A national organization representing 42,000 troopers endorsed Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-Wyckoff) in his reelection bid Tuesday afternoon.
The National Troopers Coalition announced their endorsement of Gottheimer in Paramus, where Gottheimer emphasized his support for law enforcement. Wayne Blanchard, the president of New Jersey’s State Troopers Fraternal Association, introduced Gottheimer at the event.
The National Troopers Coalition represents 42,000 troopers in 43 states, according to its website.
Blanchard specifically cited Gottheimer’s Invest to Protect Act, a bill that would authorize funding for officer training, hiring, and retention.
“Josh’s work down in D.C. is second to none,” Blanchard said. “His support of law enforcement is second to none. And I start with the Invest to Protect Act, the act that we worked exclusively with Josh on.”
Gottheimer said investments in law enforcement are necessary to improve public safety, saying that reforms are often incomplete without funds to support efforts.
“You can’t just say, ‘Mandate more training,’” Gottheimer said. “You have to actually pay for that training. And for a lot of our communities, it’s extremely expensive.”
Gottheimer is widely expected to launch a gubernatorial campaign after the November election. Blanchard said the STFA, the state’s largest troopers union, is looking at a “vast array” of candidates to potentially support, but said those efforts probably won’t start until the new year.