Corzine endorses Sherrill for governor

Former Gov. Jon Corzine has taken sides in the race for his old job, contributing $5,800 to Rep. Mikie Sherrill’s campaign for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination on December 31.

“New Jersey’s Democrats have an impressive group competing for the nomination. The congresswoman is my choice as I believe she has the greatest likelihood of winning. Her record of service is hard to beat, and communication skills are terrific,” Corzine told the New Jersey Globe.  “I will be supporting whomever wins the primary as 2025 in New Jersey is vital in restoring and resetting the party’s voice.”

With matching funds, Corzine’s contribution is worth $17,400 to Sherrill’s campaign to succeed term-limited Gov. Phil Murphy.

His predecessor, former Gov. Richard J. Codey, contributed $5,800 from his old State Senate campaign account to Sherrill.  Codey was an early backer of Sherrill.

Once a generous benefactor to Democratic candidates and county party organizations, Corzine, now a New York resident, has made relatively few state campaign contributions since he lost re-election to Republican Christopher Christie in 2009.

Corzine contributed $5,300 to Murphy, a Goldman Sachs colleague, in the 2017 primary and general elections, and his wife, Sharon, donated $4,900 to Murphy’s 2021 re-election. He sent $1,000 to Democrats Brian Magrogan and Jennifer Margolis in the 2024 campaigns for Woodcliff Lake council and $2,500 to the 2016 campaign of former New Jersey Supreme Court Justice John Wallace’s wife for mayor of Washington Township.

The former governor has continued to fund Democrats at the federal level, including Tammy Murphy for U.S. Senate and Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman and Sue Altman for Congress last year.   But he has never donated to Sherrill before this year.