Matt Friedman
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- Writer, New Jersey Playbook Newsletter
Author of NJ Playbook. www.politico.com/newjerseyplaybook
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Articles by Matt Friedman
The heir vs. the minor millionaire
Good Wednesday morning! “Greedy millionaire.” That's Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr.'s closing message about Rebecca Bennett , who recently worked as an executive at an online health care company . And based on Bennett's income disclosures, which show assets worth between $406,000 and $1.8 million , she probably is a low-level millionaire. She certainly has a lot less money than Kean, the scion of a wealthy family that's been involved in politics as long as the nation's existed.
Super PAC man
Good Tuesday morning! Democratic Rep. Herb Conaway won his first House election in 2024 by almost 9 percentage points. There is no reason to believe that he's vulnerable now that he's an incumbent in what by nearly all measures is a far more favorable political environment for Democrats. Nevertheless, a sketchy super PAC popped up seemingly out of nowhere and began spending about $14,000 to air online ads against Conaway, who faces Republican Mike McGuire in South Jersey's 3rd District.
A small reprieve for NJ election transparency
Good Monday morning! I've been critical of the Election Law Enforcement Commission lately. But to its credit, it showed last week that it is receptive to public feedback. Last Tuesday, ELEC had planned to vote on a proposal to “remove the reporting requirements” for candidates, treasurers and campaign chairs to include their personal emails and phone numbers. I noted how this information has been especially useful to me over the years, even if some candidates just decline to include it.
Why national Dems haven't stepped up against Van Drew
Good Friday morning! Is Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew's “undying” support for President Donald Trump, uh, dying? Well, no. I wouldn't go that far. But in a recent interview with Joey Fox, Van Drew acknowledged that the president's Iran policy — one he's backed multiple times in votes and rhetoric — is likely hurting Republicans in the midterm elections.
POLITICO Pro: Jeff Van Drew is trying to avoid getting swept up in a blue wave
Democrats want to put his deep-red New Jersey district in play, but haven’t offered much to challenger Zack Mullock. Rep. Jeff Van Drew promised President Donald Trump his “undying support” when he switched from Democrat to Republican seven years ago.
Scutari's continued illegal weed crackdown
Good Thursday morning! The New Jersey Legislature is cracking down on black market weed. The Senate Judiciary Committee today is scheduled to consider this bill sponsored by Senate President Nick Scutari and Republican Leader Tony Bucco, that would make it a third-degree crime with huge fines attached for unlicensed “business concerns” to sell cannabis or vape products.
National Republicans retreat from the 7th
that many politicos, Republicans and Democrats alike, suspect that pro-Democratic response bias is giving an unrealistic picture. Regardless of whether that's the case in public polls, clearly Republicans are seeing the same thing in their internals. High-ranking Republicans can publicly pooh-pooh the polls as much as they want, but money speaks louder than words.
Sherrill's redistricting calculation
Good Friday morning! It's obviously too late for New Jersey Democrats to redistrict ahead of the midterms on Nov. 3. But talk about it before the 2028 election just won't die. I'm skeptical. But Gov. Mikie Sherrill, who has no official role in the process but could play a big informal one, is not entirely dismissing it. In an interview with Joey Fox, Sherrill said whether Democrats will pursue redistricting depends on two things: the results of the Nov.
Vote by fail-safe
Democratic voters don't trust the United States Postal Service under the Trump administration, and they're choosing drop boxes over the mail to submit their ballots. Normally at this point, around 20% of people who cast mail-in ballots do it through a drop box. As of right now, that number is about 47%. And it's much more pronounced with Democrats than Republicans, according to data analyzed by Micah Rasmussen, director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University.
Scutari vs. the Tesla exemption
In 2014, when Elon Musk was a mere billionaire who was going to help the environment with his electric cars, New Jersey Democrats liked him. So when former Gov.
POLITICO Pro: Scutari targets New Jersey's Tesla sales exemption in new bill
New Jersey’s most powerful state legislator is seeking to repeal a law that allows Tesla and other electric vehicle manufacturers to sell directly to customers instead of through dealerships. Senate President Nick Scutari introduced the “New Jersey Franchised Automobile Industry Retail (FAIR) Sales Act” without fanfare on Monday. The legislation, NJ S4750 (26R), would roll back a law signed 11 years ago by Gov.
The Cuban government
As Gov. Mikie Sherrill's administration began working to pull New Jersey's public employee health insurance plans out of their “death spiral,” billionaire TV personality Mark Cuban last week publicly offered his assistance. On Monday, Sherrill took him up on it. “Thanks for the offer, @mcuban ! I appreciate your innovative work in this space as we bring all ideas to the table. No more kicking the can down the road in New Jersey,” Sherrill wrote on X . “I want accountability and results.
