Plumbers and Pipefitters local ousts Mike Maloney by 2-1 margin – New Jersey Globe

In a major upset that is enormously consequential to New Jersey labor unions, longtime Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 9 business manager Michael Maloney lost his bid for re-election to Mike Tranberg by a big margin.

Tranberg beat Maloney, 473-226, a 68%-32% margin.

That means Maloney will lose his posts as president of the New Jersey State Association of Pipe Trades and vice president of the New Jersey State Building & Construction Trades Council.

Maloney’s defeat appears to have resulted from rank-and-file pipefitters’ opposition to the state’s energy policy. These pipefitters supported the now-defunct PennEast gas pipeline project, which was essentially killed by elected officials who had received political and financial support from Maloney.

Senate Majority Conference Leader Vin Gopal (D-Long Branch) had endorsed Tranberg, a Monmouth County resident.

Now the Plumbers and Pipefitters are up for grabs by candidates from both parties seeking to succeed term-limited Gov. Phil Murphy in 2025.

PennEast canceled the controversial $1 billion, 116-mile natural gas pipeline program in September 2021 after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that they could use eminent domain to take state-owned land.

The 64-year-old Maloney was elected to his first Local 9 post in 1985, became a business agent in 1994, and won his first election as business manager.  He currently serves as president of the Mercer County Central Labor Council, backing Assemblyman Dan Benson (D-Hamilton) in his successful bid for county executive against five-term Democrat Brian Hughes.

This weekend’s election follows a trend in other states where members of building trades locals are tossing longtime leaders who appear to be backing candidates for public office, including the Joe Biden vs. Donald Trump presidential race, who are not consistent with the views of the rank-and-file membership.