Gubernatorial independent expenditures hit $39 million

A new report today from the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) disclosed that independent spending has reached $39.2 million so far this election cycle. $13.4 million was spent in the primary period, and $25.8 million during the general election – including more than $4 million since just this Monday.

“Even this preliminary total already is a 60 percent increase over the previous high of $24.5 million in 2017,” Jeff Brindle, ELEC’s executive director, said in a statement. “For more than a decade, we at ELEC have spoken about the growing influence of these so-called outside or independent groups. This year’s election already has taken it to new heights.”

Gov. Phil Murphy was the beneficiary of a majority of the outside spending, with a number of Democratic groups spending huge sums of money to aid the incumbent. 

At first glance, Our NJ was the top spender at $6.7 million, with Garden State Forward (an arm of the New Jersey Education Association) close behind at $5.5 million. But the groups also frequently funneled money to one another, meaning some of the total spending is inflated. 

The Democratic Governors Association, for example, “spent” $2.3 million, but then proceeded to give $2 million of that to Our NJ; Our NJ also received $3 million from Garden State Forward. Removing the double-counted expenditures, the total spending during the general election falls to around $14.9 million.

On the Republican side, by far the biggest spender was the Republican Governors Association, which has spent $3.8 million since June, including $616,764 just today.

Combined with the two candidates themselves, who have each spent around $12.5 million, total spending in this year’s gubernatorial election is now $80.9 million – nearly reaching the record $87.8 million spent in 2005.