Meet 2 Alternatives To Murphy, Ciattarelli: 2021 NJ Governor Race

NEW JERSEY — With some experts predicting a slam dunk for Gov. Phil Murphy in the 2021 general election, could this be the year that a third party candidate becomes a dark horse in New Jersey?

After Tuesday’s primary election, former state assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli emerged as the projected winner of the Republican nomination. He’ll take on Murphy, one of the state’s most recognizable Democrats, in November. Read More: Ciattarelli Wins GOP Nomination In 2021 NJ Gov. Race, AP Projects

Murphy cruised to an uncontested primary victory after two of his challengers were tossed from the race.

A Rutgers-Eagleton poll released Monday said the election is “currently Murphy’s to lose,” with 52 percent of registered voters saying they’d cast ballots for the incumbent governor and just 26 percent saying they’d choose Ciattarelli.

However, 21 percent of those polled said they are “on the fence” when it comes to the 2021 governor race in New Jersey, and 31 percent said they’d definitely vote for “someone else” other than Murphy.

And according to Madelyn Hoffman of the Green Party of New Jersey and Gregg Mele of the New Jersey Libertarian Party, there’s no reason for these people to think they’re stuck with voting blue or red this fall.

Here’s what you need to know about each candidate.

GREEN PARTY: HOFFMAN, WARBURTON

The Green Party of New Jersey (GPNJ) has endorsed Madelyn Hoffman as its 2021 candidate for governor, and Heather Warburton as lieutenant governor.

Learn more about their platform here.

According to party leaders, their backgrounds include:

Madelyn Hoffman – “Madelyn Hoffman was the Green Party of New Jersey’s candidate for U.S. Senate in 2021. She ran a record-setting campaign, garnering 38,288 votes, the most of any New Jersey Green running for statewide office since Ralph Nader in 2000. Madelyn Hoffman was also Ralph Nader’s vice-presidential running mate in New Jersey in 1996. She served as the Executive Director of the Grass Roots Environmental Organization of New Jersey from 1982-1998 and as the Executive Director of New Jersey Peace Action from 2000 - 2018. She is an adjunct professor of political science and also of public speaking.”

Heather Warburton – “Heather Warburton is an artist and activist from South Jersey. She hosts a bi-weekly podcast on Create Your Future Productions called “Wine, Women, and Revolution” where she discusses revolutionary politics from an intersectional feminist perspective. She has been a Green since 2016. Her activism has included fighting for a living wage, educating on income inequality, supporting ecological justice, advocating for the LGBTQIA community, hosting education sessions about cannabis legalization, and promoting racial justice. She currently lives in Hammonton with her husband and is pet mom to a rescue cat and dog.”

“According to recent polls, the people of New Jersey and the rest of the country are looking for an alternative to the Democrats and Republicans,” said GPNJ elections chair Barry Bendar.

“We have assembled a dynamic campaign team in 2021, made up of many of New Jersey's youth and others fighting for social and economic justice,” Bendar said.

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GPNJ leaders said Hoffman and Warburton’s 2021 gubernational campaign will “spotlight a real Eco-Socialist Green New Deal and a Green Amendment and a Workers' Bill of Rights, propose a plan to confront climate change by moving the state toward 100 percent reliance on renewable energy as soon as possible since the planet is running out of time, closure of ICE detention centers here in New Jersey and release of all those detained, and a legalization of marijuana program that finally decriminalizes it.”

Watch Hoffman speak about submitting her candidate petition for governor here.

“2020’s campaign showed the power of grassroots organizers to transform their activism into electoral results,” said Matthew James Skolar, the outreach coordinator for Hoffman’s 2020 campaign and chair of the Green Party of New Jersey’s youth caucus.

“Young activists in particular were embraced by Madelyn and her campaign, and held a lot of power in the decision-making process,” Skolar said. “Those same young activists look forward to the gubernatorial race, where Hoffman has already pledged to give young people seats at the table.”

• See related article: NJ Green Party Has Inspiring 2020: 'We Can Create A Better World'

LIBERTARIAN PARTY: MELE, BROWNSTEIN

Meanwhile, the Libertarian Party of New Jersey has endorsed Gregg Mele as its 2021 candidate for governor, and Eveline Brownstein as lieutenant governor.

Learn more about their platform here.

According to the party’s website, their backgrounds include:

Gregg Mele – “Gregg Mele is a lifelong resident of New Jersey. Throughout the years he has experienced the New Jersey government expand exponentially and with that so did the costs of living here. It is time to get New Jersey back on the right track by limiting government, lowering the costs, increasing freedom and opportunity for everyone to have a real shot at the American dream. Currently, Gregg C. Mele, Esq., M.B.A., practices in the following areas of law: Corporate Law; Contracts; Securities; Employment Law; Real Estate; Intellectual Property; Technology Law; Municipal Court; Debt Collection & Negotiation; Wills; Estate Planning & Administration; Immigration Law.”

Eveline Brownstein – “Eveline Brownstein immigrated to the United States in 1985 excitedly believing that, unlike the countries of her birth and raising, the fight for liberty had already been fought. She soon realized that the work of fighting for justice, equity and liberty is never done and she committed herself to that work in her adopted country … She is passionate about the plight of the impoverished, low-income families and the homeless who are seldom helped by government policies despite endless promises and earmarking of taxpayer dollars. Across her 30-plus-year career as an HR professional, Eveline has epitomized her belief in the power of volunteerism as an alternative to government intervention. She has worked countless hours as an ad-hoc volunteer and as an officer on the boards of professional, charitable, and political organizations where she had a meaningful impact on meeting community needs gaps … In 2013, Eveline ran for 13th Assembly District. She has served as a treasurer for the New Jersey Libertarian Party and its affiliate, the Central New Jersey Libertarian Party.”

Mele recently embarked on a campaign tour to visit every county in New Jersey, with party leaders releasing the following statement:

“The focus of the tour will be to bring attention to how the Murphy regime and New Jersey Republicans have failed us. New Jersey has led the country in COVID-19 infections and deaths. Despite the unconstitutional lock-downs the pandemic has hit the Garden State the hardest. As the Murphy administration continues its assault on our liberties, lifelong residents are fleeing the state due to his failed policies and prohibitive taxes.”

Libertarian party leaders continued:

“Mr. Murphy has expanded strangling regulations, increased taxes, and made New Jersey so unlivable that people are moving out in droves. During Gregg Mele’s acceptance speech, he spoke about a 21-county tour, a tour which he plans on completing prior to when the other two old out-of-touch parties hold their very expensive primaries. As part of the tour, Gregg will speak about reducing the tax burden, ending qualified immunity, making it legal to own home-grown cannabis plants, offer full immunity to incarcerated non-violent marijuana inmates, reining in state spending, ending prevailing wage, and returning New Jersey to the home of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

Mele has also identified himself as “the only pro-second amendment campaign running for governor,” and has alleged that Republicans such as Ciattarelli will only offer “empty lip service” when it comes to protecting gun rights in the Garden State.

• See related article: Libertarians Standing Tall As Largest Third-Party In New Jersey

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