Matt Arco – a mainstay of New Jersey political journalism who spent over a decade diligently trailing governors, badgering legislators, and shedding light on the mystifying world of Garden State politics – died yesterday at the age of 39.
The news of Arco’s death was announced earlier this afternoon by his own paper, NJ Advance Media, where he worked for over a decade. NJ Advance Media said that Arco died “suddenly of natural causes,” per his family.
“Matt Arco was one of my very favorite people and best friends,” fellow NJ Advance Media reporter Brent Johnson said in a remembrance posted to social media. “He was witty, smart, and remarkably good at sniffing out B.S. – the bad cop to my good cop, which was so important to our coverage.”
“We spoke almost every day,” Johnson continued. “I looked up to him. I valued his advice and courage. I will miss him dearly. What a massive loss.”
Read NJ Advance Media’s obituary for Arco here.
A native of Rockland County, New York, Arco got his start in journalism well outside the boundaries of the Garden State. After graduating from the State University of New York, Albany with a degree in journalism, Arco spent time working at the Legislative Gazette in Albany, the Portland Daily Sun in Maine, and the Roswell Daily Record in New Mexico.
In 2012, Arco entered the world of New Jersey politics as a reporter at PolitickerNJ, the now-defunct political news site. Two years later, Arco was hired by NJ Advance Media, which ran the Newark Star-Ledger and other historic New Jersey newspapers.
“Jersey is an amazing place,” Arco said in a 2024 profile. “The overall thing about being a governor and state legislative reporter, there’s never a dull moment.”
Arco quickly became a key reporter on the world of statehouse politics, covering the second term of Republican Gov. Chris Christie and the early years of his successor, Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy.
“Matt was a tremendously talented journalist who won multiple awards for his thought-provoking and well-sourced political coverage,” Murphy said in a statement today on Arco’s death. “Over the past decade, he emerged as one of the Garden State’s most renowned reporters and was admired by readers for his illuminating insights into New Jersey and national politics. Whether he was covering the coronavirus pandemic, or last year’s presidential election, readers could always rely on Matt to offer firm – but fair – coverage on some of the most important stories of our time.”
“Matt Arco was a first class reporter & an even better person,” Christie said in a statement of his own. “We got to know each other well over the last 15 years & I came to admire him & enjoy the time we spent together. His passing is a tragedy & I will truly miss him. My condolences to his family.”
In 2023, when Christie launched his second unsuccessful campaign for president, Arco began covering his campaign full-time via his “What Makes Christie Run?” newsletter, which won him an honorable mention from the National Press Club. And even after Christie’s campaign ended, Arco remained on the national politics beat, spending the last year covering the 2024 campaign and President Donald Trump’s administration.
NJ Advance Media’s obituary said that Arco was a Lambertville-New Hope Ambulance & Rescue Squad volunteer and a “history buff [who] loved dissecting the political science of the day.”
“He will be remembered for his deep devotion to his family and his unfailing loyalty to his friends, who treasured his quick wit, kindness, and support,” the obituary says.
Arco is survived by his husband, Michael Karam, with whom he lived in Central Jersey for more than a decade, and his brother, Christopher Arco.
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