Jon Bramnick Enters the Race for Governor
The Self-Proclaimed "Funniest Lawyer in New Jersey" Joins Jack Ciattarelli in The 2025 GOP Primary
Senator Jon Bramnick (R-Union) has officially announced he will seek the Republican Nomination for Governor in 2025, joining Jack Ciattarelli as the only two declared Republican Gubernatorial candidates. The moderate Republican has been vocal about bringing back civility in the political world where the climate has become very polarizing.
It was a packed house at the Stress Factory in New Brunswick where Bramnick usually performs his comedy routine. Among many attendees was Morris GOP Chairwoman Laura Ali and newly minted Mayor of Toms River Dan Rodrick. The Union County native will have an edge at receiving organization support, aka the line, in Morris and Union counties. After Bramnick said in his speech that he planned to seek the nod for Governor, the crowd erupted in applause and gave Bramnick a standing ovation.
In his first ad for Governor, it depicts a group of men playing poker, talking about who they want to support for Governor, towards the end of the ad it shows all men putting their chips in the middle of the table saying “I’m with Bramnick!”
Bramnick, 71 next month, has been around NJ politics since the mid-1980s. He was first elected to the Plainfield City Council representing Ward 2. He served on the Council from 1984-1991. In 1998, he unsuccessfully ran for Westfield City Council. Bramnick has served in the New Jersey State Legislature for just over two decades. He was appointed as an Assemblyman in February 2003 after then-Assemblyman Tom Kean Jr. filled a vacancy in the Senate following the resignation of former Senator Rich Bagger. Bramnick defeated former Assemblyman James Barry, then Millburn Mayor Tom McDermott, and Dan Gallic, then Chairman of the Warren Township planning board. Following the death of Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce, Bramnick was named Assembly Minority Leader, a role that he served in for a decade.
In 2021, Bramnick ran to succeed Tom Kean Jr, in the Senate after Kean opted to not seek re-election to the Senate so he could focus on his bid for Congress in 2022. Bramnick won his first bid for the Senate defeating Roselle Park Mayor Joseph Signorello.
Bramnick has been a fierce critic of former President Donald Trump. Going on the record saying on X, “If Trump continues to define our Republican Party in New Jersey, we will be the minority party for a very long time.” Bramnick has also criticized the former President on the results of the 2020 election, and the incident at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, 2021. Bramnick has openly supported Chris Christie for President in 2024.
2024 has just started and we already have four declared candidates for Governor. Two on each side. Bramnick and Ciattarelli for the GOP; and Steve Fulop and Steve Sweeney for the Dems. Radio Host Bill Spadea is expected to announce a bid for Governor sometime this year while Senator Holly Schepisi and Senator Mike Testa have expressed interest in running.
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