Senator Menendez will not run as a Democrat.

0:00 Speaker 1 What’s this this morning? Is my friend Eric Shuffler. He is also my partner in the FerryHawks, and we have a lot of adventures in that company. We enjoy both enjoy baseball. But he’s also a major player in New Jersey, a lobbyist and a friend, and he gives us an update.

0:21 What the heck is going on in New Jersey. It’s an election year, Eric, give us an.

0:25 Speaker 2 Update, John, What the heck is going on? Is the right way to think about it, because it is a political uncertainty in New Jersey right now. We had a couple of major developments that I think are of interest. First, Senator Bob Menendez, who is up for reelection this year and also facing is indicted and facing several federal charges,

0:44 has decided he’s not running in the Democratic primary. That is the primary where the governor’s wife, Sammy Murphy, is running against Congressman Andy Camp. Bob and Endez said he’s not going to run in that primary. John, But what do you think he’s gonna do?

0:58 Speaker 1 Run as a third party?

1:00 Speaker 2 Run as a third party. So he’s hinting that he will run as an independent, which would create a ton of chaos in what could be a competitive primary in New Jersey.

1:09 Speaker 1 Well, I mean the way everybody looks at it. If he runs a third party, unless he gets a deal from the Democrats, the Democrats will lose the New Jersey seat.

1:21 Speaker 2 It certainly puts a possibility of having, you know, someone with very broad name recognition who has support in the Hispanic community on the ballot, which could siphon off voats and make you know, what should be a Democratic seat harder.

1:35 Speaker 1 So is that to get out of jail free cut?

1:37 Speaker 2 One could argue, it’s say, hey, I’m still here, don’t forget about me.

1:42 Speaker 1 Card. Well, we’ll see what happens. That’s going to be an adventure. Now. Also, next year is the big governor’s race, and mister Governor Murphy is term limited. Tell us what the heck is going on there?

1:56 Speaker 2 Yeah, so Governor Murphy is terminated. He just had a big win bringing feet from the finals of the World Cup to New Jersey, which is you know, not just great for New Jersey, John, it’s great for New York City, it’s great for Staten Island, it’s great for all five of the boroughs. But he is term limited and we

2:11 have a kind of a free for all, right, now mayor of Jersey City, Steve Fullup is declared he is running. The former Senate President, Stephen Sweeney, who comes out of South Jersey, is running. We have two congress people, Mikey Cheryl you know from Essex County, Josh Gottheimer from Bergen County, both hinting that they may run. The speaker from Middlesex County,

2:32 Craig Coughlin, huge sports fan, longest serving speaker in New Jersey history, he may run. Governors don’t come up off and very often. John So all major Democrats are circling around it. And you know, governors do elect. We do elect Republican governors in New Jersey.

2:49 Speaker 1 Also understood what else is doing in New Jersey the people should know about.

2:55 Speaker 2 Well, the big news out of the legislature this week is the Transportation Trust Fund was passed and that does contain a two cent a year gas tax increase which will fund billions of dollars worth of work over the next you know, five to ten years.

3:09 Speaker 1 So you mean New Yorkers. He can’t drive over the bridge and by cheap Jersey gas anymore.

3:16 Speaker 2 They can drive over to New Jersey and still have their gas pumped by a gas attendant because we still do not have you can’t pump your own gas in New Jersey. But our taxes have caught up a little bit.

3:25 We’re no longer the cheapest option out there. But you know, infrastructure and good roads are really important and they have to be paid for.

3:33 Speaker 1 Understood anything else you want to get off your chest on a Sunday morning, You know.

3:38 Speaker 2 I think there was something interesting that I think you take note of that I read this morning. You know, the Republican primary Republicans do win governorships in New Jersey is down to really two main people at this point, Jack Chiarelli and John Bramnick. And John Bramnick came out, you know, a few days ago and said if Donald

3:56 Trump wins New Jersey, He’s not going to run in the primary, which I thought was a really interesting from a marketing perspective. How you have two Republican primary candidates trying to differentiate yourself, One trying Jack Chittarelli, who wasn’t a Trump Republican now appealing to the Trump Republicans. Another one who has been very clearly not a Trump Republican,

4:17 doubling down on that to differentiate himself in the primary.

4:21 Speaker 1 Has there been any Democrats that announced that’s going to run because of Governor Murphy’s term limited the.

4:28 Speaker 2 Only one there’s only two at this point, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fullop and former Senate President Steve Sweeney from South Jersey. The other ones I think are. You know, there’s a lot of energy focused on this Senate race, which first Lady Tammy Murphy against Congressman Andy Kim. So it’s been a long time since there’s been this much

4:45 uncertainty and jockeying in the state. My friend, uh, Jim McGreevy, is he gonna win, Your friend, and my friend, Jim McGreevy is going to win. There is no one better at retail politics. There is nobody who works harder. I’ve worked for a lot of a lot of people in my day. You know, Jim has his heart in the

5:04 right place, a man of the people, you know, has a good vision for Jersey City, and he will be Jersey City’s next mayor.

5:12 Speaker 1 Well that’s that sounds good because I like him. You know, he works very hard and a good man, good good man. Well, thank you, Eric, and thank you for the update, and we’ll catch up again real soon.

5:24 Speaker 2 Look, forward to it,