Sherrill says DNC must send more money to keep N.J. blue

Gubernatorial candidate and Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair) said Thursday that national Democrats need to increase the amount of spending in New Jersey to ensure the state stays in Democratic hands.

In an open letter to candidates seeking to lead the Democratic National Committee, Sherrill said the DNC previously spent $200,000 per election cycle in New Jersey, but the Democrat said that number “will not be sufficient” going forward. The congresswoman said Republicans are targeting the state in 2025 and beyond and she asked the next leader of the DNC to feed $10 million into the Garden State.

DNC members meet Saturday to elect its leadership, and the next chair will decide where to take the party after its 2024 struggles. New Jersey’s 10 point swing to the right from 2020 to 2024 set off alarms for Jersey Democrats, and Sherrill says a large investment into the state is necessary.

“Bottom line: we need to build a meaningful and long-term relationship with voters rather than a fleeting and transactional one come election time,” Sherrill wrote.

The candidates for DNC chair each want to implement a “50-state strategy” to build political infrastructure even in states considered noncompetitive or out of reach.

President Donald Trump claimed Republicans would win New Jersey in November. Though the GOP fell short, the 6-point victory for Democrats didn’t make Democratic leaders feel much better.

Trump’s narrower margin and Jack Ciattarelli’s 3-point loss in the 2021 gubernatorial race have instilled hope in Republicans that the state could soon become purple. Sherrill said Democrats must define themselves outside of their anti-Trump efforts to prevent the GOP from taking the state.

“To win the future, Americans need to see Democrats as more than the anti-Trump party,” Sherrill wrote. “Democrats need to be the party that makes things work for families and makes things better for the American people.”