The race for the Democratic nomination for governor of New Jersey is taking shape. A recent poll by Fairleigh Dickinson University shows Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill and Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop with an edge in favorability.
They are just three of the six people still in the race. Dan Cassino, who runs the FDU poll, said a crowd like this is rare.
“The institutional parties are able to use pressure and promises in order to get people to drop out of the race and have one candidate who is the institutional choice,” he said, “and often times by the time you get to the actual election, the primary, they’re the only candidate left on the ballot.”
Cassino said a stronger showing was expected from Congressman Josh Gottheimer, whose favorability rating has lagged.
He said we just about never see such a crowded field:
“The fact that we have six candidates, six really I think viable candidates on the Democratic side and four on the Republican side is unprecedented in modern New Jersey politics,” said Cassino, adding that money is the key behind this.
“All these candidates are very well funded and as a result they’re likely to stay in the race,” he said. “The two big reasons why a candidate drops out of a race is number one, they run out of money or number two, the polling is just so dismal for them that they realize they have no chance of winning.”