In a Republican primary for governor dominated by fealty to President Donald Trump, a moderate longshot is trying to make up for his anti-Trumpism by running to the right of his opponents on immigration.
Jon Bramnick, a Republican state senator, is a two-decade Trenton insider with close ties to former Gov. Chris Christie, persona non-grata in Trump world.
Embracing a Surprising Strategy
But Bramnick is trying something novel by fully embracing an element of Trumpism that is most popular in New Jersey. Even as he boasts his longtime criticism of the president will help him win a general election, Bramnick has put out an immigration platform that’s even more conservative than what’s offered by his higher-profile, pro-Trump rivals, Jack Ciattarelli and Bill Spadea.
“The media always wants to say ‘spoiler,’ ‘moderate’ or ‘never Trump.’ How about just saying, ‘Hey, listen, here’s how the guy did over the last 25 years and evaluate it,’” Bramnick, who’s from Union County, said in a phone interview. “I just don’t think you should come to conclusions until we get a lot closer to June 10. Just watch how things evolve.”
Appealing to Conservative Voters
Bramnick is touting a hard-line record on immigration and pushing in the Statehouse to crack down on undocumented immigrants who commit crimes. It could make Bramnick, who is moderate on most other issues, appealing to the more conservative members of his party. Public polling last year showed a majority of New Jersey voters have shifted to the right on immigration since 2022.
Bramnick is far from the frontrunner, and he’s still largely considered a longshot for the nomination. But his campaign has shown staying power that’s surprised some Republicans. He’s also proven to be able to win an election with a Democratic-leaning electorate. In 2023, Bramnick won his district by seven points. In 2024, Kamala Harris won it by 12.
Challenging the Status Quo
Trump’s stronger than expected showing in New Jersey in November, where he lost by just six points, buoyed Republican hopes that the once solidly-blue state is turning purple. But recent polling shows Trump unpopular in the state. This year’s race will test whether Trump’s strong showing has a downstream effect within his party. Bramnick is betting it doesn’t.
And although he is against Trump, Bramnick is trying in campaign mailers and TV ads to appeal to the president’s supporters on policy.
One flyer, which calls Bramnick “the only candidate for governor with a conservative record on immigration,” attacks Ciattarelli and Spadea for being “shockingly liberal” on the issue, quoting Spadea as saying he believes in amnesty for undocumented immigrants and Ciattarelli’s support for allowing them to get driver’s licenses.
The flyer highlights Bramnick’s votes against New Jersey’s 2019 legislation allowing undocumented immigrants to get driver’s licenses, and a 2013 law allowing undocumented students who went to high school in New Jersey to qualify for in-state college tuition. A Bramnick TV ad hits on the same issues and calls him “the toughest candidate on immigration” and a “tested conservative who can win.”
Strategic Maneuvers
Last week, Bramnick introduced the “New Jersey Laken Riley Act,” NJ S4302, which would require undocumented immigrants charged with any indictable offenses be held in jail and allow local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
Despite those long years as a politician — he was a councilmember in Plainfield in the 1980s and early 1990s and first entered the Legislature as an Assemblymember in 2003 — Bramnick’s name recognition is wanting. A March 6 poll by Fairleigh Dickinson University found it at just 43 percent among Republicans — significantly under Ciattarelli’s 78 percent and Spadea’s 54 percent.
But as Spadea and Ciattarelli have savaged each other in ads and on the debate stage, Bramnick has been left largely untouched, including vulnerable areas like his relationship with Christie— a political ally he backed for president against Trump.
Defining His Stand
In a statement, Ciattarelli strategist Chris Russell didn’t ignore Bramnick, instead calling him “barely a Republican” and knocking him for hosting Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy in the backyard of his home in 2021. At the time, Ciattarelli was running for the Republican primary to take on Murphy, which he would win before losing the general election by a surprisingly small three-point margin.
“He can’t credibly run to the right of anyone on any issue,” Russell said. “When Phil Murphy raised our taxes, exploded our budget, killed seniors in nursing homes and made us a sanctuary state, Jon Bramnick had him over for hot dogs and hamburgers.”
Standing Firm on Principles
On the debate stage in February, Bramnick openly criticized the president’s pardon of violent January 6 rioters, drawing loud boos from the audience. “Let me make this clear: Either we’re the party of law and order or we’re not,” Bramnick said in response. “You can clap, you can boo if you want, but I will stand with police officers every time.”
Ciattarelli and Spadea have taken the opposite approach, heaping praise on Trump at every opportunity and courting his endorsement. Just last month, Ciattarelli got a coveted meeting with Trump at his golf club in Bedminster, only to be followed by news that Spadea also enjoyed a brief meeting with the president the following day.
Staying True to Himself
“Jon’s not pretending, and I think that’s resonating with people as he goes around the state,” said Mike DuHaime, a friend of Bramnick’s who is working as a campaign consultant. “He’s not going to back away from who his friends are, who he’s worked with in the past.”
And though Bramnick’s fundraising has not been stellar, it has been enough to keep him in the race. He’s raised enough to qualify for matching funds from the state, getting nearly $2.8 million so far.
Strategic Navigation
Dan Cassino, director of the Fairleigh Dickinson University poll, said Bramnick is trying to walk the line of not supporting Donald Trump while appealing to his voters. Instead of professing support for the president, as the other candidates are, Cassino said he’s “trying to reframe” the debate.
“Instead of being who’s the most pro-Trump candidate, let’s talk about an issue: Who’s the most anti-undocumented immigrant candidate,” Cassino said. “I think it’s a perfectly reasonable strategy. The question is whether the other candidates will actually get drawn into the debate without just talking about Trump.”
