New Jersey
GOP has golden opportunity in NJ governor’s race. But will they pick a winner? | Stile
Republican State Sen. Jon Bramnick announces 2025 run for NJ governor
State Sen. Jon Bramnick, a Republican, announces his run for NJ governor at The Stress Factory in New Brunswick on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024.
In the past two weeks, Donald Trump tightened his MAGA grip on the Republican Party and dispatched the nation’s loudest Never Trumper, ex-New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to the dustbin of failed presidential hopefuls.
Yet Republican Jon Bramnick, the veteran state legislator from Union County, ignored the recent past on Saturday as he announced his bid for governor in 2025 at a comedy club in New Brunswick. He declared himself an avowed Never Trumper moderate, but without the bare-knuckled vehemence of Christie.
That’s not surprising. Bramnick, after all, moonlights as a standup comedian. He’s known to test out some of his Borscht Belt-flavored jokes on politicians in the hallways of the Statehouse where he’s served for nearly two decades. His affability has won him friends on both sides of the aisle, ranging from Christie to the current governor, Democrat Phil Murphy.
Christie went right at Trump’s character, calling him a coward and a reckless narcissist who places his own ego ahead of the interests of the nation. In Bramnick’s kickoff ceremony in front of close to 300 friends and supporters, the state senator took aim at the ethos of the Trump cult, but not so much at its leader.
Yet at its heart, the 70-year-old personal injury lawyer’s anti-Trump message was identical to Christie’s And it is this: There is no way that the New Jersey GOP can regain relevance as long as its brand is wedded to the “hateful” rhetoric of the Trump era.
Bramnick defends elections − including Biden’s
“We’ve been losing election after election after election,’’ he told the crowd. “We have always been a party of law and order. But we cannot continue to be the party of law and order if we make excuses for the rioters of Jan. 6 who were beating police officers over the head with sticks.”
The crowd erupted in thunderous applause. He continued on this theme, arguing that close to 60 court rulings rejected challenges to the 2020 presidential election.
Respecting the court, he said, is also an essential requirement for a party that once prided itself on its orderly reputation. Bramnick asserted that the party must “call out” those railing against the courts, “even if it’s Donald Trump.”
It was his only mention of the Bedminster golf club owner’s name. Still, Bramnick immediately drew a sharp contrast with former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, another Republican more closely aligned with the party’s moderate wing and who is planning his third run for governor in 2025. Ciattarelli, who once labeled Trump a “charlatan,’’ refuses to criticize him, saying that if elected governor, he may need to work with Trump if he returns to the White House.
Ciattarelli is staring out at a Republican Party now in the throes of MAGA fever. Bramnick is betting that the fever may break by 2025, and the party will un-yoke itself from a figure dragged down by 91 felony counts.
Moderate manifesto
Bramnick’s kickoff was a defiant manifesto of Republican moderation. Instead of retreating from the pillars of the GOP establishment of the past, Bramnick reverentially summoned the hallowed names of Eisenhower and the Bush family, names that make the MAGA crowd fume with fury.
In fact, the campaign shared video endorsements of George P. Bush, the grandson of President George H.W. Bush and a former Texas state official, and former U.S. House Speaker John Boehner, an Ohio moderate who was run out of Washington by the Tea Party activists, the pro-MAGA right wing faction of the GOP.
“The history of my Republican Party has always been defined by humility and service to our country, virtues and concepts that I was proud,’’ he said. “The voters we need no longer view our party that way.”
Bramnick also vowed to restore “balance’’ to Trenton, where the Democrats have ruled the legislature for two decades. He promised compromise and enactment of tough-on-crime measures that he believes appeal to the Main Street centrism of New Jersey. (One position he championed, however – a return to mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines for judges – has long been discredited as a failed policy that sent generations of low-risk offenders to prison and into the endless treadmill of the state’s criminal justice system.)
The question now looming for Bramnick: Is his moderate manifesto a legitimate strategy or just wishful thinking?
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Some believe Bramnick could make a formidable general election candidate in 2025. His vow to restore bipartisanship and compromise could appeal to a New Jersey electorate that normally takes a chance with the opposition party after a governor has held the office for two consecutive terms.
