The future of New Jersey politics is on the line

March 24, 2024

Sen. Bob Menendez was the quintessential New Jersey Democratic machine politician. Now he may have inadvertently become the biggest reformer Garden State politics has ever known.

Menendez’s scathing federal corruption indictment in September unleashed a chain of events that’s led to state leaders talking about sweeping ballot reform and a federal judge weighing whether to force wholesale election changes. New Jersey may be on the cusp of fundamentally rewriting the way state politics has been played for a century.

The line, used by the leadership of both parties in a state Democrats dominate, has long been a sore spot with progressives. But a lawsuit they filed alleging its unconstitutionality in 2021 has moved at a glacial pace — until just weeks ago, when Kim filed his own lawsuit that largely mirrored that one, even using the same lawyers. But this one was placed on the fast track.

Nineteen of the state’s 21 counties use the line, and its effect on elections has long been debated in New Jersey political circles. But Rutgers University professor Julia Sass Rubin studied it, using historical election results. She found that statewide primary candidates over the last 20 years who had the line in some counties and did not in others performed an average of 12 percent better in counties where they had it. For incumbents, the advantage shot up to 17 percent.

“The data is just overwhelming that being on the line provided a substantial advantage,” Sass Rubin said.

Some party operatives have raised concerns that discarding the line will lead to less vetting by party leaders, resulting in more extreme candidates winning their party’s nominations. Opponents think it will lead to officials becoming more hesitant to go along with party bosses’ wishes when it comes time for them to vote.

“You’re going to start seeing a lot more bravery by legislators and you’re going to see primary challengers that are more successful,” said Sass Rubin, the Rutgers professor. “So you’re going to have more accountability.”

Politico, March 24, 2024

Recent Posts

Prof. Toney and Lina Moe Named St. Louis Fed Fellows

St. Louis Fed Announces 2024-25 Institute for Economic Equity Research Fellows The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis has announced a new cohort of nine research fellows selected to conduct research while in residence at the Institute for Economic Equity. “The...

Prof. Joel Cantor Reflects on Dr. Oz’s Nomination

Bracing for the Dr. Oz effect on health care Read the original post on NJ Spotlight News, November 21, 2024 The health insurance coverage for 3.5 million vulnerable New Jersey residents will be overseen by a cardiologist and former television personality known for...

The Virtues of Public Service with Bob Gordon

The Virtues of Public Service with Bob Gordon We return to our regularly scheduled EJB Talks this week with Bob Gordon, a Senior Policy Fellow who joined the Bloustein School earlier this year. Dean Shapiro asks Bob, a former New Jersey legislator and BPU...

Bhuyan Co-Authors New ABCD UrbanSat Study

Linking neuroimaging and mental health data from the ABCD Study to UrbanSat measurements of macro environmental factors Abstract Although numerous studies over the past decade have highlighted the influence of environmental factors on mental health, globally...

Listokin, Hughes, Edwards New Book: Rutgers Then and Now

Rutgers Then and Now Explores Transformation of Historic College Avenue Campus Over the Centuries See images from the book in the original post on Rutgers Today The book hitting shelves soon after the university’s charter day is the work of three longtime...

Upcoming Events

Event Series DEIB

Bloustein DEIB Committee Holiday Toy Drive

Bloustein School, Civic Square Building 33 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ, United States

The Bloustein School Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Committee invites you to participate in a Holiday Toy Drive benefitting the Harmony Family Success Center. Donate new, unwrapped toys for kids […]

Event Series CAREERS

Virtual Career Drop-ins

Virtual

Stop by virtually on Mondays (except for holidays) beginning September 9th through December 16th between 11 am and 1 pm to ask a quick (15 min) career-related question of Bloustein […]