Around 80 students, residents, and campaign staffers crowded into the gymnasium of the Suzanne Patterson Center, minutes from Princeton’s campus, on Sunday to hear Democratic candidates in the 2025 gubernatorial race discuss policy on affordability in housing and healthcare, educational equity, and the future of the Democratic Party in New Jersey.
The candidate forum was hosted by the Princeton Community Democratic Organization (PCDO) ahead of the June 10 primaries, which will determine both Democratic and Republican nominees for the state’s successor to current Gov. Phil Murphy, who will finish his second consecutive term in office this year.
Four of six contenders for the Democratic Party’s nomination were present at the forum: Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) President and former Montclair Mayor Sean Spiller, and former State Senate President Steve Sweeney. The remaining two Democratic contenders, U.S. Reps. Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) and Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), were not present at the forum, although State Sen. John McKeon gave statements on behalf of Sherrill.
In an interview with The Daily Princetonian, PCDO Vice President Jane Manners GS ’18 called the turnout “pretty good,” despite a heavy storm earlier in the day and continuing 22 mph winds.
“In the midst of the Trump administration, I think there was energy in the room, which is really encouraging,” Manners continued, adding that she believes public attention to national politics “is translating into their interests with state politics.”
However, turnout from students appeared low. Nicholas Urbati ’25, the former Vice President of the Princeton College Democrats, estimated that he knew four students in attendance.
“The affairs that happen in New Jersey very much impact Princeton. They impact the students here, and so for that reason, it’s important to get involved and to see who your next potential candidate could be,” he told the ‘Prince.’
The night began with introductions from PCDO President Jeffrey Oakman GS ’03 and Princeton Council President Mia Sacks, who moderated the event. She claimed that the event was not a debate but rather an “informational forum” designed for the candidates to pitch themselves to the audience.
Beginning with two-minute opening statements, candidates expressed similar motivations to fight for New Jersey’s diverse population in the face of policies from the Trump administration.
Invoking an image of Elon Musk taking interviews in the Oval Office, Baraka stressed the need for a “strong Democrat who stands on our values — not just people who are saying they’re Democrats” to lead the state through the “very dangerous and precarious times that we’re in.”
According to Baraka, Democrats should continue to lean into their values, pledging to continue fighting for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), small and medium businesses, environmental and immigration care, and a “robust economy.”
“We stand on these values — we’re not running from them, we’re not apologizing for them. In fact, we should be saying them as loud as we possibly can,” Baraka said.
In his statement, Fulop branded himself as a “fighter” for the state, adding, “There is nobody in the state that has the same scars that I do from fighting George Norcross to Bob Menendez.”
Following Baraka and Fulop were State Sen. McKeon (representing Rep. Sherrill), NJEA President Spiller, and former State Sen. Sweeney.
Spiller, in reference to the importance of this election, said, “Right here, we got folks who feel that the wealthy and the ultra powerful and the political elite control things right here … this is our chance to change that.”
Following the opening statements, the candidates went through 11 rounds of questions, discussing NJ public schools, health insurance, environmental issues, and DEI. The candidates held similar positions on support for the NJ Climate Superfund Act and increased access to public education and affordable housing.
Before closing statements, each candidate was asked to answer why they believed they would be “best equipped” to energize Democrats in New Jersey, leading to a November win.
In the past 50 years, neither party has held the gubernatorial office for more than two consecutive terms, meaning a Democratic win in this election would be significant. Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, was elected in 2017 and narrowly won re-election in 2021 against Republican Jack Ciattarelli, who is running in the Republican primary again this year.
Sweeney, a former union ironworker, said he plans to “reach out to the people who lost faith in the Democratic Party, because we don’t talk about what they care about. It’s the economy.”
“I didn’t go to college, but I’m as blue collar as you’re going to find, and the blue collar has left us,” Sweeney continued, pledging “to get back to people, so that we can start bringing people back that are natural voters.”
But Baraka’s response received by far the most enthusiastic reaction from the crowd, earning the nickname “Pastor Baraka” from Fulop in his closing statement.
“If I’m not the nominee, we’ll lose,” Baraka said, and went on to rally the crowd. “All boats look good on the shore. It’s only when they get in a storm that you realize how good the boat is. We were born and raised in storms in Newark. I have fought through tumultuous times … at the end of the day, we’re not standing down in Newark, and we’re not going to stand down in the state of New Jersey.”
Speaking to the ‘Prince,’ Nate Howard ’25, former president of Princeton College Democrats and current President of College Democrats of New Jersey (CDNJ), said although he’s attended other events with the Democratic gubernatorial candidates, he was impressed by Baraka’s “charisma,” as well as Fulop’s “substance and details.”
Following the forum, the ‘Prince’ spoke with Spiller and Baraka about how this gubernatorial election will affect college students.
Spiller, addressing issues from Trump’s administration, expressed that there are “real, real threats here, both to funding, but also to our humanity.”
“As an immigrant, as somebody who came to this country from Jamaica, I think what’s important is to understand that we are going to stick together,” Spiller added, referencing international student concerns following the results of the 2024 presidential election. “We are going to have a governor who’s supportive, who’s making sure everyone is safe.”
When asked what he would do if elected governor to protect college students, Baraka expressed the need for preparation. “Pull everything in. Strengthen our institutions, make sure that we have the things that need to be funded.”
Princeton has recently struggled with National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding cuts, specifically impacting the sciences.
“All the things that are important to college students are on the line here,” Baraka said. [Trump] is going to stop allowing folks to have debt forgiveness on their loans. He’s going to make it difficult for students to object and protest on college campuses. He’s going to diminish the number of students’ ability to get to college, making it less diverse, which also will make it more expensive.”
“On college campuses, people should hold forums,” Baraka continued. “Just organizing yourself in that manner on a campus is very, very important.”
New Jersey’s gubernatorial election will take place this year on Nov. 4, with the primary on June 10.
Vivien Wong is a staff News writer for the ‘Prince’ from Charlottesville, VA. She typically covers campus clubs and university finances.
Luke Grippo is a staff News writer for the ‘Prince.’ He is from South Jersey and usually covers administrative issues, including USG, the CPUC, and institutional legacy, but loves to write in any area.
Please send corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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