Bramnick for Governor?
By Art Gallagher
Assemblywoman Serena DiMaso, Clerk Christine Giordano Hanlon, “top contender for governor” Jon Bramnick and Freeholder Director Tom Arnone on the Walk to Washington train last winter.
The pre-primary of the 2021 GOP nomination for NJ Governor got a lot more interesting this morning.
In a Star Ledger Friendly Fire interview with Democrat strategist Julie Roginsky and Republican strategist Mike DuHaime that Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick shared on facebook, DuHaime declared Bramnick to be a “top contender for governor after a strong 2019.”
DuHamie was former Governor Chris Christie’s lead strategist in his successful runs for governor in 2009 and 2013 and Christie’s failed 2016 presidential campaign. He doesn’t make flippant declarations. Bramnick is either seriously considering running or the Christie intelligentsia is signalling to donors and insiders that they are not satisfied with the pre-primary field.
Former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, former Lt. Gov Kim Guadagno’s primary opponent in 2017 has been running for over a year already. NJ GOP Chairman Doug Steinhardt is widely thought to be a contender. Monmouth Sheriff Shaun Golden is on most lists of potential candidates but has yet to act like a candidate.
Bramnick would have a tough time in a GOP primary. All any opponent would have to do is play readily available video of the Minority Leader bashing President Trump and defending Christie. NJ GOP primary voters like Trump and don’t like Christie.
In a general election, presumed Democrat nominee Governor Phil Murphy and his New Directions NJ PAC would buy up air time on cable news to play video of Bramnick defending Christie during the Bridgegate scandal in 2014 and beyond.
Don’t rule Christie out as a candidate for governor. He can legally run again. There is still juice in the orange. He would love to beat Murphy and Murphy would relish that race until he loses. As unpopular as Christie remains, he could recover and rehabilitate his image. If I were designing a Christie campaign, I would have him announce his candidacy from a beach chair at Island Beach State Park. It would be hilarious. New Jersey would love it and the media would eat it up. DuHaime would never approve it though.
Other potential Republican gubernatorial candidates are Bob Hugin, former Congressman Tom MacArthur, former State Senator Joe Kyrillos, Hirsh Singh, Joe Rudy Rullo and former Monmouth County Freeholder Gary Rich.
More from my site
Bramnick will not run for Governor
Ciattarelli invites former and potential opponents to his campaign kickoff
Ciattarelli and Steinhart debates to be hosted by NJ Globe
Watch the NJ Gubernatorial Debates Live
Cittarelli winning the Reorgs
What if Menendez resigns?
Ciattarelli wins December
Double Dose of Bad News For Buono
Watch the Republican Gubernatorial Debate, 8PM
Dopey Doug tries to link Ciattarelli to China and Hunter Biden
is kind of ironic considering Arnone is usually mugging next to Golden in any photo he’s taken in the last half a decade. It’s Shaun’s nomination to lose, however, I agree with Art wholeheartedly in the second to last paragraph that a couple rubes in this state would eat up Christie if he pulled a stunt like that.
NOPE that idea and a great comedic closing Art
Bramnick sucks! He’s done nothing for the GOP!
He’s a cuck.
Ciattarelli is the only candidate that has the sheer guts to pull it off. The Dem establishment may not like Murphy but they know what they have with him and they have him pretty well pinned down where he cant do anything that will hurt them. So like it or not, they will work for the unpopular, do-nothing, left of De Blasio governor Ciatarelli should have been the nominee last time as has a shot to take it to Murply (Corzine without the sweater vest) and just maybe pull it out.
What a sad state, and sad state of GOP affairs..ugh!- last thing we need is Christie!-who did more to turn off not only Dems and Independents, but so many of the (remaining) few Republicans, here! Steinhart is doing a great job as state chair,to try and pick off a few Dems each year, as he did, this year. Still think Shaun needs to stay in Monmouth for now, and party- build at local level, and get more wins, here- plus, meet more of the (healthier) Ocean County GOP( check their numbers, it’s true.) Let Jack Citarelli do it: it’s going to be a nightmare, anyway. and, not to be ethnic, but it is true, Italian names do well, in Jersey!
Only candidate with sheer guts? What a sycophant. I don’t know if he will run or not, but if you don’t think Golden has that same kind of capability, you have been sitting in a cave too long.
underestimate Shaun at their own peril. Again, expect the announcement in early 20. Kind of a weird take by Art that he’s “not acting like a candidate”. I wonder if he could expand upon that assertion.