Democrats Put Big Money into Battle for Legislature

By Mark Magyar (Courtesy of NJ Spotlight)

With Democratic strategists fearing that a landslide victory by Gov. Chris Christie could threaten control of the Legislature, party leaders are relying on a new independent expenditure committee that can raise large sums without limit to pump $10 million to $20 million into defending targeted districts this fall.

The Fund for Jobs, Growth & Security has already spent $508,536 on polling, field strategies and direct support for the Democratic minimum wage campaign and six South Jersey legislators.

George Norcross, the South Jersey powerbroker, and other leading Democrats are actively raising money for the organization, which currently has almost $1.25 million sitting in its bank account -- all of it contributed by three union groups.

“It’s really the Wild West post-Citizens United,” said one Democratic strategist, referring to the U.S. Supreme Court opinion that allowed unlimited spending by independent groups. “As a reformer, I’m horrified, but as a partisan, I’m happy Democrats aren’t being wimpy and bringing bottle-rockets to a bazooka fight.”

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