“Spadea supporters said the president’s blessing notwithstanding, true New Jersey conservatives will come out for their candidate”
Rutgers pollster: Endorsement may influence “half of Republicans, but really won’t make a difference with the other half.”
TRENTON, NJ – Two-time loser Jack Ciattarelli, freshly endorsed by his favorite president, is well on his way to becoming three-time loser Jack Ciattarelli. The only question is whether that’ll happen on June 10th or November 4th.
“It’s time to unite our party,” wrote Ciattarelli after receiving the endorsement.
Good luck. Here’s what happened instead this week:
- NJ Spotlight News: Spadea supporters said the president’s blessing notwithstanding, true New Jersey conservatives will come out for their candidate…
- “We had a split of about 46% to 46% on that question [of whether an endorsement would sway GOP primary voters],” noted Rutgers poll director Ashley Koning… “This will bolster [Ciattarelli] among that almost half of Republicans, but really won’t make a difference with the other half.”
- New Jersey Monitor: After losing Trump endorsement, GOP governor hopeful carries on
- [Spadea] woke up to hundreds of texts of support, dozens of new volunteers signed up, and a flood of new, low-dollar donations.
- Spadea compared Trump’s endorsement of Ciattarelli to a priest at a funeral giving remarks for someone they didn’t know.
- While Spadea said Thursday he’s disappointed he wasn’t endorsed by Trump, he believes it’ll hurt Ciattarelli in the long run. He cited candidates with Trump’s endorsement who lost their elections
- New Jersey Globe: Spadea not backing down… ‘I intend to continue fighting’ even after Ciattarelli endorsement, Spadea says… Both have also spent plenty of time attacking one another as insufficiently pro-Trump.
- Globe: New Spadea ad slams Ciattarelli as taxraiser… Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Spadea has launched a new ad attacking rival Jack Ciattarelli for supporting tax increases and “handouts to illegals.”
- NJ.com: “Now is the time for Republicans to unite around Trump’s endorsed candidate,” [said a pro-Ciattarelli super PAC.] Spadea made clear that isn’t happening.
- Spadea added that two New Jersey candidates last year “failed to capitalize on an endorsement from President Trump and lost big.”
- Another question now is whether Trump’s vocal support would hurt Ciattarelli in the general election in the blue-leaning, Northeastern state.
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