Florio won’t cross party lines to back Steinhardt

Former Gov. Jim Florio doesn’t intend to support his Republican law partner’s bid to oust Gov. Phil Murphy.

“I’m a Democrat. I’m still a Democrat,” he told the New Jersey Globe Friday.

Republican State Chairman Doug Steinhardt formally announced his gubernatorial candidacy Friday. The former four-term Lopatcong mayor and the former governor are partners at Florio Perrucci Steinhardt Cappelli, Tipton & Taylor LLC.

Steinhardt so far faces two other Republicans in his bid for the party nod to take on Murphy. They are former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli (R-Hillsborough) and perennial candidate Hirsh Singh.

Florio, for one, won’t help decide which of them gets on the general election ballot.

“I won’t be voting in the Republican primary, so I don’t have anything to say about that,” he said with a chuckle.