Micah Rasmussen, director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University, believes Bramnick could actually draw some encouragement from the recent New Hampshire primary performance of former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who finished in second place.
Why 2025 could be Republicans’ year
Even though Trump beat her by 11 points, she captured 58% of independents. Exit polls also found that four out of 10 Haley voters declared that they would vote for Biden rather than Trump in November.
“It would be very unusual, historically, for us to have a third Democratic term in a row,’’ Rasmussen said of the coming governor’s race. “So I think he can probably make the case for balance and for giving the Republican side a chance.”
But getting through a Republican primary will be the key challenge. Right now, Bramnick and Ciattarelli are likely fighting for the middle, but right-wing radio host Bill Spadea has been raising money. He’s forged ties with influential Ocean County GOP leader George Gilmore (who was at Saturday’s event.)
Bramnick may hope the fever breaks, but right now, the GOP remains in the grips of MAGA voters, who have no patience for Never Trump attacks.
The senator’s moderate pitch is “not going to fly up here,’’ said Robert Kovic, executive secretary of the Sussex County Republican Party, where Trump is overwhelmingly popular.
Some officials say the race is light years away, and that Bramnick’s skills and experience and Jersey guy amiability might just work. It’s too early to worry about the dynamics of the primary.
“Eighteen years ago, I started in the state Assembly and made a few friends on both sides,’’ Bramnick said. “And I think I know the process pretty well.”
But he is also new to the process of running for governor. And he’s an untested candidate testing a Never Trump message that seems out of step with his party.
PATERSON, New Jersey (WABC) — One person was killed and three others were injured in a shooting in Paterson.
The violence erupted around 6:30 p.m. Saturday near the intersection of East 29th Street and 10th Avenue.
Children nearby gasped in horror at the sound of rapid gunfire. They were just about to sing Happy Birthday to their 13-year-old friend at her backyard party, but instead of blowing out the candles, they ducked for cover when they heard gunshots in the distance.
“Just hearing it – it was scary to witness, to hear. Especially on my birthday. Like a time I’m trying to play with my friends, get together,” said the 13-year-old.
She also says she had a friend who was there who saw what happened.
“He was going to the bodega – he went running back, but he had saw two people come out of a car and then shoot, but it was like an automatic gun,” she added.
Bystanders watched in shock and panic as first responders treated the victims. One of them was lying in the street next to a car and another was on the ground next to a bicycle.
Local councilman Luis Velez says the City of Paterson has taken measures to reduce crime in this part of town – what he calls a ‘hotspot’ — in part by installing security cameras. He is encouraging the community to cooperate.
“Paterson Police is doing their job as I know, they’re doing a great job to reduce crime, but one again we, the police, nobody, not even the news media has a crystal ball to say this is going to happen now,” Velez said, “Some people see corners getting built up, they see activities and they’re afraid to come out and say something, but our police department is trained to keep it confidential and approach to bring the quality of life in this area.”
The 13-year-old hopes her next birthday party is not ruined by the sound of gunshots.
“First we thought it was fireworks, but then we heard sirens and everyone started going home because they were scared,” she added.
Copyright © 2026 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.
Let’s be honest, we didn’t need a national list to tell us this. New Jersey has the best restaurants, the best food, and some of the most talented chefs anywhere in America.
It’s something locals have been saying forever, and now the rest of the country is catching up. Still, it’s always nice to see that recognition on a big stage.
We Already Knew New Jersey Was the Best
USA TODAY’s 2026 Restaurants of the Year list highlights standout dining destinations across the country.
From humble roadside gems to chef-driven hotspots earning major buzz, the list celebrates places that truly stand out, and New Jersey showed up in a big way.
Three New Jersey Spots Earn National Recognition
This year, three Garden State restaurants made the prestigious list:
- The Pasta Shop – Denville
- Ram & Rooster – Metuchen
- Anjelica’s – Sea Bright
And yes, that includes a Jersey Shore favorite, because of course it does.
These restaurants represent everything people love about dining in New Jersey, quality, creativity, and flavors that keep you coming back.
A Jersey Shore Standout Shines
There’s something special about seeing a Jersey Shore restaurant included among the best in America. It’s not just about great food, it’s about the full experience, the atmosphere, and that unmistakable local charm.
