A former mayor who is unabashedly pro-Donald Trump just joined the Trump-colored Republican side of the crowded race for New Jersey governor.
Former Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario Kranjac is one of more than a half-dozen contenders seeking his party’s nomination to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy.
In 2016, Kranjac — a venture capitalist and attorney by trade — became the first Republican mayor in 40 years to win the mayorship in his blue-leaning Bergen County town. He served two terms and chose not to seek a third.
Kranjac has called himself as a “forever Trumper,” and 2019 Star-Ledger editorial criticizing him referred to him as a “Trumpy mayor.”
In a social media post Sunday, Kranjac wrote that Trump “proved we can put America first.”
“Now we need to win in New Jersey to lower taxes, fight party boss corruption, educate not indoctrinate our kids and enact term limits,” he added. “The Republicans who have been running for two years have failed to attract the kind of support they need to win. That’s why I filed for New Jersey governor.”
Kranjac is a long shot, but his entry shows the June GOP primary will, at least partially, be a fight over support of Trump as he returns to the White House. Though Jersey is traditionally blue, Republicans have been buoyed by Trump’s much-closer-than- expected finish — losing by only about 6 percentage points — in last year’s presidential election.
There are four major candidates running for the Republican gubernatorial nod: state Sen. Jon Bramnick, former state Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, former state Sen. Ed Durr, and radio host Bill Spadea. There are also lesser-name candidates: Roger Bacon, Robert Canfield, James Fazzone, Hans Herberg, and Joseph Rudy Rullo.
Kranjac is expected to have the support of controversial right-wing podcaster Mike Crispi, who considered running for governor himself because he didn’t believe there was an “authentic” Trump-centric candidate in the race. Kranjac apparently fits the bill, though Crispi has yet to formally endorse him.
Ciattarelli and Spadea have already attacked each other for being critical of Trump in the past, while Durr has been a proud Trump supporter. Bramnick has run a largely anti-Trump campaign. Trump has publicly praised both Spadea and Crispi, who spoke at Trump’s beachfront campaign rally in Wildwood last year.
A poll last month showed Ciattarelli leading the GOP primary over Spadea by 13%, with the other candidates in the single digits. But nearly half of Republican voters remain undecided.
One big question is whether Trump will publicly endorse a candidate in the primary. Gunning for his backing could be key in gaining support among the Republican base in the primary. But the question is whether embracing Trump could backfire in the general election in a state where registered Democrats still outnumber registered Republicans.
The battle for the Democratic nomination has six candidates: U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill, New Jersey Education Association President Sean Spiller, and former state Senate President Stephen Sweeney.
Krajnac told the NJ Monitor on Tuesday that his top goal as governor would be to cut taxes 2% for each year he’s in office by cutting out waste.
“It’s possible,” he told the website. “ou just got to get all the fluff out of local, county, and state government.”
As mayor, Krajnac led litigation to block affordable housing in Englewood Cliffs, one of the state’s wealthiest towns. The case was eventually settled.
The race is expected to be a barnburner, with candidates gunning for one of the most powerful governorships in America — one with the ability to approve not only new laws and the state budget but a vast array of appointments, including a state attorney general and judges. While New Jersey often goes Democratic in federal statewide elections, voters often go back and forth between parties when selecting a governor.
Stories by Brent Johnson
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Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X at @johnsb01.
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