What they say vs. what they do
Good Monday morning! Most of us learn this as children: Trust people based on what they do, not what they say. I don't think we apply it enough to analyzing politics. If you want to get a true sense of how people who run campaigns and super PACs really judge the political environment, then watch what they do and see if it lines up with what they say. Look at the 2nd District in New Jersey, where Rep.
A new cannabis controversy
Good Friday morning! When New Jersey legalized recreational cannabis five years ago, the effort was sold to the public — at least the non-users — as a way to rectify the wrongs committed by the war on drugs. A key part of that was to create priority for dispensaries owned by minorities, women, veterans and people who live in poorer areas of the state. Now, a lawsuit by New Jersey Democratic operative Justin Shoham against his former boss, Democratic state Sen.
New Jersey lawmaker improperly took advantage of marijuana law, former aide says in lawsuit
When New Jersey legalized marijuana, it wrote rules that gave minority- and women-owned businesses and other disadvantaged applicants a head start on licenses. A new lawsuit alleges a state lawmaker turned that policy into a business model. State Sen.
Poll position
A fresh Rutgers-Eagleton poll this morning finds Gov. Mikie Sherrill still relatively popular in New Jersey, if not exceptionally. It's her handling of the Dale Caldwell investigation that's getting much better marks. Sherrill's approval rating among New Jersey residents is 44%, compared to 34% who disapprove. Her approval rating is down a statistically insignificant 1 point from a March Rutgers-Eagleton poll , but her disapproval rating is up 5 points.
Is bribery still against the law?
A three judge panel on the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday appeared open to arguments that the activities Menendez engaged in that led to his conviction and 11-year prison sentence were legislative activity protected under the Constitution's speech and debate clause, POLITICO's Erica Orden reported To give a brief review, those actions included calling then-New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal to intercede in a case and investigation of a man who bribed Menendez and his...
Health benefits catastrophe narrowly and temporarily avoided
Good Tuesday morning! This might have gotten lost in the Dale Caldwell noise. Daniel Han reported Friday that the commission that governs the School Employees' Health Benefits Program managed to break the 4-4 deadlock that's plagued it for months, after its four labor appointees had refused to vote for the 34% premium hike recommended by actuaries. Had it deadlocked again, according to Gov.
Caldwell farewell
Good Monday morning! All's not well with Dale Caldwell. I need not tell you that the lieutenant governor resigned Friday, less than 24 hours after a report outlined allegations of sexual harassment and ethical violations.
New Jersey’s lieutenant governor resigns under pressure from Sherrill, fellow Democrats
Corruption 5 hours ago Don’t You Just Hate Seeing Aileen Cannon in a Pickle? Talking Points Memo - by David Kurtz • 5h A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo. A Funhouse Mirror of Corruption Let’s end the week with an … Dale Caldwell Now New Jersey Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell resigns after ethics probe ABC News - ByAaron Katersky • 45m Multiple New Jersey leaders had called for his resignation.
Lieutenant governor of New Jersey stepping down following allegations of improper behavior, sources say.
Follow Lieutenant governor of New Jersey stepping down following allegations of improper behavior, sources say. Joey Fox and Matt Friedman Fri, September 25, 2026 at 2:34 PM EDT Lieutenant governor of New Jersey stepping down following allegations of improper behavior, sources say. New Jersey Lt. Gov.
Sherrill to Caldwell: Resign
Gov. Mikie Sherrill called on Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell to resign by today after her office issued the findings of its four-month internal investigation into his conduct with women. “These violations substantiated in the investigation reflect a pattern of behavior that does not meet the standards of this Administration,” Sherrill said in a statement . “The ethical lapses persisted despite multiple warnings and trainings. The substantiated finding of sexual harassment is extremely troubling.
Sherrill vs. NJEA
The NJEA is making a last-minute lobbying push ahead of the Sherrill administration's warning that the School Employees' Health Benefits Program will shut down for 2027 if its governing commission doesn't approve a massive rate increase after repeatedly deadlocking on a 34% premium hike.
POLITICO Pro: Beach loses last-ditch effort to regain control of Cherry Hill Dems
The South Jersey Democratic machine has lost its effort to regain control of the Democratic Party in Camden County’s most populous town. The state Supreme Court on Sept. 16 refused to take up a last-ditch appeal by Camden County Democratic Chair Jim Beach, following an appellate ruling against him in April.
The return of Reporters Roundtable
Good Wednesday morning! It turns out that the Statehouse press corps' abundant physical beauty will not go to waste. On Monday, I lamented the potential demise of Reporters Roundtable, which after almost 40 years aired what we thought could be its final episode last week as New Jersey public television shifts from WNET to Montclair State University. This morning, I am happy to report that the show will return, allowing us to show our faces once again to grateful New Jerseyans.
