By Chief Political Correspondent Michael Aron
NJ Today
Last week it was the Health Professionals and Allied Employees — the nurses union — that endorsed Barbara Buono.
“And we have in Sen. Buono someone who’s been an unrelenting champion for the issues that have been important to us,” Health Professionals and Allied Employees of New Jersey President Ann Twomey said.
Yesterday the state’s second largest police union — the Fraternal Order of Police — decided to skip its normal screening process and endorse Buono six months earlier than planned, because it feels betrayed by Gov. Chris Christie.
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“He sat and met with us. He sat right across the table from me. He lied, He said he would not touch our pensions or benefits. He said being the United States attorney, he knew how important police officers were out there and what we went through, the trials and tribulations of police officers on the street and he would not touch our benefits,” NJ Fraternal Order of Police President Ed Brannigan said.
At Buono campaign headquarters in New Brunswick, where the signs aren’t even in the windows yet, the recent endorsement by the NJEA and today’s endorsement by the Rutgers faculty union have the candidate pumped.
“I can’t keep track. It’s kind of a good problem to have though, isn’t it? The campaign has really caught fire. We’re really excited,” Buono said.
And what is the value of such an endorsement?
“It represents the voice — a unified message — from a group of individuals that they have placed their faith in me as the next governor for the state of New Jersey,” Buono said.
Christie has the Laborers Union, the Port Authority Police and today got the national pipe fitters union and the New Jersey Fire Chiefs Association.
Buono recognizes not all union members follow their leaders, but says many do.
“Y’know, the leadership represents the membership. They go back to the membership and talk to them and see what their sentiment is,” Buono said.
She says the groups that have endorsed her are excited about the race.
“What they’re saying to me is that they’re excited about this race and they see in Barbara Buono there’s somebody that’s going to actually stand up to them, not castigate them, not scapegoat them,” Buono said.
If endorsements were the entire race, Buono and Christie would be essentially even. But throw in name recognition and money, and the governor has a decided advantage.