New Jersey’s Incumbents Just Rigged the Rules—Mid-Game. Will Governor Murphy Let Them Get Away With It?

New Jersey’s Incumbents Just Rigged the Rules—Mid-Game. Will Governor Murphy Let Them Get Away With It?

Well, folks, if you thought New Jersey politics couldn’t get any more blatantly anti-democratic, think again. Trenton just pulled off an Olympic-level feat of legislative shenanigans—one so brazen, so transparently self-serving, that even some members of the ruling party had to step back and say, “Wait, this is a bit much.”

On Thursday, the New Jersey Legislature passed a bill along party lines that will make it harder for candidates to get on the ballot. Not just in some hypothetical future election cycle—oh no, that would be too fair. This bill, with the stroke of a pen from Governor Phil Murphy, will be retroactively enforced starting January 1, 2025. That means candidates who have already been collecting signatures, who have been playing by the rules as they existed just days ago, will suddenly find the finish line moved further away—mid-race.

Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia rightfully called this out for what it is: a “blatant power grab.” And she’s not alone. Republicans and 25 Democrats have decried this bill as a disgraceful attempt to rig the system in favor of incumbents. Because let’s be real—that’s exactly what this is.

Think about it. The political elite of Trenton took a look at the growing number of challengers—many of whom are fed up with skyrocketing property taxes, broken healthcare systems, and shady backroom deals—and panicked. Instead of standing on their records and letting the people decide, they did what any self-respecting political machine would do: they changed the rules to make sure they don’t lose.

And this isn’t new. I addressed this issue two weeks ago in an article on my website, to the press, and on social media: Defending Democracy: Why New Jersey Must Reject Higher Ballot Access Barriers. I warned that this kind of political maneuvering was coming, and now, here we are.

Now it’s up to Governor Murphy to decide if he wants to be the final co-conspirator in this scheme. Will he sign this disgrace into law, cementing his legacy as the governor who helped crush competition and silence challengers? Or will he do the right thing and veto this insult to democracy?

New Jersey voters, we have one shot at stopping this power grab. We must demand that Governor Murphy veto this legislation. Call his office. Send emails. Make noise.

Because if we let them get away with this now, what’s next? Will they just decide elections outright in the future and save us all the trouble of voting?

This is not democracy. This is incumbents protecting their own power at all costs. And if we don’t fight back, we’re telling them that they can get away with it every time.

Governor Murphy, the people of New Jersey are watching. Do the right thing—veto this bill.

Stephen N Zielinski Sr for Governor