Spiller super PAC spent $8.3M just on canvassing

Politico

05-06-2025

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Good Thursday morning!
The super PAC that's unofficially running NJEA President Sean Spiller's campaign for governor has spent as much just on canvassing as his rival candidates' actual campaigns are allowed to spend, period.
Yesterday, NJEA critic Mike Lilley's group pointed out an odd-seeming $8.3 million in expenditures on the financial disclosure of the super PAC, Working New Jersey, which is funded with $40 million entirely by the union. All that money went to AP Consulting Firm in Newark, which as far as I can tell is a tiny company run by former Newark Board of Education member Ariagna Perello that specializes in tax prep.
That's actually payment for Working New Jersey's field operation, according to the super PAC's spokesperson Eddie Vale. He said it's run by James Souder, who was briefly Newark's director of neighborhood and recreational services but stepped down amid an alleged nude photo incident and general dissatisfaction with his job performance, and later served as a legislative director for the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, according to his LinkedIn page. Perello, he said, is administering it.
Vale told me the canvassing operation is in all 21 counties. 'Working New Jersey's field program remains active in all of these counties as part of what is certainly the biggest GOTV operation, independent or otherwise, in the Democratic primary, especially now during early vote and the final six days of the campaign,' he said.
'Biggest GOTV operation' seems like an understatement. All five of Spiller's Democratic rivals are taking matching funds from the state, which basically limits them to spending $8.7 million. And while there are super PACs doing field work for some of Spiller's rivals, none of them approach $8.3 million. And that figure was with two weeks to go before the primary, so it will almost certainly be larger.
By contrast, Ras Baraka's campaign has spent about $685,000 on canvassing through his brother Middy's consulting firm, and it broke down the expenses to include every person receiving the walking-around money. Or to make an even more stark comparison, Working New Jersey's field operation alone costs more than 24 times the roughly $342,058.84 Sean Spiller's campaign reported spending since he launched his campaign a year ago.
Have I ever mentioned that our campaign finance system is absurd?
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WHERE'S MURPHY — In Hoboken at 11 a.m. for a Unilever headquarters opening. In Newark at 1:15 p.m. for a 'ratepayer relief' announcement. And in Oceanport at 6:30 p.m. for a New Jersey Theatre Alliance gala.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'The whole thing is looking like the three-way standoff in the movie Reservoir Dogs. And that shoot-out turned out poorly for everyone involved.' — Princeton's Sam Wang and FairVote's David Daley on the Democratic primary in a Philadelphia Inquirer op-ed advocating for ranked choice voting.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Kevin Peng, Shereef Elnahal, Dan Harris, Charles Rosen.
WHAT TRENTON MADE
HE'S LITERALLY PHONING IT IN — 'Even Offstage, Trump Is Everywhere in New Jersey's Governor's Race,' by The New York Times' Tracey Tully: 'President Trump has played a starring role throughout the race for governor of New Jersey, thanks to his stronger-than-expected showing last November in the Democrat-led state. But his influence on the Republican and Democratic primaries, set for Tuesday, was impossible to miss this week. On Monday night, just hours before the start of early voting, Trump held a dial-in telephone rally for the candidate he endorsed last month, a Republican former assemblyman named Jack Ciattarelli, who is making his third run for governor. Ciattarelli was at the front of a five-candidate G.O.P. pack long before he earned Trump's backing. Still, if Ciattarelli wins Tuesday's primary and beats the Democratic nominee in November, the president will rightly be able to claim some credit. Only New Jersey and Virginia are holding races for governor this year, and the contests will offer an early gauge of voter attitudes toward Trump, five months into his second term as president. He seemed to allude to that looming scorecard on the call, reminding listeners that the race was 'being watched, actually, all over the world.''
— 'New Jersey primary sets up the first major fight for the Democratic Party's future'
EVERYBODY'S GONE SURVEYING. SURVEYUSA — It doesn't really tell us anything about the primary, but a new poll conducted by SurveyUSA for the advocacy group Education Reform Now has some numbers worth looking at considering the dearth of polling. The poll of 576 likely voters shows Mikie Sherrill and Josh Gottheimer with the highest net favorability ratings of seven candidates for governor: All six Democrats and Republican Jack Ciattarelli (it did not ask about Bill Spadea). Sherrill is at +12 and Gottheimer at +13. Ciattarelli is at +4, Ras Baraka +3 and Sean Spiller +3. The two Steves, Sweeney and Fulop, are just barely in the negative, at -2 and -1, respectively.
The poll also asked voters' attitudes towards President Trump. He's 44 percent approve to 53 percent disapprove, a -9 net favorability rating. It's not apples to apples, but that's worse than the 47-47 approval rating split in a recent Emerson poll, but significantly better than the -21 approval rating he had in a May 2017 Quinnipiac poll. See the poll questions and results here. The poll's credibility interval is +/- 6.1 percentage points.