Literal shady politics
Assemblymember Kenyatta Stewart just introduced a bill that would exempt elected officials, gubernatorial Cabinet members, judges and prosecutors from New Jersey's law that restricts car window tints. In other words, Stewart has introduced legislation to reduce transparency in the most literal sense. As it stands, New Jersey allows no tint on a car's front windshield or front passenger windows, though you're permitted to make the back windows and rear windshield as dark as you want them.
POLITICO Pro: Candidate phone numbers, email may soon be dropped from ELEC reports
It is the latest in a series of recent reductions to government transparency. New Jersey’s campaign finance agency may soon no longer require candidates and top campaign officials to provide their email addresses and phone numbers on publicly accessible filings — the latest in a series of recent reductions to government transparency. The New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission plans a final vote on the regulation on Oct. 13, after approving it 4-0 at a June meeting.
Trenton's ‘oh SEHBP!' moment
The School Employees' Health Benefits Commission is set to meet in one week. And what it does could decide the fate of the entire School Employees Health Benefits Program. In three prior meetings, that commission — basically split between executive branch appointees and union members — has deadlocked on raising health insurance premiums 34% as the state-administered plans undergo the death spiral.
Investigation into NJ's lieutenant governor grounds Mikie Sherrill
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill was just starting to use her multimillion-dollar war chest to bring her moderate brand of Democratic politics national, campaigning for candidates in other states and potentially setting her up for a run for higher office, or at least shaping her party's messaging. But a controversy involving Sherrill's second-in-command has grounded the helicopter pilot governor, forcing her to stay in New Jersey lest she hand over power to Lt. Gov.
POLITICO Pro: Sherrill administration threatens to shut school health benefits plan next year if commission again deadlocks on rates
Scrapping the School Employees Health Benefits Plan would force more than 200 education employers to scramble to find private-sector plans. Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s administration says that if a state panel continues to deadlock on a vote to raise health insurance rates for school districts later this month, the School Employees Health Benefits Plan won’t be an option at all next year.
Norcross v. Inky
Democratic power broker George Norcross has made good on his threat to sue The Philadelphia Inquirer, which he once co-owned, for defamation and four other counts, demanding an eye-popping $100 million in a lawsuit filed in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.
New Jersey power broker George Norcross files defamation suit against The Philadelphia Inquirer
Democratic power broker George Norcross is suing the Philadelphia Inquirer for $100 million, alleging a top editor at the publication, driven by "personal animus," typed up notes with "fabricated" statements by a Norcross associate that made their way into the hands of New Jersey prosecutors. A 2024 state racketeering indictment of Norcross and several of his political and business allies collapsed, with a New Jersey appeals court earlier this year upholding its 2025 dismissal.
Sherrill-Caldwell tension
A Note to Our Readers Over the past week, you've been bombarded with dire warnings about AI's future, and a cacophony of voices insisting governments must take “some” action. But on what will actually be done, by whom and where — there are precious few voices offering clarity. That's where POLITICO comes in. On the most consequential story of our lifetimes — how governments around the world respond to the most powerful technology humans have ever built — clarity is our commitment to you.
A Statehouse of ill repute
Good Wednesday morning! I apologize in advance if the legislation I'm about to make light of was spurred by some kind of serious or disturbing incident, but I do not know of one. That's right. As far as I can tell, sex in the Statehouse — or any state, county or local government building — is not strictly illegal, even if I imagine it would sometimes violate New Jersey's indecent exposure laws. But this bill wouldn't criminalize it.
POLITICO Pro: New proposal would ban sex in government buildings
A New Jersey lawmaker wants to ban having sex in government buildings. Assemblymember Annette Quijano on Monday proposed legislation that would fine people between $1,000 and $5,000 if they engage in sexual activity in government facilities, and up to $10,000 if they’re caught doing it more than once. It’s not clear whether a specific incident spurred Quijano, an 18-year Democratic incumbent who is also a municipal prosecutor in Elizabeth, to propose the bill.
A Kean vs. Bennett poll and other signs of a blue wave
Good Tuesday morning! I'm back. Thanks to my POLITICO colleagues for writing this newsletter for the past week. I tried not to pay too much attention to the news during my post-Labor Day leave, but I couldn't help but feel the already-approaching blue wave is gaining momentum. And a Patrick Murray poll commissioned by Insider NJ that was during my time off only strengthens that feeling. It shows two-term Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-N.J.) trailing Democratic challenger Rebecca Bennett by 5 points.
