The New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) has made headlines for spending an eye-popping $40 million on a gubernatorial candidate who ultimately finished in a dismal fifth place. This astonishing figure raises eyebrows and questions about fiscal responsibility, especially when the beneficiary of this financial deluge was none other than the union’s own president, Sean Spiller, who sought to unseat incumbent Governor Phil Murphy.
NJ Spotlight News reports:
Supporters at Spiller’s election night gathering at Montclair Brewery defended the record-setting expenditure, claiming it was justified as it brought vital issues concerning educators and the working class to the forefront of the campaign.
This massive financial backing made the recent gubernatorial race the most expensive in New Jersey’s history.
Despite the NJEA’s deep pockets, Spiller’s campaign was the least funded among the six Democratic contenders vying for the governor’s office, amassing a mere $438,817 by May 27.
Conversely, an independent committee funded by the NJEA boasted a staggering $40 million to bolster Spiller’s bid, positioning him as the most financially supported candidate by nearly $20 million.
This analysis comes from a thorough review carried out by New Jersey’s campaign finance officials regarding state-based independent campaign committees.
In the end, Spiller managed to secure only 86,972 votes, translating to a meager 10.7 percent of the total vote. The NJEA’s financial strategy equated to an expenditure of approximately $460 per vote—potentially even higher when factoring in those already inclined to support Spiller.
To add insult to injury, Spiller’s social media presence is rather lackluster, boasting only 344 followers on his X account, with his posts failing to resonate significantly even among his supporters.
Thank you to everyone who has supported and invested in our campaign, I am so grateful! We are going to keep up the fight here in New Jersey & I’ll be right there with you! pic.twitter.com/jSYpIuKGpL
— Sean Spiller for Governor (@spillerfornj) June 13, 2025
The gubernatorial race concluded with Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill emerging as the frontrunner, set to face former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli in November. In a surprising twist, despite the NJEA’s extravagant spending, Spiller stood firm in defending the union’s financial commitment to his campaign.
“When it’s one of our own, when it’s an educator, when it’s us, all of a sudden it’s a big story,” Spiller remarked when questioned about the substantial spending. “Why do we always have to hand it to someone else for it to be OK? We decided we don’t have to do that.”
