New Jerseyans aren’t always civil, but it’s still possible for a liberal Democrat and a conservative Republican to have a rational and pleasant conversation about politics in the state. Dan Bryan is a former senior advisor to Gov. Phil Murphy and is now the owner of his own public affairs firm, and Alex Wilkes is an attorney and former executive director of America Rising PAC who advises Republican candidates in New Jersey and across the nation, including the New Jersey GOP. Dan and Alex are both experienced strategists who are currently in the room where high-level decisions are made. They get together weekly with New Jersey Globe editor David Wildstein to discuss politics and issues.
We’re now in Week 8 of the New Jersey Governor’s race. Who won the week? And I want to ask about Jack Ciattarelli reference that Sherrill’s not a real New Jerseyan because she’s from Virginia. Is that an issue to voters!
Alex Wilkes: Winner: Jack (loser, the people of New Jersey). Many people are getting their first energy bills with the new rate increases and are rightfully incensed. Mikie came out with some video where wanted to help break this down for all of us, but if you’re explaining, you’re losing.
Re carpetbagging: I crossed the river to get married and raise my family here, so I don’t claim to be the arbiter on who gets to be called authentically “Jersey,” but I don’t think it’s a make-or-break issue. I think it’s very hard to make a straight up carpetbagging charge stick unless there is an especially egregious display of it (e.g. a second home). What I think Jack was referencing was that as a former Virginian, she essentially went “home” as a Member of Congress, and doesn’t really understand the issues facing our state. She has made that clear in nearly every interview she’s given since the start of the campaign. It also raises the question of whether or not Mikie is just using the position as a steppingstone for something bigger: hint, another position that would bring her back to the DMV.
The bigger issue is one of authenticity, and maybe it is because I am not from New Jersey originally that I can detect this: she does not sound like she is from here. Don’t laugh, but when I first started dating my husband, he sounded almost shockingly different to me (and, believe me, now having a wider sample size, he registers on the lower end of the scale). I’m so enmeshed in it all day, every day up here (including my kids now), I barely take note of it. What I do take note of is someone who sounds more like I do and that’s Mikie Sherrill.
Are people going to vote for her based on how she talks? Of course not. Phil Murphy got by for years without anyone really ever knowing what he was saying. I do think, though, that she sounds like she could be from anywhere—and I don’t mean that as a compliment. She sounds like you could put her in Pennsylvania, Virginia, or Ohio and have her run for Governor there. She is the generic “drag and drop” Democratic candidate.
One of the reasons I love New Jersey is because it is such an emotional, nostalgic place with so much heart. Jack exudes that spirit whether he’s in a formal setting or talking to guys sitting in a diner booth. He doesn’t need to plaster on a grin, playing games on the boardwalk with the “common folk.” He’s authentic, and that is what people look for in a business full of phonies.
Dan Bryan: We are starting to see the ramifications of Trump’s tariffs, which are proving to be a drag on the national economy. Job growth stalled, the stock market dipped, and fear of a recession looms. All the while, Jack Ciattarelli can’t find a single thing he disagrees with President Trump on! How’s this one: if the jobs report isn’t good, how about we address the issue, rather than fire the person in charge of statistics?
As for your second question: I was born in New Jersey, raised in New Jersey, married in New Jersey, and my wife and I are raising two kids in New Jersey. Both sides of my extended family are in New Jersey. Both sides of my wife’s family are in New Jersey. I have friends from high school, college, and work that (mostly) live in New Jersey. Suffice to say, I’m all-in on New Jersey.
With all that said, I cannot imagine caring whether a political candidate grew up here or not. There is no data to show that candidates that grew up in New Jersey perform better than candidates from elsewhere, all else being equal. Governor Murphy, who won a historic second term and is leaving behind one of the most consequential legacies in State history, is just the most recent example. But we can point out Governor Corzone, Senator Bradley, Governor Florio, and plenty more. My first boss, Dawn Zimmer, was born and raised in New Hampshire, and later became the first female elected mayor in Hudson County’s history.
The point Ciattarelli is trying to make, of course, is that
Congresswoman Sherrill doesn’t *get* New Jersey. But the inverse is
clearly true: if Jack Ciattarelli thinks blind obedience to
President Trump will get him elected Governor of New Jersey, he
clearly doesn’t get the state he’s running in.
Kamala Harris has opted out of the California Governor’s
race. Did she make the right or wrong call?
Dan: It depends on what her motivation is. If it’s a personal decision, then it’s hard to criticize her motivations.
But if it’s strictly a political decision, and she chose not to run in order to run for President again in 2028, I think it’s the wrong call. I’m not sure the party is ready to nominate her again – it feels very much like Democrats are looking for new leadership, whether or not you blame her for her loss in 2024 (I mostly don’t). I don’t think we’ll want a reminder of the Biden era running in 2028.
Running for Governor of California and making a difference at the state level could have allowed her to change her narrative – but now, she’ll still be thought of as the candidate that lost the last time around.
Alex: The right one. She wasn’t ready for primetime last year (not that she ever will be), but this move buys her time – the one resource she was short on last year. She gets time to refine her message (whatever that is) and strategy, all while dodging messy questions, like when the Biden presidency transitioned from Joe to autopen. She’ll get to make some money, lend her name to select causes and candidates, and torture the 2028 Democratic field in the process.
Assistant Essex County Prosecutor Bryashia Atchison was arrested in March for drunk driving after a police officer found her sleeping in a parking lot with her car over the curb. She admitted she was drinking. The Prosecutor’s office never disclosed her arrest — and declined to do so initially until the New Jersey Globe prodded them. What’s the best practice here on transparency?
Alex: Governor Phil Murphy should demand a public explanation from the Essex County Prosecutor, and if he refuses, the State Senate should investigate both the Governor and his appointee.
Dan: Obviously, this should have been disclosed. I won’t speculate on the personal circumstances surrounding what happened, but clearly, there are plenty of questions that need to be answered.
One more question on Bry Atchison: on the video, she’s seen begging the police officers to just let her go home. She was seeking mercy. Does that mean she’ll need to show similar compassion to the people she prosecutes — or is this a different set of rules thing?
Dan: I think we can safely chalk up her actions on the scene to the same grave mistake that led to the DUI. Hopefully she’s getting the help she needs, and she turns a corner in her life.
Alex: What we have here are two tragedies: driving while intoxicated, a selfish crime that endangers everyone, and a sad fact about the legal community.
No one feels sorry for lawyers, but most people probably do not know that among all professionals, lawyers routinely top the charts for mental health challenges, substance abuse, and even suicide. It is a very serious problem.
That said, I think it will be difficult for the Prosecutor’s Office to justify that this lawyer belongs in a courtroom while there are pending criminal charges against her. If there are aggravating factors in her case, she could eventually face suspension of her license—or even disbarment. The County Prosecutor owes the public some answers, for sure.
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