Trump's in-kind contribution to NJ Dems
Good Friday morning! President Donald Trump this week handed New Jersey Democrats an $84 million in-kind contribution, courtesy of New Jersey taxpayers. The Trump administration has denied Gov. Mikie Sherrill's appeal of its earlier rejection of $84 million in disaster funds related to the February blizzard that hit the state. It's part of the president's pattern of denying funds to blue states while approving them for red states . And it's blatantly political.
Sherrill the not-quite-kingmaker
Gov. Mikie Sherrill through her Mission to Deliver PAC last month endorsed her former House colleague, 47-year-old Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), against 80-year-old incumbent Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) in the Massachusetts Democratic Senate primary. It didn't deliver for Moulton. Markey — who was backed by left-wing stars like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep.
Booker engages Murphy on anti-Islam comments
Republican Senate nominee Justin Murphy has about the same chance of beating Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) in November as I have at winning the first Pulitzer for newsletter puns. Republicans haven't won a U.S. Senate election in New Jersey in 54 years. Murphy as of July 1 had $123 in his bank account to Booker's $23 million. And there's plenty of signs of Trump backlash. So Booker hasn't paid Murphy much attention.
Republican NJ Senate nominee bashes Islam at forum, Cory Booker calls remarks ‘vile’
Sen. Cory Booker on Monday slammed his Republican opponent for "bigotry" and "vile" remarks after saying Islam "doesn't seem to be able to cohabitate with other religions" while citing debunked or exaggerated anecdotes about Muslims in Europe. Justin Murphy, who's little known and virtually unfunded, is the longest of long shots to defeat Booker in November.
The Legislature's data center whiplash
It's rare to see elected officials respond to public opinion as quickly as they have on data centers. Late last week, Gov. Mikie Sherrill held a press conference to sign a bill to require data centers to report their water and electricity use to the Board of Public Utilities for three years.
POLITICO Pro: Sherrill signs bill to require data centers to report energy and water usage
Amid growing political backlash to AI data centers, Gov. Mikie Sherrill on Thursday signed legislation that would require them to periodically report water and electricity usage to the state. “Data companies often treat their usage statistics as a trade secret,” Sherrill said at a press conference in South Brunswick, which has been called a “data center hub” and where a massive new proposed data center is facing public pushback.
Tom Kean Jr.’s campaign playbook appears to be backfiring
Rep. Tom Kean Jr. has never looked comfortable in front of the cameras. His voice is soft. His speech, halting. He sometimes meets difficult questions with silence or a stare, or the rote repetition of a scripted point, rather than the slick deflection of a well-practiced politician.
The pay-to-playing field
It turns out that when you simultaneously gut pay-to-play laws and dramatically increase campaign contribution limits, public contractors give more money to political campaigns. That's according to an Election Law Enforcement Commission analysis of public contractor contributions in New Jersey, which reached a raw dollar record in 2025. Contractors gave $18 million to state and local candidates and committee, including super PACs, according to the paper by ELEC Deputy Director Joe Donohue.
Death spiral impasse
New Jersey's public health benefits crisis got a little worse Wednesday, when the School Employees' Health Benefits Commission deadlocked on a vote to enact a huge premium increase. This vote in itself was already delayed from three weeks ago. Now they're going to come back in two weeks to try again. But I have no clue how they'll resolve the impasse. State contractor AON last month recommended a 34 percent increase in employee premiums, which have seen other big hikes in recent years.
Greenwald on the Working Families Party's challenge
If the New Jersey Working Families Party is going to recruit candidates for the 2027 state Senate and Assembly Democratic primaries, Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald has a request. “I'm very proud of our caucus: 57 diverse members from all different areas and backgrounds that really are a mirror image and reflection of the state of New Jersey,” he said.
Taking the bat out in Englishtown
When Englishtown Mayor Dan Francisco recruited John Alite to the tiny Monmouth County borough's council , how could he have possibly foreseen that the admitted killer, drug trafficker and mob rat might still have some issues? Alite had said he turned his life around after more than a decade spent in jails and prisons, becoming a motivational speaker and podcast host. Nevermind that he claimed to have done speaking gigs that reporters could find no record of .
Getting a reed on transitional aid
Gov. Mikie Sherrill this year drastically increased transitional aid. But there's signs that her administration actually wants to restore meaning to the word “transitional.” Not all mayors are happy about it.
Seeing red in New Jersey
Good Friday morning! You might look at the gains of the left around the country and think, “The socialists are coming to New Jersey.” Well, I've got news for you: They're already here. Jersey City made some headlines last year when two City Council candidates, Jake Ephros and Joel Brooks, won with the backing of the Democratic Socialists of America.
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