Steve Sweeney won endorsements today from twenty past, present, and future state legislators from six South Jersey counties for his bid for the Democratic nomination for Governor in 2025, including Assembly Majority Leader Louis Greenwald (D-Voorhees), Senate Majority Whip Troy Singleton (D-Delran), Assembly Majority Whip Carol Murphy (D-Mount Laurel), and Assembly Deputy Speaker Herb Conaway (D-Delran).
Sweeney, a former Senate President, entered the race on Monday.
Also backing Sweeney are: State Sens. Nilsa Cruz-Perez (D-Barrington) and Fred Madden (D-Washington Township); Assemblymen Bill Moen (D-Bellmawr), William Spearman (D-Camden), and Paul Moriarty (D-Washington Township), who is a state senator-elect; and Assemblywomen Pamela Lampitt (D-Cherry Hill) and Gabby Mosquera (D-Gloucester Township).
Madden and Mosquera did not seek re-election.
Six newly-elected legislators who will take office next month have signed on as Sweeney supporters: State Sen.-elect John Burzichelli (D-Paulsboro); Assemblymen-elect Cody Miller (D-Monroe), Dan Hutchison (D-Gloucester Township) and Dave Bailey, Jr. (D-Woodstown); and Assemblywomen-elect Heather Simmons (D-Glassboro) and Andrea Katz (D-Chesterfield).
Atlantic County Commissioner Caren Fitzpatrick, who gave up her county post to run for State Senate this year, became the first Atlantic County officeholder to support Sweeney. Two former Assemblymen from Atlantic, Vince Mazzeo (D-Northfield) and John Armato (D-Buena), are also on Team Sweeney, along with former Assemblyman Adam Taliaferro (D-Woolwich).
State Sen. Jim Beach (D-Voorhees), the Camden County Democratic chairman, endorsed Sweeney on Tuesday, along with five other South Jersey county chairmen.
“Steve Sweeney’s accomplishments make him arguably the most successful legislative leader in New Jersey history and the best-prepared to serve as our state’s next governor,” the group said in a joint statement. “We know because we worked with him, making New Jersey more affordable while improving the lives of all New Jerseyans – working families, seniors, college students, the poor, and the most vulnerable in our society.”
So far, Sweeney goes into the 2025 election with the largest block of legislative support; his only announced rival for the Democratic nomination, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, has one legislative endorsement so far, but Assemblywoman Sadaf Jaffer (D-Montgomery) is leaving the legislature on January 9.
“I am honored to receive this endorsement from my colleagues,” said Sweeney. “Their support was critical to our successful efforts to increase school aid and property tax relief, protect pensions, cap government spending, guarantee Paid Family Leave and Earned Sick Leave to all, fund our transportation infrastructure, our colleges and our vo-tech schools, and make abortion rights and marriage equality the law of the state.”