Democratic gubernatorial candidate Steve Fulop punched back at New Jersey AFL-CIO President Charles Wowkanech today, calling him a hypocrite for criticizing his support for primary opponents against two union members.
Wowkanech sent a letter to union leaders on Tuesday chastising Fulop, the three-term mayor of Jersey City, for backing candidates in the 17th legislative district – where Assemblyman Kevin Egan (D-New Brunswick), the vice president of IBEW Local 456, is seeking re-election – and against Bergen County Commissioner Tom Sullivan, the president of IBEW Local 164.
“He is actively seeking to oust incumbent labor candidates, our own brothers and sisters, that have a strong record of advocacy for our members,” Wowkanech said.
Fulop emailed Wowkanech, saying he wanted “directly to correct this misinformation campaign and also address the clear hypocrisy behind your comments.”
He has announced support for only one candidate for two Assembly seats in the 17th, Piscataway school board member Loretta Rivers, but disputed that he’s targeting Egan. Instead, he implied that his target is Egan’s running mate, Assemblyman Joe Danielson (D-Franklin), the sponsor of legislation that changed the state’s Open Public Records Act – something he says undermined “public access to information and transparency.”
“For you to suggest that there should be no public discourse around Assembly members that push bad legislation demonstrates total disregard for the public,” Fulop stated.
Fulop told Wowkanech that four of his candidates – “more to come,” he says – are union members running against non-union incumbents: Assembly candidates Brian Everett, a member of URA-AFT Local 1766, in the Camden-Gloucester 4th; David Tingle, an Edison police lieutenant, in the Middlesex-based 18th; and former Dumont Mayor Andrew LaBruno, a former president of the Jersey City Police Superior Officers Association, in the Bergen-based 39th; and Bergen County Commissioner candidate Dolores Witko, a 1199J AFSCME member and former Closter councilwoman.
“It begs the question: why would you not be supportive of the union members in those districts applying the same standards you referenced below?” Fulop asked.
Fulop also pointed out that Sulivan has endorsed Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-Tenafly), a non-union member, for governor even though two union leaders, Sean Spiller of the New Jersey Education Association and Steve Sweeney of the Iron Workers, are seeking the Democratic nomination.
“At no point are you critical of that action, but again, there is a double standard that exists,” Fulop claimed.
Wowkanech accused Fulop of diverting labor resources that could be used in a general election, saying that “every dollar that is spent to re-elect our labor candidates in these primary elections is a dollar that cannot be used to support the eventual endorsed candidates for Governor and Assembly.”
“In addition to the obvious reason this is problematic – possibly losing these dedicated labor candidates in primaries, there is a secondary reason – the cost to run a labor campaign in these areas that would most likely not occur in 2025 if it were not for Steve Fulop,” Wowkanech told the union leaders. “The cost to run these primary campaigns, which includes mail, social media and labor walks, will be funded by resources provided by you – our affiliated unions.”
But Fulop pushed back on that, too.
“Primaries are healthy for democracy, and they improve candidates, they improve parties, and they create accountability,” he said. “All of which is sorely needed in New Jersey and all of which will benefit the working families that your organization represents.”