As leader of New Jersey’s dominant teachers union, Sean Spiller currently leads more than 200,000 teachers and staff statewide. His next aim is to lead more than 9 million New Jerseyans as their governor.

Spiller, the president of the New Jersey Education Association, traveled down to Atlantic City for the NJEA’s annual convention to make his pitch before the like minded. He says his experience with the powerful union makes him uniquely qualified for the governor’s mansion.

“My lived experience, I think, is closer to most New Jerseyans than anyone who served previously, and certainly even those who are running now,” he said. “I say that as someone with two young kids, seeing that $20,000 cost for early education, plus the $10,000 for early-care and after-care.”

At the convention, many of those attending praised Spiller and his candidacy.

“He continues to advocate for us, and care about people, and care about the students,” said Janice Lightner, a retired teacher in North Haledon. “He would make a very good governor for the state.”

But some have also questioned the NJEA spending money on Spiller’s candidacy out of the union’s dues. Longtime critic Mike Lilley of the Sunlight Policy Center of New Jersey said the union gave nearly $11 million to its own political action committee, which in turn gave nearly $8 million to a dark-money group that has sent mailers on Spiller’s behalf.

“To kind of force [members] to fund Spiller’s personal political career, without their knowledge and without their consent, that strikes me as a big problem,” said Lilley.

Spiller dismissed the concerns, saying the NJEA regularly donates to political causes and candidates.

[Disclosure: Spiller is a member of the NJ PBS Community Advisory Board, and the NJEA is an underwriter for NJ Spotlight News.]