Steve Sweeney, former NJ state Senate president, announces 2025 run for governor

Former state Senate President Steve Sweeney, after months of expectation, entered the 2025 race for New Jersey governor on Monday morning.

In a social media post that announced his candidacy, Sweeney, 64, recalled his years as a union ironworker and described his inspiration to become a public servant after his daughter was born with Down syndrome.

“She was the spark, inspiring me to fight for a better NJ,” the veteran South Jersey politician wrote in his announcement post.

In a video that accompanied his announcement, Sweeney explained that he was driven to get involved in state politics after seeing just how tough it was to get support services to help his daughter.

He talked about being proud of what the state has accomplished for people with disabilities, but said that more needs to be done.

(from left) New Jersey Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin and Senate President Steve Sweeney applaud Governor Phil Murphy during his state budget speech on Tuesday, March 5, 2019, in Trenton.

A glimpse at Sweeney’s campaign priorities

Sweeney also highlighted legislation passed during his time leading the state Senate, including bills that increased New Jersey’s minimum wage and expanded family leave. Still, Sweeney said, New Jersey continues to face challenges the Legislature and the next governor must tackle.

“We need a tax system that works for New Jersey families and retirees, not big corporations, a first-class education system for pre-K to 12 and a constitutional amendment to protect a woman’s reproductive freedom,” he said.

Loss to Durr acknowledged

Acknowledging the loss of his seat in the Legislature — a shocking upset in 2021 by an unknown truck driver, now state Sen. Ed Durr — Sweeney said that “sometimes in life, we face setbacks,” but he noted that New Jerseyans “get back up” and “dust ourselves off, because that’s who we are.”

Sweeney served as Senate president for 12 years. Since his loss in 2021, he has been the director of a bipartisan think tank at Rowan University. Before his time in Trenton, Sweeney was a member of the Gloucester County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

Professionally, Sweeney is an ironworker and serves as general vice president of the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers, overseeing union locals in New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania.

Sweeney crossed party lines to work with former Gov. Chris Christie in 2011 to raise the retirement age and teamed up with him again to charge workers more for pensions, which brought tens of thousands of workers to protest in Trenton.

Charlie Stile: Fear, parental rights didn’t deliver for NJ Republicans as Democrats hold power

Governor’s race: Steven Fulop focuses on the ‘opportunity’ to be NJ governor. Here’s what that could mean

Sweeney will face Fulop — and likely others

Although the election is still nearly two years away, Sweeney is not the only Democrat already campaigning. Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop announced his bid early in 2023 and has spent much of the year racking up endorsements and weighing in on policy decisions happening in Trenton. He also has released a transportation plan.

Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: sobko@northjersey.com

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Steve Sweeney is running for NJ governor in 2025