NEW: GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Picks Up Massive Union Endorsement

One of the most influential labor unions in New Jersey pivoted away from Democrats on Thursday by opting to endorse Jack Ciattarelli, the Trump-backed Republican nominee for governor.

The International Union of Operating Engineers Local 825 (IUOE), which represents more than 8,000 heavy equipment operators in the Garden State, praised Ciattarelli as a change candidate after previously backing incumbent Governor Phil Murphy, who is term-limited.

“New Jersey is at a crossroads. We face an energy crisis, an affordability crisis, and a crisis of common sense. The solutions are basic but may not be politically popular,” said the union’s business manager, Greg Lalevee.  “We need a Governor who will tackle our challenges and not cave to the fringe political voices. Jack Ciattarelli understands New Jersey and what needs to be done to fix our great state.”

Lalevee cited Ciattarelli’s willingness to create jobs by supporting projects involving natural gas and criticized Democrat candidate Mikie Sherrill for “banking on solar” as a solution to the state’s energy needs. “The notion that we can do this without natural gas is insane,” Lalevee told the New Jersey Globe. “We can’t get there just on solar.  That’s impossible.”

The union leader was highly critical of the state’s record on alternative energy projects, which have cost taxpayers billions of dollars. In 2023, the Denmark-based offshore wind firm cancelled its Ocean Wind 1 and 2 projects off the coast of New Jersey. The cancellation followed months of financial setbacks for the company and the offshore wind industry as a whole, which has drawn criticism from environmental and fossil fuels advocates alike.

Lalevee issued sharp criticism for environmental groups, including the Sierra Club, that have thrown their support behind Sherrill. “They kick, scream, lie, cry, stomp their feet, hold their breath, and the politicians wilt as they don’t offer solutions,” the union leader said.

Ciattarelli, who narrowly lost to Murphy in 2021 after polling averages projected a double-digit defeat, has pledged to replace current members and top Board of Public Utilities staff. This move will be welcomed by the IUOE, Lalevee told the New Jersey Globe.

“New Jersey has the most mileage of replaceable pipe in the U.S., and the BPU asks utility companies to scale them down,” he said.  “We need a robust economy.”

In what can be viewed as a wider trend in the nationwide political landscape, as several major unions that have long-backed Democrats are now endorsing the Trump Administration’s agenda, Lalevee suggested that Ciattarelli can expect more endorsements from organized labor in the coming weeks.

“There are powerful statistics about why building trades should go this way,” Lalevee stated. He added that Ciattarelli’s position on immigration will be popular with blue-collar union members, and noted that President Donald Trump last week directed federal agencies to honor union project labor agreements.