After considering a run in the last two New Jersey gubernatorial elections, State Senator Jon Bramnick has officially decided to throw his hat in the ring.

Bramnick announced Saturday afternoon at the Stress Factory comedy club in New Brunswick that he would run as a Republican candidate in 2025.

Bramnick, 70, took the stage and announced with “great humility” that he was seeking the Republican nomination for many reasons – “first and foremost, to bring balanced public policy back to Trenton.”

“To achieve balance, we need two political parties in Trenton, right now we have one,” Bramnick said, referring to Democrats' control of the governor's office and the state legislature. “If I'm elected, the Democrats will have to negotiate and compromise, or I'll take out my veto power and politely give it back to them for reconsideration.”

But the senator, whose district spans parts of Middlesex, Morris, Somerset and Union counties, said that bashing Governor Phil Murphy and President Joe Biden was “not a path to victory” for his party, nor was it a political strategy.

No excuses for the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6, he says

“Thoughtful voters, the voters we need” are not keen on Murphy and the Democratic legislature, but “they don't fully trust us Republicans,” he said.

Bramnick specifically emphasized that the Republican Party should not seek excuses for the rioters at the Capitol on January 6, 2021 or sow doubts about the electoral process.

Instead, he said, the party should return to the ideals of smaller and more efficient government, law and order and lower taxes. “Hateful rhetoric is a threat to our democracy and sends a terrible, terrible message to our children,” said Bramnick, who has served in Trenton for more than 20 years.

Bramnick also sent a message to his potential rival in next June's primary election.

“To the potential Republicans running against me who promise our Republican voters that you will govern this state far to the right of the political right: not only can you not do that, but you will lose the election, and the only thing that will change is that the Democrats will become more extreme,” he said.

Recommendations from Bush and Boehner

Bramnick's announcement included video endorsements of his candidacy by former House Speaker John Boehner, who said he has known Bramnick for 20 years, and former Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush – son of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush – who said Bramnick would make New Jersey “safer and more affordable.” Bush also delivered his words of support in Spanish.

Bramnick is seen by many as a moderate politician and makes no secret of his “Never Trump” stance.

“We have to win over the swing voters, the people in the middle,” Bramnick said last fall. “And if we want to win them over, they have to trust us. And if swing voters believe that Republicans are untrustworthy because they don't stand up to ridiculous comments like the election was rigged or Jan. 6 wasn't a serious matter, then the image of the Republican Party will be shaped by Donald Trump in New Jersey and we will remain in the minority.”

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Who is Jon Bramnick?

The senator, who lives in Westfield, is an attorney with Bramnick, Rodriguez, Grabas, Arnold and Mangan in Scotch Plains. He was a city councilman in Plainfield from 1984 to 1991.

He began his career as a representative in Trenton in 2003, where he served as Republican caucus leader from 2012 to 2021 and then won his current Senate seat.

In addition to his work in public service, Bramnick is a comedian and performs in numerous venues across the state.

Bramnick, who was named “Funniest Lawyer in New Jersey” by the state bar association, began his legal career as a trial attorney in New York before starting his own firm on this side of the river in 1984.

Law firm under criticism

The firm has made headlines of its own in recent years, most recently when partner Michael Noriega was appointed a state Supreme Court justice. In 2018, the firm was criticized for a section on its website that called for discrediting “accusers” in sexual assault cases; women's rights activists said it encouraged victim blaming.

“Unfortunately, we know that people accuse others of these types of crimes because of hurt feelings, anger over the breakup, or confusion about what actually happened,” the website says. It goes on to say, “We will investigate your case and attempt to discredit your accuser.”

Bramnick said at the time that he did not write the language on the website and was not practicing as a criminal defense attorney, which the site advertised. He acknowledged that the page “may not be clearly worded,” but said it was intended only for people who lie, and not that all victims make false claims.

Bramnick is currently serving his first four-year term as senator, meaning he can remain in the Senate even if he loses the gubernatorial primary.

Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: [email protected]

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: State Senator Jon Bramnick announces Republican candidacy for New Jersey governor in 2025