Sweeney Enters 2025 Governor’s Race
Former New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney is running for governor in 2025, ending speculation about his political future after his stunning to a relatively unknown truck driver, Senator Ed Durr, two years ago.
Now, with Governor Murphy term-limited, Sweeney and Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop – the “two Steves” are the only declared candidates.
Within a couple hours of his announcement, Sweeney picked up the endorsement of the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, which represents more than 15,000 workers in New Jersey. The union cited Sweeney’s advocacy for offshore wind production, protecting union apprenticeship programs and supporting contractor language for public projects as reasons he “will be a governor with true union values.”
Murphy and Princeton University Announce Artificial Intelligence Hub
This week, Governor Murphy announced a partnership with Princeton University to establish a hub for artificial intelligence (AI) activity in New Jersey in collaboration with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA). Leveraging state funding and private sector partnerships, the initiative will advance New Jersey’s leadership in AI and catalyze innovation in AI technologies, drive job growth and economic development across the region, promote rapid and responsible development of the field, and guide governments and public entities on AI implementation.
The initiative will bring together AI researchers, industry leaders, start-up companies, and other collaborators to advance research and development, house dedicated accelerator space, advance the use of ethical AI for positive societal impact, and promote workforce development to support new technology development, in collaboration with other New Jersey universities, community colleges, and vocational schools.
“Indeed, there’s no better place in the nation to build a nexus for AI development than in the heart of New Jersey at Princeton University, which attracts the companies of the future with its robust innovation ecosystem and unparalleled combination of location and talent. As these industry leaders seek the next big breakthrough in AI technologies from their labs in Central Jersey, they will help generate economic activity and good-paying jobs in communities across our state,” said Governor Murphy.
RCSG’s Hritz Appointed to Benson’s Transition Team
Mercer County Executive-Elect Dan Benson announced senior leadership and a full list of committees and members to his transition team which includes many well-connected Democrats around the county.
Jeannine Frisby LaRue and Sharon Shinkle Gardner are co-chairs of the transition team. Former Trenton Mayor Doug Palmer is the Senior Advisor to the Transition Team. Arthur Sypek is the Transition Team’s legal counsel.
River Crossing Strategy Group’s Doug Hritz, a long-time Mercer County resident who is very active in county politics, was appointed to the County Executive-Elect’s Parks and Public Works Committee.
Casino Smoking Ban Dies in Lame Duck
The legislative effort to ban smoking in casinos is dead for the lame-duck session, according to the bill’s top sponsor.
“We’re pulling it off the agenda,” Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee Chair Joe Vitale (D-Middlesex) said earlier this week.
The bill, S264 (22R), which failed to get through Vitale’s committee late last month, had been slated for a do-over at its Thursday meeting. But Vitale said he's been unable to secure the votes to advance it.
"There were several co-sponsors who have decided to take their names off the bill for reasons that are unknown to me. Other than that I’ve heard from one or two members, particularly on the other side of the aisle, that they wanted to consider some of the amendments being offered by the industry,” Vitale said in a phone interview. “They’re the same idiotic ideas that have been floated for years."
Vitale said he doesn’t believe the bill has any chance of passing during the lame-duck session, which ends in early January.
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