Tom MacArthur, a former two-term congressman from Ocean County, will support radio show host Bill Spadea for the Republican nomination for governor.
“I’ve known Bill for years, and he is exactly what New Jersey needs,” MacArthur said. “He cares about people, he’s smart and principled, and he’ll make a real difference on the issues that matter.”
MacArthur added, “Bill understands that we need to make New Jersey more affordable, end the sanctuary state policies that put illegal immigrants ahead of New Jerseyans, and cut the red tape so that our small business community can thrive again.”
The endorsement is the first of a high-profile right-of-center Republican. MacArthur supported former Gov. Chris Christie for president in 2016 and again in 2024, when he challenged Donald Trump for the GOP nomination.
Still, MacArthur was a Trump loyalist during his second term in Congress, something that led a virtually unknown Democrat, former White House staffer Andy Kim, to challenge and narrowly defeat him in 2018.
“Tom was one of President Trump’s leading economic advisors in the House during his time in Congress,” Spadea said. “Just as importantly, he always put his constituents first. That ‘New Jersey first’ mentality is exactly what I intend to bring with me to Trenton once elected Governor.”
Last week’s presidential election, where Trump came within six percentage points of Kamala Harris in New Jersey “showed that a pro-Trump conservative can win,” Spadea noted.
An early endorsement is unusual for MacArthur, who stayed out of the last two GOP gubernatorial primaries. He donated to Kim Guadagno in 2017 and Jack Ciattarelli in 2021 soon after they became the Republican nominee.
A former Randolph mayor, MacArthur moved to Ocean County in 2014 and sought an open House seat in New Jersey’s 3rd district after Rep. Jon Runyan (R-Moorestown) decided to step down after two terms. He defeated another transplant, former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan, in the GOP primary and held the seat for four years.
Spadea, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and NJ 101.5 morning drive-time radio host, faces Ciattarelli, State Sen. Jon Bramnick (R-Westfield), and former State Sen. Ed “The Trucker” Durr (R-Logan) in the Republican primary.
See here for a full list of endorsements in New Jersey’s 2025 gubernatorial contest.