Political Spending and Influence

2023 NEW JERSEY ELECTIONS: NJEA SPENDING DECLINES SIGNIFICANTLY; 99% TO DEMOCRATS

The Decline Implies Teachers Want Less Political Spending

The NJEA is New Jersey’s biggest special-interest political spender, but in 2023, its political spending declined to $3.45 million, down -57% from the 2017 peak and -28% from 2021. Over 99% went to Democrats.

Spending by the NJEA’s traditional PAC, NJEA PAC, continued its downward trajectory and was the lowest in over a decade.  NJEA PAC is funded by a separate stream of dues that teachers must opt into, so the steady decline shows that when given a choice, teachers choose not to spend their money on politics.

Teachers don’t have a choice when it comes to funding the NJEA’s Super PAC, Garden State Forward, where spending also declined substantially. Garden State Forward reflects NJEA leadership’s discretionary spending, and the significant decline suggests a scenario: teachers are leaving the NJEA, dues revenues are declining, and leadership has been forced to focus on member retention rather than playing politics.

Both would imply that teachers want less political spending.

Read The Full Report 

IS THE EDUCATION TRUTH PROJECT A NJEA-FUNDED, DARK MONEY SUPER PAC?

It sure looks like the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) is funding another dark money Super PAC, this time aimed squarely at parents running for their local school boards this fall.

So, parents, beware!  The NJEA is coming after you with TV ads, opposition research, union-friendly candidates trained and supported by the NJEA, and now with piles of dark money.

Read The Full Report 

Money Equals Power: How The NJEA Dominates New Jersey Politics

“The powerhouse” of New Jersey politics – that’s how the NJEA describes itself. And the facts back them up.

For more than 50 years, the NJEA has dominated New Jersey politics.

In fact, the modern era of New Jersey politics has been one continuous saga of the NJEA wielding extraordinary influence to serve its own interests. It has constructed a system that automatically and annually generates tens of millions of taxpayer dollars— presently $129 million—funneled directly into its coffers. It spends far more of these tax dollars on political action than is reported or generally known. The SPCNJ estimates that the NJEA spends about $65 million a year on political action at the state and local levels, which dwarfs all other political spenders.