Democratic gubernatorial candidate Steve Fulop has picked his first running mate outside of Hudson County: Evesham Councilman Eddie Freeman III will seek a State Assembly seat in the 8th district next year.
This sets up a likely primary between Freeman, a lawyer and U.S. Army veteran who served in Afghanistan, and the two candidates backed by the South Jersey Democratic organization: incumbent Andrea Katz (D-Chesterfield) and Anthony Angelozzi, a Hammonton High School history teacher and president of the local teacher’s union.
Fulop began recruiting Assembly candidates who would share his slogan – and his line, if U.S. District Court Judge Zahid Quraishi defies expectations and ends office block ballots – in April, pledging to spend $10 million to recruit candidates who would be independent of party leaders.
Four Hudson lawmakers – Barbara McCann (D-Jersey City), John Allen (D-Hoboken), Jessica Ramirez (D-Jersey City), and Julio Marenco (D-North Bergen) – have committed to running with Fulop.
“Competitive primaries make our Democratic Party stronger and support our democracy by giving the voters a real choice and encouraging them to get more engaged in the process, and we are committed to supporting candidates throughout the state who share our values,” Fulop said.
Other candidates allied with Fulop are expected to be announced soon.
The Burlington-based 8th, which includes Hammonton and three other small towns in Atlantic County, is considered one of the most competitive in the state. It’s one of two split districts in the state.
Katz ousted GOP incumbent Brandon Umba (R-Medford) last year by just 198 votes; Angelosi ran 368 votes behind Katz and 497 votes behind the other winner, two-term Assemblyman Michael Torrissi, Jr. (R-Hammonton).
Umba and Angelozzi have both announced that they are running again.
Fulop could also add a second candidate in the 8th to run with Freeman.
“We want to help candidates across New Jersey who share our values of breaking away from party boss politics, restoring OPRA, bringing back responsible campaign finance rules, and delivering the kind of progress that our state needs,” explained Fulop. “Eddie Freeman is a perfect representation of the kinds of leaders we want to support.”
Freeman spent nearly a decade in the Army Reserve, worked as a juvenile detention officer, and was president of the LGBTQ student organization while attending Oklahoma City University Law School. After stints with South Jersey Legal Services and as Assistant City Attorney in Camden, Freeman has spent the last five years as an associate counsel at Traveler’s Insurance.
He was elected councilman in Evesham, the largest municipality in the 8th, in 2020, and served as deputy mayor in 2023.
In January, the local Democratic organization dropped Freeman and his running mate, Deputy Mayor Ginamarie Espinosa, from their ticket after the two refused to follow instructions of the Democratic mayor, Jaclyn Veasy. The local organization announced they had dumped Espinosa hours after she suffered a miscarriage.
Because the county organization line was not abolished until after the filing deadline, Freeman and Espinosa chose not to seek re-election on a line that was to be headed by Andy Kim, a local congressman running for the U.S. Senate. Had Quraishi’s ruling occurred before filing day, the two incumbents might have sought second terms with office block ballots.
“As a fellow military veteran and someone who has consistently stood up for reforming New Jersey’s political system, I’m certain that Mayor Fulop is our best choice for Governor and I’m ecstatic to not just support him but to run alongside him in next year’s primary,” Freeman stated. “As a member of the State Assembly I will fight hard for working families and to bring much-needed change to our state government, and I’m excited for the road ahead and to introduce myself to Democratic voters throughout the 8th District.”