Anjelica’s in Sea Bright earning a spot only reinforces what shore locals already know: some of the best meals you’ll ever have are right here, close to home.
No Surprise, Just Well-Deserved
At the end of the day, this recognition feels less like a surprise and more like confirmation. New Jersey’s food scene has always been top-tier, and lists like this just make it official.
Keep Reading: Beloved New Jersey Restaurant is Closing
So whether you’re heading to Denville, Metuchen, or down the shore, you already know, you’re in for something special.
PHOTOS: Step Inside a 1970s Kitchen — 34 Things You’ll Recognize
From Tupperware jugs (you know the ones) to those ever-present knife sharpeners, let’s take a nostalgic trip back to the quintessential ’70s kitchen.
Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz
If You Grew Up in the ’70s and ’80s, These Foods Were Super Fancy
From Babybels to Toblerone chocolate, take a nostalgic bite out of these ‘fancy’ childhood foods that made us feel way more elegant than we really were.
Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz
FIFA and New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill have become embroiled in a war of words this past week as the prospect of $150 train tickets to travel to World Cup games and plans to close parts of New York’s Penn Station have angered residents.
The recent uproar began after reports surfaced April 6 that parts of Penn Station would be closed to NJ Transit commuters not attending World Cup games for four hours before kickoff during the eight matches at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.
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Moreover, round-trip train tickets between Penn Station in Manhattan and MetLife Stadium, where the final of the FIFA World Cup is set to be played, were announced by NJ Transit to come in at $150 per person.
A return ride on the same line typically costs $12.90, according to NJ Transit.
The FIFA World Cup Trophy is displayed during the Los Angeles stop of The FIFA World Cup 26 Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola at LA Live in Los Angeles on March 24, 2026.
In a press release on April 17, Sherrill said the move to increase prices was caused by FIFA’s decision to eliminate parking at MetLife Stadium. The Democratic governor said price increases happened because FIFA did not agree to cover the costs of transporting fans.
“We are committed to ensuring costs are shared fairly. As I have said repeatedly, FIFA should cover the cost of transporting its fans. If it won’t, we will not be subsidizing World Cup ticket holders on the backs of New Jerseyans who rely on NJ TRANSIT every day,” Sherrill said.
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More: Going to World Cup at MetLife Stadium? Expect $150 train tickets and no parking
FIFA, on the other hand, has said the price increase would have a “chilling effect” on fans attending games in New Jersey and said Sherrill’s demands asking FIFA to absorb transportation costs for fans were “unprecedented.”
“Elevated fares inevitably push fans toward alternative transportation options. This increases concerns of congestion, late arrivals, and creates broader ripple effects that ultimately diminish the economic benefit and lasting legacy the entire region stands to gain from hosting the World Cup,” Heimo Schirgi, COO for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, said in a statement to USA TODAY.
The NJ Transit logo is seen in the lobby of the New Jersey Transit headquarters ahead of a press briefing on the New York/New Jersey FIFA World Cup 2026 regional mobility plan in Newark, New Jersey on April 17, 2026.
What are other cities doing with World Cup transportation?
New Jersey has not been the only place where transportation costs have been the subject of discussion ahead of the World Cup. In Boston, round-trip train train tickets on the MBTA from Boston’s South Station to Gillette Stadium are being sold for $80.
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Special event trains to Foxborough for New England Patriots NFL games and New England Revolution MLS matches are usually $20 for a round trip, according to local news station CBS Boston.
Other cities have not seen increases like the ones in New Jersey and Boston. In Atlanta, for example, train fares on the city’s MARTA will be $2.50 per ride, with children able to travel for free with a paying adult.
Kansas City is offering $15 round-trip shuttle rides for fans parking in four different park-and-ride locations, as well as those coming from FIFA’s Fan Festival in the city. Los Angeles, on the other hand, is offering fans a $3.50 round trip train ticket on its Metro Train.
SEPTA in Philadelphia is also keeping its prices low, with fans set to pay the base $2.90 fare for a ride on its Broad Street Line, which takes riders to Lincoln Financial Field, set to host six matches.
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Katie Sobko from USA TODAY Network’s NorthJersey.com contributed to this report.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: World Cup fans going to MetLife Stadium to pay $150 for NJT ticket
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