Former state Senate President Steve Sweeney is expected on Monday to announce that he will be seeking the Democratic nomination for governor in 2025. The New Jersey Globe first reported Sweeney’s plans, and NJ Spotlight News confirmed with two other sources.
The gubernatorial hopeful from Gloucester County was set to run in 2017 but backed out after North Jersey Democrats failed to support his bid. Then, in a stunning 2021 political shakeup, Sweeney lost his Senate seat to Republican Ed Durr, which led some political observers to say Sweeney may be sidelined from any statewide races.
Now with this expected announcement, Sweeney would join the Democratic race with Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, who is so far the lone Democrat to toss his hat in the ring. Fulop posted on social media that “it was getting lonely” in the race.
The announcement comes as state Assemblyman Herb Conaway (D-Burlington) is expected to also announce a bid for higher office, this one in the Congress in 2024. Conaway would be seeking the Democratic nomination for U.S. Rep. Andy Kim’s seat in the 3rd Congressional District. Kim is giving up his position to run for embattled U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez’s (D-NJ) seat.
