Nov. 15 (UPI) — Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a centrist Democrat with strong ties to former President Bill Clinton and the corporate world, on Friday announced a bid to succeed Phil Murphy as governor of New Jersey.
Touting “lower taxes” and “Jersey values,” Gottheimer made the announcement at the Runway Diner in South Hackensack, N.J., while surrounded by his family, cheering supporters and local officials.
“I’m launching my campaign to cut your taxes and to make Jersey affordable again,” he proclaimed. “Back to basics. Your healthcare costs, utility bills, rent, groceries and taxes. It’s all too much, and needs to go down.”
He promised to “lower taxes and lower costs” as governor, making the pledge just 10 days after the nation’s voters elected Republican Donald Trump president on similar promises to bring down costs for consumers who feel pinched by rising prices for everyday necessities.
Gottheimer, a five-term congressman from New Jersey’s 5th District, is seeking to succeed Murphy as a Democratic governor of the Garden State. Murphy is barred from running for re-election under term limit rules.
He is likely to be challenged for the job by another Democratic member of Congress, Rep. Mikie Sherrill, who represents the state’s 11th District. Sherrill is expected to announce her own bid on Monday.
Gottheimer, 49, first won a seat in Congress in 2016 and quickly established his centrist credentials by working with the Republicans as a member of the so-called Problem Solvers Caucus while frequently sparring with progressives in his own party, as well as with then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
A former speechwriter for Clinton, he also held executive positions with Ford Motor Co. and Microsoft before entering politics and is known as a prodigious fundraiser.
On Friday, he took aim at New York City’s re-tooled congestion pricing program, under which most motorists entering Manhattan below 60th Street during peak hours would have to pay a $9 toll. The funds would be dedicated to the city’s mass transit program.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced her support for the renewed effort on Thursday after an earlier version was dropped just as it was set to begin in 2022.
“It’s utterly absurd at a time of inflation,” Gottheimer said in a statement to the New York Post. “The added costs for Jersey motorists went from zero to $2,500. It’s insane. I will work with any Democrat or Republican to fight this congestion tax.”