The New Jersey Education Association PAC has endorsed Sean Spiller, the NJEA president and mayor of Montclair, for the Democratic nomination for governor in 2025.
The endorsement vote comes three days after the PAC screening committee met to interview declared candidates for governor. Spiller, who announced his candidacy on Friday, was the only contender to appear before the panel.
“I look forward to standing shoulder-to-shoulder with my fellow educators to elect Sean Spiller as the next Governor of New Jersey, said NJEA Vice President Steve Beatty, who is expected to succeed Spiller in the top post next year.
Beatty said he’s worked with Spiller for the last seven years advocating for public schools and noted his “vision for a broader, more inclusive politics that brings working families together to fight for the future we all deserve.”
“I’m thrilled to have a New Jersey educator, who knows what it’s like to stand in front of a classroom and inspire a class of students, stepping up to inspire voters across New Jersey with a vision of what our democracy can be if we only are willing to work for it,” Beatty said.
Pedal Robertson, the NJEA Secretary-Treasurer, said that Spiller’s values align with the nurses, shop owners, truck drivers, and other middle-class workers.”
“He is going to bring optimism, vision, and a fierce commitment to social justice to this campaign,” she said. “This is a campaign for all of us.”
As the state’s largest public employee union, the NJEA is positioned to pump millions of dollars into independent expenditures supporting Spiller. That makes him immediately competitive in a growing field of Democrats to replace term-limited Gov. Phil Murphy.
Spiller said that teachers’ voices are frequently marginalized.
“I believe that the same talented professionals who have made our schools the very best in the nation for New Jersey students deserve a loud voice in making our state the very best place in the nation to live for our students, their families, and all New Jersey residents,” Spiller said. “Public education is the foundation of a strong economy and a thriving democracy, and I am running to make sure New Jersey continues to lead in both of those areas”
In a statement, the NJEA noted a history of early endorsements, including Murphy in October 2016 and October 2020.
Spiller is one of two union leaders running for governor; former Senate President Steve Sweeney has already been endorsed by the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers, where he serves as international vice president.
The last labor leader to win the Democratic nomination for governor was Vincent J. Murphy, the mayor of Newark and a top official of the New Jersey Federation of Labor (AFL). He lost the general election to Walter Edge, a former governor and U.S. Senator, by an 11-point margin.
Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka are also seeking the Democratic gubernatorial nod.
Baraka complained about the endorsement process.
“I was an educator for over 20 years: a substitute, a teacher, a vice principal, and a principal. I have fought for public education most of my life,” he said. “To not even be allowed an interview is troubling, at best. At worst, it’s extremely questionable since the person they endorsed is actually the president of the organization. It would’ve been easier to accept if they just came out with it and didn’t hide under the appearance of procedure and fair treatment. After all, it was in public school where I learned to read between the lines.”
The NJEA hinted at taking sides in the Republican primary, saying their screening has not yet taken place.
This story was updated at 8:40 PM with comment from Baraka.
See here for a full list of endorsements in New Jersey’s 2025 gubernatorial contest.