POWER — 'Utilities plan to delay (but not decrease) electric rate hikes for New Jersey customers,' by The Press of Atlantic City's Wayne Parry: 'New Jersey's main utility companies plan to delay steep increases in the price of electricity until the fall, but customers will still pay every penny of the higher rates, just spread out over time. Three utility companies say they have requested permission from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities to defer the significantly higher rates brought on by the most recent supplier auction held by PJM Interconnection, the regional grid operator … The steps proposed by the power companies, in response to a request by Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, will be but a reprieve for customers; unless they qualify for financial assistance, they will still pay the full amount of the increases, but the cost could be spread out over as many as six months.'
SKINT TAG — 'Murphy plans to axe summer tuition aid for college students,' by NJ Spotlight News' Hannah Gross: 'For a growing number of low-income college students, summer does not necessarily mean time off from school. The expansion of the Tuition Aid Grant program to include summer classes has allowed students to continue toward their degree at a lower cost — but this could be the last summer the financial aid is available. Gov. Phil Murphy's proposed budget does not include funding for Summer TAG, which has helped around 24,000 students in its first two years. At budget hearings, college presidents called for the Legislature to add $30 million for summer tuition aid to the budget for next year so the program can continue in summer 2026. This is one of several requests from higher education leaders, who are raising alarm about potential cuts at the state and federal levels. 'It's a perfect storm of disinvestment,' said Eric Friedman, president of Bergen Community College.'
GOTTHEIMER — 'Former Gaza hostage Edan Alexander and his family support Democrat in tight N.J. governor race,' by NJ Advance Media's Brent Johnson: 'Edan Alexander, the New Jersey native who was recently released after being held hostage for 19 months in Gaza, and his family wrote a letter supporting U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer as he runs in the state's tight Democratic primary for governor, now in its closing days, NJ Advance Media has learned. Alexander, a soldier for the Israeli army, on May 11 became the last living American hostage set free by Hamas. … The family wrote the letter a week after Alexander's release ... They said they were in Israel, 'embracing every moment of Edan's return to our lives.''
— 'Eleven towns that tell the story of New Jersey's Democratic brawl for governor'
— Kean Sr.: 'We all lose without local news'
— 'Goal of NJ school segregation suit is not to revoke home rule law, attorney says'
— 'In school segregation case, New Jersey opposes appeal as think tank urges court to consider remedy'
— 'New Jersey teachers bankroll the $40 million man'
— 'New Jersey has given $37.5M in matching funds to governor hopefuls'
— Pizarro: 'Critical Context on 'the Establishment' Candidacy of Mikie Sherrill'
TRUMP ERA
AN ADMINISTRATION COMMITTED TO FREE SPEECH — 'Surveilled, detained: Feds pursue Paterson woman a year after Gaza protest,' by The Record's Hannan Adely: 'Leqaa Kordia of Paterson said she soon found that the Department of Homeland Security was investigating nearly every aspect of her life. They interrogated her mother, uncle, a clothing store owner and tenants of an apartment that she briefly rented. … The scrutiny, described in a federal lawsuit, came nearly a year after her participation at a demonstration on April 30, 2024, outside the gates of Columbia University. New York City police arrested 119 protesters on and off campus that day, including Kordia, a Palestinian who had been in the United States since 2016. Although charges were dropped, the arrest put her on federal authorities' radar, the lawsuit shows. In March, the Department of Homeland Security announced Kordia had been arrested for overstaying her student visa. Kordia's mother had filed a family-based petition for her to become a permanent resident that she mistakenly thought gave her temporary legal status, her attorneys said. Today, she remains in Texas at the Prairieland Detention Facility, 1,500 miles away from her family, held in what her attorneys describe as 'inhumane conditions.''
— Testa: 'Don't let NJ Democrats distract you with their epic failures. Medicaid is safe'
— 'CBO: Nearly 11 million people will be uninsured if GOP megabill becomes law'
LOCAL
FROM RENAISSANCE SCHOOLS TO A DARK AGE — 'Camden students bring concerns about budget cuts to New Jersey Department of Education,' by WHYY's P. Kenneth Burns: 'At least two dozen Camden students traveled Wednesday to Trenton to protest looming budget cuts being made to the state-run school district, voicing frustration and fear over what the reductions could mean for their education. And they didn't come alone. Community members and representatives from the Camden Education Association, New Jersey Education Association, NAACP New Jersey State Conference Youth and College Division and New Jersey Working Families Party also showed up to support the student-led rally outside of the New Jersey Department of Education building. … Several students spoke of their hurt that more than 100 people, including teachers and a cast of support staff, will be laid off to cover a $91 million budget deficit. The deficit was announced by state District Superintendent Katrina T. McCombs on April 30, along with a series of moves to balance the budget, including the layoffs. 'I am devastated,' said Kevin Duncan, a Camden High School student. 'There is no emotions and words that can describe this feeling that I'm feeling today.''
