Codey maintains huge cash lead over Gill in Democratic Senate primary

In a 27th district Democratic State Senate primary between two longtime incumbents redistricted together, Richard Codey (D-Roseland) has a 32-1 cash advantage over Nia Gill (D-Montclair) before the June 6 Democratic primary.

Codey, a former governor of New Jersey who has served in the Senate since 1982 and in the legislature since 1974, has $839,523 cash-on-hand after raising $94,847 during the first quarter of 2023.   He spent $42,053.

A senator since 2002 and a legislator since 1994, Gill has $25,724 cash-on-hand and raised $23,976.  She has spent $12,223.

Codey, who has the organization lines in Essex and Passaic counties, is viewed as the clear frontrunner for the nomination.

Former U.S. Senator Bill Bradley donated $1,000 to Codey, who was among the few New Jersey officeholder to support him for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2000 against Vice President Al Gore.  Codey’s contributors include $8,200 checks from Operating Engineers Local 825 and the Greater New Jersey Carpenters PAC.

Gill received a $3,500 contribution from Nancy Erika Smith, a famed New Jersey employment lawyer and activist.

The two organization-backed candidates for Assembly in the 27th also have significant cash leads.

Incumbent John McKeon (D-West Orange) has $393,917 in the bank, and Alixon Collazos-Gill, who is seeing an open seat, raised $23,625 and has $23,2923 cash-on-hand after making a late entrance into the race following the retirement of Assemblyman Thomas P. Giblin (D-Montclair) at the end of March.

Among Collazos-Gill’s contributors is former Rep. Steve Rothman (D-Englewood).   She had served on Rothman’s congressional staff.  Democratic National Committee members John F.X. Graham and Marcia Marley donated to Collazos-Gill.

Eve Robinson, a former Montclair School board member running with Nia Gill, has $1,646 remaining after raising $4,337.  Her running mate, Frank Kasper, withdrew from the race, and his name will not appear on the ballot.

Former Assemblyman Craig Stanley has just $1,976 banked for his off-the-line run.  Stanley, who now lives in West Orange, had represented the next-door 28th district from 1996 to 2008, put $10,000 of his own money into the race as a loan; he reported no other donors and spent $8,024.

The campaign finance numbers made available by the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission are through May 5.