be a big year for them. Turns out they were wrong for a lot of different reasons. We can talk about New Jersey is a blue state, but they didn’t New Jersey Democrats didn’t do so well simply because it’s a blue state. A lot of reasons behind it.

2:11 Speaker 1 I know, the one big item that I was proud of selling to Schumer, delivering to New York and to New Jersey. Is that new tunnel? Tell us about that.

2:20 Speaker 2 You know, the Gateway Tunnel has been a political dream and quest for twenty thirty years. So much of the New Jersey economy depends on getting our workers into New York. So much of the New York City economy depends on getting New Jersey workers in there. We are tied together at the hip. You know, we have a great CEO

2:37 of Gateway, Chris colorI a longtime transportation official. It’s going to happen, and I think what it’s going to mean for the economy very very significant. You know, Governor Murphy has made transit reform, you know, one of his signature issues, you know, congestion, traffic. It’s a way of life for us here in New York and New Jersey. Finding ways

2:56 that we can get employees to and from New York is good for both our economy.

3:00 Speaker 1 Understood and a mutual friend of ours, Governor McGreevy is going to run for mayor. Tell us how that’s going to turn out. And the big question I was asking the governor, I said, do I call you Governor or after you win, or do I call you Maya?

3:18 Speaker 2 I think he just likes to be called Jim. He’s America loves a story of redemption, and America loves a story of second chances. You know. And Governor McGreevy is one of the finest human beings I’ve met in this business.

3:29 He’s someone whose heart’s in the right place. He’s dedicated his life to helping prisoners rehabilitate themselves. He’s a person who cares so much about government and people. You know, he’s going to be the next mayor of Jersey City, and it is going to be a very different mayorship than I think they’ve seen. He’s highly focused on affordability,

3:46 highly focused on how do we find people live, but he also understands how to leverage state resources and grow Jersey City. It’s one of the fastest growing cities in New Jersey. Lots going on there, lots of high tech moving in, lots of finance, lots of housing opportunities, lots of development, a city really on the rise.

4:03 Speaker 1 Now, twenty twenty four is coming up, and it’s going to be a big presidential year when you have to decide how the country moves forward. And I guess we have to wait and see on that. What are the big elections are coming up in New Jersey.

4:21 Speaker 2 We have a huge election coming up, the governor’s races twenty twenty five. So what we just saw into the last couple of weeks ago is the New Jersey Legislature of Democrats expanded their presence. No one thought that was going to happen, So our majorities in the Assembly increased.

4:36 And I think a couple of reasons for that, John that people look at that lead into where we go in the next two years. One, Democrats hyper focused on affordability. I mean, you talk a lot about common sense, keeping people safe, keeping people in a state that they can afford to live in, very discipline message around making New

4:52 Jersey affordable. The second is there’s this growing trend around vote by mail that a lot of the Democrats have embraced as an organization. Republicans still some mixed feelings on vote by mail. Some of that relates to the you know, the hangover when you know, former President Trump railed against you know, vote by mail efforts. Republicans still hesitant on that.

5:12 But our big election is going to be twenty twenty four with the Senate race that Sener Bob Menendez currently sits there. He’s faced some ethical challenges and legal difficulties and is being challenged by a sitting Congressman, Andy Kim, and the governor’s wife, a very significant, you know, political and policy person in her own right, Tammy Murphy, has

5:31 entered the race also, So that is a heavyweight battle.

5:34 Speaker 1 So those are going to be, uh, They’re going to be primary primary. On the center Menendez’s race.

5:42 Speaker 2 You will have not just a primary, you will have a sitting senator primary by a sitting congressman as well as the governor’s wife, the first lady who in her own right has her own policy experience and background. I don’t think we’ve ever seen a dynamic with three people of that stature in the ring together.

6:01 Speaker 1 Well, I can’t vote in New Jersey, but I would vote for the one that respects all Wales. I go back to Wales. What else we got another minute or two left over? What else do you think is important to the New Jersey I I know I live in New York, and to me, keeping New York New York

6:19 is safe and being able to the quality of life. How do New Jersey people feel.

6:26 Speaker 2 You know, I think the biggest this New Jersey has always been affordability. New Jersey is an expensive state to live. Our schools are top notch, Our property taxes are high. People pay value to get into a good school system and pay for their homes. It is a continual struggle for our politicians to figure out how to keep making

6:44 it so that more people are coming in and want to pursue the American dream in New Jersey than are leaving because the cost gets too expensive. I think the Democrats won the last election because they were hyper focused on and the Republicans drifted into these culture war issues that have become popular on the right. So I think

6:59 what New Jerseys looking at our Senate president is back, our speakers back. It’s can they find a way to keep property taxes down? Can they find a way to keep the schools at a very high level? And how do you make it so people aren’t leaving the state to go to Florida or South Carolina or North Carolina

7:15 where they’re one to raise their families Here.

7:17 Speaker 1 Five hundred and forty thousand New York City and New York State people have moved to elsewhere. Was there a problem in New Jersey similar or.

7:30 Speaker 2 I don’t think it not as bad, but it is still very real, and I think it’s indicative of both of these places. I think the other biggest you have in New Jersey is housing, you know, I think both in New York and New Jersey. How do you build more housing when you have local rules, zoning rules. You know,

7:44 it’s hard to build and there is such a need for housing, especially for young families who want to stay in these areas. So how do we keep affordable, how do we keep people get into work, and how do we build housing for them and keep our schools? Great challenge is always there.

7:57 Speaker 1 Well, thank you so much for me on Eric, and I look forward to a great baseball season in the spring.

8:06 Speaker 2 Great baseball season. We’re working on a lot of year round entertainment, as you’ve said, John, trying to plan a concert, college baseball. We have a beer festival coming up, year round entertainment center with the best view of any ballpark in America.

8:21 Speaker 1 God bless you, and God bless America, and God bless New Jersey too. Thank you so much. Amen,