State Sen. Jon Bramnick (R-Westfield) has raised a whopping $800,000 in his first nine weeks as a candidate for the 2025 Republican nomination for Governor, a number big enough to qualify for matching funds under New Jersey’s public financing program.
Bramnick, a moderate, anti-Trump Republican who supports greater civility in politics and lower taxes, announced his candidacy on January 27, giving him just 64 days to fundraise in the first quarter of this year.
His impressive fundraising haul means that with the state’s 2-1 match, Bramnick will already have a warchest of roughly $2.1 million.
The New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, which administers the state’s public financing program, won’t establish thresholds to qualify, contribution limits, and caps on campaign spending until December 15, 2024, In the past, the panel increased its numbers every four years based on the inflation rate.
In 2021, the threshold to qualify for matching funds was $490,000; the first $156,000 did not get matched. Candidates who accepted public financing agreed to a $7.3 million expenditure limit.
Bramnick is the first Republican to get into the race. Jack Ciattarelli, who came within three percentage points of ousting Gov. Phil Murphy in 2021, is expected to announce his candidacy on April 9, NJ 101.5 radio personality Bill Spadea is also likely to run.
A former Assembly Minority Leader, Bramnick is serving his second term in the State Senate.