The New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) funneled more than $40 million into the state’s gubernatorial race supporting the union’s president for their candidate to finish nearly dead-last.
Sean Spiller, the president of the NJEA, placed fifth in the state’s Democratic primary election, garnering only 10% of the June 10 vote despite the union spending the most on a single candidate of any special interest group in the state’s history, according to Politico.
The union president’s campaign was funded through the Working New Jersey super PAC, which is directly supported by NJEA, Politico reported. Prior to the union’s support, however, het failed to raise enough funds to even qualify for the Democratic debates.
Spiller did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
I want to congratulate Congresswoman Sherrill on her win tonight.
While the result wasn’t what we hoped for, I’m so proud to live in a country where an immigrant and school teacher can run for Governor. The fight continues!
— Sean Spiller for Governor (@spillerfornj) June 11, 2025
State Democrats are now speaking out against the union’s spending following the loss.
Democratic state Sen. Vin Gopal, who chairs the Senate Education Committee, said the choice was “concerning” and that local teachers are “pretty frustrated” about the use of money, according to Politico.
“I think the strength of the NJEA will be questioned after these election results,” Gopal told the outlet. “How does it not?”
A former NJEA official who spoke to Politico on condition of anonymity echoed the sentiment, saying the costly endorsement “didn’t seem like a good investment.”
“The NJEA leadership’s credibility I believe has been diminished as it relates to going into the Statehouse and fighting for issues for the association,” the official told the outlet.
NJEA is New Jersey’s largest and most powerful teachers’ union, representing more than 200,000 members across the state. (RELATED: Teachers Union Head Gleefully Declares That Her Union Owns American Children)
NJEA did not respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.
Teachers unions have become big funders of Democratic campaigns, with the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) aiding in electing leftist major Brandon Johnson in 2023. Several education associations have also been attempting to roadblock President Donald Trump’s education agenda.
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