SOUTH HACKENSACK, New Jersey — Josh Gottheimer, a centrist Home Democrat and prolific fundraiser who has received races in robust election cycles whereas angering his celebration’s progressives, introduced his long-anticipated marketing campaign for governor Friday.
Repeatedly invoking his “Jersey roots” at a freeway diner within the North Jersey district he represents, Gottheimer outlined a governing plan constructed on 4 central concepts: reducing taxes; the state getting its cash’s value from authorities; creating extra job alternatives; and rising the economic system.
Whereas he mentioned he’ll combat to guard reproductive rights, enhance the state’s transit system and assist regulation enforcement, economics and affordability is central to his pitch to voters in a high-cost state with the nation’s highest property taxes.
“Dwelling in Jersey has turn out to be too rattling costly. We pay an excessive amount of in taxes, an excessive amount of to reside,” Gottheimer mentioned. “It’s time for a reboot.”
Gottheimer could make the case that he has been a confirmed vote-getter in a Republican-leaning district. In 2016, he defeated the doctrinaire conservative Rep. Scott Garrett, who had held workplace for 14 years. Gottheimer proceeded to win reelection by a cushty margin within the swing district, which turned extra safely Democratic in 2022 following redistricting.
However the 49-year-old Gottheimer faces a difficult political atmosphere, because the celebration’s progressive base and Senator-elect Andy Kim upended the normal celebration energy construction that Gottheimer seems to be banking on.
Throughout his eight years in workplace, Gottheimer has harassed bipartisanship and co-founded the “Drawback Solver’s Caucus” through which an equal variety of extra average Democrats and Republicans sought to advertise bipartisan governance, particularly on points just like the price range and infrastructure — although the caucus suffered fractures this yr.
He touted these efforts Friday and mentioned he’d take the identical ethic and file of bipartisanship to the state capital in Trenton.
“I’ll be an energetic, get-it-done, problem-solving governor,” Gottheimer mentioned. “New concepts and infinite power are in my DNA.”
At house, Gottheimer has turn out to be New Jersey’s most vocal critic of New York Metropolis’s congestion pricing, taking a victory lap when New York Gov. Kathy Hochul put the bold plan on pause fearing electoral blowback, and vowing to proceed the combat when she reintroduced a scaled-back model this week.
Within the Home, Gottheimer has largely voted with Democrats however has damaged with the celebration on some high-profile votes.
As certainly one of Israel’s largest boosters, Gottheimer — who can be the primary Jewish New Jersey governor — was certainly one of 16 Democrats who voted with Republicans on a invoice to dam the Biden administration from withholding some weapons shipments to Israel. Gottheimer was additionally amongst a minority of Democrats who voted for a latest, controversial invoice to strip alleged terrorist-supporting organizations of nonprofit standing, one thing many on the left warned might empower Donald Trump to focus on his political enemies.
And as a consultant of one of many nation’s wealthiest Home districts, Gottheimer has been a serious advocate of restoring the State and Native Tax Deduction [SALT] that was lower to $10,000 in the course of the first Trump administration. Gottheimer in 2022, together with Rep. Mikie Sherrill — additionally anticipated to joint the governor’s race subsequent week — withheld assist for a time from voting for the Inflation Discount Act as a result of it didn’t elevate the SALT cap, however finally relented.
Gottheimer started his political profession within the Clinton White Home as a speechwriter and served on the Federal Communications Fee. A protege of Clinton adviser Mark Penn, Gottheimer followed him to Microsoft.
Regardless of angering many on the left, Gottheimer has confronted only one severe major problem — in 2020 by Dr. Arati Kriebich, and he beat her by a two-to-one margin. However he enters the race at a time of tumult for New Jersey’s Democratic Get together, whose stability of energy was upset by the upstart Kim’s profitable lawsuit to eradicate the “county line” that allowed Democratic county chairs to train affect within the major system.
Gottheimer — an unabashed supporter of the county line — doubled down on it whilst a few of his gubernatorial rivals and plenty of within the celebration deserted it, even hooking up Middlesex County Democrats with a outstanding lawyer who briefly helped defend it.
However in a post-line political world, cash is anticipated to play a fair bigger position in campaigns — and Gottheimer has lengthy been New Jersey’s most prolific congressional fundraisers.
The congressmember presently has a $20 million marketing campaign warchest. And whereas he can’t switch these funds to his gubernatorial marketing campaign, he’s proven the power to shortly elevate tens of millions. He’s additionally used his Home marketing campaign account final yr to fund a “Jumpstart Jersey” initiative that was extensively seen as laying the groundwork for his gubernatorial run.
Dustin Racioppi contributed to this report.
