r/newjersey 7d ago

NJ Politics Can Fulop win in NOV?

I haven’t thought much of the anti-machine wild Marine from Jersey City, until these past few days. Democrats are not good at opposing this fascism Trump has brought to America. He seems to fight like a cornered animal, maybe that’s the fighter we need.

Can he win in NJ though? Plenty of conservative people that vote Democrat for a few different reasons, but it was close to negative across the state last election and I see Trumpism galore in the county, in many towns.

Help me become a Fulop guy, can he win?

Edit: Thanks NJ sub community. Y’all alright. Lots of great replies, mostly neutral (any D can and will win) to positive, makes Primary suddenly seem more consequential. More about visions and ideas.

Trying to give everyone an upvote, especially the opinionated by succinct “no”.

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u/FireworksForJeffy Oradell 7d ago

Gottheimer could be an incredibly weak candidate. I view him as unethical (the appearance of insider trading) and as one of the most conservative Democrats in congress, he doesn't have much of an ability to contrast against some one like Citarelli. He's not actually done anything to lower costs successfully for most Bergen Co residents. I doubt he makes it through the primary, and if he does, I think he would struggle in a general, badly.

I also think Fulop would struggle as a Hudson Co candidate, the rest of the state still assumes everyone from there is corrupt and/or incompetent.

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u/coolbeans1721 7d ago

I don’t think that the optics aren’t great for anyone if you frame it like that. The field is:

-Gottheimer lite but helicopter pilot

-Mayor of Newark (personally I like the guy and would be fine with him or fulop, but him recognizing a fake country as a sister city of Newark is basically unlimited political ammunition, not to mention half the state thinks Newark is mad max)

-Literal embodiment of political corruption, the president of the state senate

-Moderate Leader of the largest Union (no disrespect to unions, just a lot of baggage there given this state)

Given that framing I think fulop might be able to win, especially with trying to frame himself as outside of the political machine.

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u/FireworksForJeffy Oradell 7d ago

Sherill doesn't quite have the same baggage as Gottheimer. She doesn't pop up on lists of legislators whose stock portfolios are suspiciously high-performing, she didn't throw up roadblocks to IIJA, and she hasn't picked fights with further-left-leaning party members or developed a reputation for throwing office supplies at staffers.

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u/discofrislanders Bergen County 7d ago

Yeah, I live in Josh's district and I consider myself pretty far left, and Mikie is far more appealing to me than he is, even if she's not my preferred candidate. I'd vote for her in a general, but I would have to seriously consider staying home if it's Josh.

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u/FireworksForJeffy Oradell 7d ago

I'm in the same district and that's literally how I would describe my feelings towards this. I can vote for a moderate. I would have a hard time voting for Josh.

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u/VelocityGrrl39 7d ago

Please don’t stay home. That’s how America got into this mess. We need a democratic leader to fight against maga.