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New Jersey's Political Machine Is Rigging the Game—Again
Once again, the smoke-filled backrooms of New Jersey’s Democratic establishment are brewing their usual poison, but anti-establishment progressive Democrat Lisa McCormick insists voters should not swallow it with a smile.
"The special primary election to replace Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill in the 11th District has become a masterclass in everything rotten in our political system—a brazen display of insider dealing, misogyny, and ethical bankruptcy," said McCormick.
"Leading this parade of the unfit is Tom Malinowski, a carpet-bagging former congressman who was literally rejected by his own district after a litany of ethics scandals," said McCormick, who is known for her spirited challenge to disgraced former US Senator Bob Menendez in 2018.
McCormick said a survey conducted by Democrats for Change shows that almost a quarter of the likely Democratic voters say they support Malinowski, while Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill has about 15% and progressive Analilia Mejia trails them with just under 10%.
Aside from those three, a big chunk of underdecided voters outnumber the percentages supporting any of the remaining candidates, Passaic County Commissioner John Bartlett; Army veteran and vulture capitalist Zachary Beecher; attorney and comedian J-L Cauvin; former Obama staffer Cammie Croft; Maplewood Committeeman Dean Dafis; Morris Township Committeeman Jeff Grayzel; Chatham Councilman Justin Strickland; Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way; and community activist Anna Lee Williams.
"It is frightening that the best among the top three candidates is trailing badly," said McCormick. "While there might be an even more appealing contender among the crowd, perhaps John Bartlett or Dean Dafis has the credentials to excite voters, but they have little hope of breaking into the top tier without a few million dollars because people are distracted by the holidays."
Malinowski's greatest political achievement? A staggering inability to follow the most basic rules of public service, having been the subject of multiple ethics complaints for failing to disclose stock trades.
Yet here he is, anointed by the Morris County Democratic organization as if failure and disgrace are now prerequisites for endorsement. It sends a clear message: loyalty to the machine trumps accountability to voters every time.
"Then we have Brendan Gill, a walking embodiment of the toxic, predatory culture that festers within the unchecked political class," said McCormick. "While polling shows him trailing, his 29% local machine power speaks volumes about how influence is brokered, not earned."
The allegations against Gill are not mere “political attacks”; they are a damning indictment of character. He is accused of creating a hostile, misogynistic environment where female staffers were subjected to vile, gendered slurs.
Furthermore, he has perfected the art of legalized corruption through his shadow lobbying at Public Strategies Impact, where he profits by selling access to the highest levels of state government without the pesky transparency of being a registered lobbyist.
Brendan Gill is an elected official, the spouse of an elected official, an unregistered influence peddler, and a product of the very system that treats public office as a license to steal. Tom Malinowski was rejected by voters after his ethics scandals surfaced as headlines.
This corrupt establishment stacks the deck against Analilia Mejia—a proven, tireless champion for working families who has spent her career in the trenches fighting for $15 minimum wage, paid sick leave, and immigrant protections.
With a record of tangible results and national recognition from President Obama as a ‘Champion of Change,’ she polls at a fraction of the support not because of her qualifications, but because she lacks the one credential the machine values: a willingness to play its dirty games.
"The math is obscenely clear. An ethically-challenged, ousted congressman and a toxic shadow lobbyist command the field, while an accomplished woman of color and labor leader is sidelined," said McCormick. "This isn't an accident; it's a design. It’s the result of a system that rewards selfishness, punishes integrity, and views seats in Congress as chips to be traded among connected insiders."
"This primary presents a stark choice, but not one the power brokers want you to see," said McCormick. "It is a choice between the perpetuation of a corrupt, self-serving political class—represented by Malinowski and Gill—and the promise of a government that actually serves its people, embodied by Analilia Mejia."
"Voters of New Jersey’s 11th District need to know that the machine is counting on your cynicism, your belief that nothing changes," said McCormick. "They are stacking the vote, banking on your compliance. The only way to break the carousel is to see this rigged game for what it is and demand better. Reject the carpet-bagger. Reject the shadow lobbyist. Choose the champion."
The establishment isn't just offering bad candidates; it's insulting your intelligence," said McCormick. "It's time to fight back by rejecting the crooks, rejecting the misogynists, and giving the Democratic nomination to Analilia Mejia."