PATERSON — 'Paterson shootings down from 31 in 2024 to 20 this year,' by the Paterson Press' Joe Malinconico: 'As summer approaches, Paterson has seen a significant decrease in gun violence in 2025, according to data released by the city police department on June 3. The city had 20 shooting incidents during the first five months of this year, compared to 31 over the same time period in 2024, a 35.5% reduction, the police department said. Meanwhile, the number of shooting victims in Paterson from January through May dropped by about 50% compared to the first five months of last year, when 41 people were killed or injured by gunfire in the city, officials said. The 2025 drop in gun violence has been unmatched over the past decade … Paterson PBA President Angel Jimenez attributed the drop in shootings to the violent crime suppression initiative, which uses overtime to assign extra officers to notorious trouble spots … As part of the state takeover, Gov. Phil Murphy's administration has allocated an extra $20 million for Paterson police operations, including millions spent on overtime to increase police presence on the streets.'
500-PERSON TOWN HAS ITS OWN POLICE FORCE, SCHOOL BOARD — 'West Wildwood could look to supplement cops, not disband,' by The Press of Atlantic City's Bill Barlow: 'The Board of Commissioners will consider contracting with an outside police department to cover overnight shifts for its understaffed and overstressed police … On Monday, a report from the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police on West Wildwood became public, outlining multiple problems with the department. They included serious staffing woes, along with raising concerns about procedure for handling evidence, training officers for leadership and responsibilities for investigation … But the conclusion of the report was that the department should be disbanded, contracting with Wildwood for police service. A group of West Wildwood residents does not want to see that happen. More than 200, out of a year-round population of about 540, are part of a Facebook group called 'Save the West Wildwood Police Department.''
MR. GUYBACHEV, PUT UP THIS WALL BETWEEN UNION CITY AND NORTH BERGEN — 'Hudson County officials celebrate a piece of the Berlin Wall coming to Secaucus park,' by Hudson County View's Daniel Ulloa: 'Hudson County officials celebrated a piece of the Berlin Wall that separated West Berlin from East Germany during the Cold War was installed in Laurel Hill Park in Secaucus yesterday. 'It's a powerful symbol of a world once divided: It marked the triumph of the human spirit, that moment changed the world,' Hudson County Cultural and Heritage Affairs Director Gina Hulings said at the ceremony. ... Hudson County Executive Craig Guy also expressed enthusiasm about the unveiling. 'This is an historic event, right? We have a piece of the Berlin Wall that comes all the way across the pond, all the way to Hudson County … It finds itself in one of the best parks,' he stated.'
MANALAPOLOGY — 'Mayor's wife wrote apology letter after stealing $5K at housekeeping job, police say,' by NJ Advance Media's Anthony G. Attrino: 'The wife of a mayor in Monmouth County wrote a letter of apology to a friend she worked for as a housekeeper after the friend allegedly caught her on a security camera stealing cash, according to police. Jennifer Nelson, 52, of Manalapan, was charged with third-degree theft on May 22 for an incident that allegedly occurred a week earlier at a home in Freehold, according to police. The victim is identified in court records as Nelson's friend, and someone whose home Nelson cleaned for eight years.'
— 'New Jersey primary 2025: Here's what to know about Camden Mayor Vic Carstarphen's reelection bid and City Council races'
— 'Turnout so far: 9% for Demcorats, 5% for GOP'
— 'Ex-[Mount Arlington] councilman who took an envelope of cash from a secret hotel meeting will avoid jail'
— 'Democrat running for Wayne mayor: My primary opponent is a 'lifelong Republican''
— 'Jersey Shore firefighter wins court battle over growing beard on religious grounds'
— '[Salem City] man says he's fighting for justice after beloved bulldog dies in animal control custody'
— 'N.J. suspends license of [Penns Grove] department's top cop over licensing dispute involving other cops'
— 'Jersey City Police Officer Freeman is 6th candidate to formally declare for mayor'
EVERYTHING ELSE
THE CRUCIFIX IS IN — Lawmakers threaten Seton Hall funding amid new scandal, by POLITICO's Dustin Racioppi: Seton Hall University could lose $1 million in state funding over its handling of sexual abuse scandals. Two influential state senators said in a statement that they are 'no longer confident that Seton Hall deserves funding from NJ taxpayers,' following new allegations of sexual abuse and hazing in the school's baseball program. Those claims, detailed in a new lawsuit, follow POLITICO's reporting that the university hired its new president despite recommendations he not hold leadership positions because he didn't properly report sexual abuse allegations as a seminary leader. And even though the Catholic university's church leader ordered an investigation into how the new president was hired, Seton Hall has blocked a key witness from testifying, setting up a power clash at the country's oldest diocesan university. State Sens. Joseph Vitale and Andrew Zwicker said they are 'particularly disturbed' by that decision and are now 'confronted with allegations that go to the heart of the university's culture and failure of leadership.'
— 'Sailor returned from combat to find his beloved dog was given away; he wants Archie back'
— 'Decorative helicopter mishap cost American Dream over $20M, developer says'
— 'Cliffside Cube? A new style duplex is rising in northern NJ. And it's everywhere'