Noticias

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A month after putting down a $1.5 million investment into New Jersey to boost Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair)’s gubernatorial campaign, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) is going double-or-nothing.

With seven weeks left to go before Election Day, the DNC announced this morning that it will send an additional $1.5 million to the New Jersey Democratic Party’s coordinated campaign to hire new on-the-ground staff, make more voter contacts, and experiment with new tactics and tools to sway voters in the races for governor, State Assembly, and local office. According to the DNC, it’s the largest investment the national party has ever made in an off-year New Jersey election.

“With stakes this high for New Jerseyans, the DNC is all in to support Democrats up and down the ballot who have a proven record of delivering results for New Jersey,” DNC Chairman Ken Martin said in a statement.

DNC money will also be used to expand outreach in New Jersey’s Black, Hispanic, and Asian American communities, which swung towards Republicans last year and which Martin told the New Jersey Globe his party is committed to winning back.

“One of the things we can’t do any longer is just assume that communities of color are automatically going to support Democratic candidates, meaning that we need to engage them early in conversation around their hopes and dreams for their communities,” Martin told the New Jersey Globe in an interview. “And that’s what we’ve been working with our county parties in New Jersey and the state party on doing throughout the summer and fall.”

The $3 million DNC investment is far from the only national Democratic money coming to Sherrill’s aid; a super PAC tied to the Democratic Governors Association has plans to spend upwards of $20 million on TV, streaming, and digital ads leading up to the general election, with its first ad hitting the airwaves earlier this month.

Republicans have been much less forthcoming with their plans to aid their nominee, former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli (R-Somerville). A Republican Governors Association-affiliated super PAC has started spending money to boost Ciattarelli, but its investment so far has been modest and it’s not clear how much larger it will grow. The Republican National Committee has not publicly announced any intention to spend directly in New Jersey at all.

The lack of massive Republican spending thus far hearkens back to the 2021 election, when national Republicans largely left Ciattarelli to fend for himself even as he came within striking distance of unseating Gov. Phil Murphy. Then again, Republicans would argue that the tens of millions of dollars Democrats are spending this year to support Sherrill, after mostly ignoring New Jersey’s 2021 race, is a sign that they’re nervous about losing a normally blue-leaning state.

Martin noted a key dynamic that impacts both parties’ thinking: because New Jersey and Virginia are the only two states holding major statewide elections this year, eyes around the country will be on the Sherrill-Ciattarelli showdown.

“This is the only game in town, so to speak. So it draws a lot of attention from national figures in both parties,” Martin said. “I would expect that Donald Trump and the Republican heavyweights would be involved in New Jersey and Virginia, much like folks on our side will be as well. These races carry a much greater import to the national party than just what it means for New Jersey and Virginia.”

Will Trump himself ultimately come into New Jersey to give Ciattarelli, who earned Trump’s endorsement during a bitter primary contest, the biggest publicity boost he can? It’s possible, but Martin said he didn’t think Ciattarelli would stand to benefit.

“I’m not sure what Trump could sell New Jerseyans at this point that would help Jack Ciattarelli,” he said.

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n August 9th, we witnessed something so rare and special, but very few took notice of history in the making. On this special day, we witnessed New Jersey-born Jennifer Pawol receive a promotion from her minor league position to serve as a professional umpire in Major League Baseball. Does it get any better than that??  This isn’t just your average news story – this is a huge deal.

Let’s start from the beginning. Over 10 years ago Jennifer was a West Milford high school graduate and became a well-respected athlete at Hofstra University. She played softball and soccer, but aspired to someday umpire softball or baseball professionally.

She was first introduced to the world of umpiring during her formative college years. To help pay the bills, Jen started umpiring softball games for $15 per game. During her first game, Jen realized that she was in for an education as she later stated, “I had no idea what I was doing.” She managed the game perfectly as the solo umpire calling balls and strikes and her love of the profession began.

Before Jen was truly bitten by the umpire bug, she had an idea that teaching was in her future. She decided to pursue several teaching degrees from the Pratt Institute and Hunter College, which she later received. But she dared to dream big. Who among us would ever dare to dream to challenge yourself to do something that no one else dared to do?

The road between picking up umpiring gigs to help pay college costs to the big leagues is a long and hardly traveled one – a road that is infinitely more difficult if you are a female. So how does a female break this unfair glass ceiling?

After umpiring several NCAA softball games, Jennifer was approached by former big league umpire Ted Barrett at a camp in Binghamton, NY in 2015.  After some tutoring by Barrett, she attended an MLB camp for umpires. Shortly thereafter, Jennifer began umpiring minor league games. From 2015 to 2025, Jennifer continued to work her way up through the minor leagues by umpiring over 1,200 games. I have discussed the importance of mentorship in past columns – Ted Barrett exemplifies everything we love about leadership and mentoring. But mentoring and hard work alone aren’t enough. So how does Jennifer make it to the Big Show?

For those of us who know the grueling and unforgiving nature of making your way through the minor leagues to hopefully make it big one day, I can state that it is a long and arduous journey. A quick side note: as I need to disclose an event that provided me with some cool insight on this rarely disclosed industry. I had some involvement with a current major league umpire who was unceremoniously removed as a candidate umpire from the MLB after making it as a reserve in 1993. To help right a wrong, I was asked to land a meeting with the then-president of the National League and the then-inactive umpire. After some investigation, the Essex County resident was granted an exemption to return umpiring the minor leagues and some 6 years later he found himself behind home plate at Shea (now Citibank Stadium) during the Sunday game of the week on ESPN. I was fortunate enough to witness that journey and that experience somehow made me more appreciate the intimidating climb made by Jennifer Pawol.

Let’s return to the focus of this column. Jennifer long dreamed about becoming a major league umpire, but the problem was that there were no female major league umpires – that is until she got that astonishing call on August 9^th. Jennifer was in her hotel room in Nashville when the phone rang. The MLB Director of Umpire Development, Rich Rieker, and Vice President of Umpire Operations, Matt McKendry, made the offer that Jennifer never thought she would hear. She was being called up to the big leagues. This was monumental.

On the day of her groundbreaking first game, Jennifer said it perfectly, “the dream actually came true today. I’m still living in it. I’m so grateful to my family and Major League Baseball for creating such an incredible work environment . . . I’m just so thankful.”

Jennifer is an inspiration to all, and not just women. She is a true role model and perfectly embodies the key traits of determination, toughness, and guts. Obviously, it is a shame that there have been no female MLB umpires until now, but this is another glass ceiling shattered, and we are better because of it.

Jennifer’s accomplishment is worth talking about, worth writing about, and hopefully we will recognize this milestone for a long time. I’m hoping the New Jersey Legislature will recognize this groundbreaking individual and also the mentor who inspired and supported our favorite major league umpire.

Until that time, we wish Jennifer Pawol a hearty congratulations and I’m hoping she remains an inspiration for all to dare to dream big.

The post The O’Toole Chronicles: Congratulations Jennifer Pawol appeared first on New Jersey Globe.

The Hotel and Gaming Trades Council endorsed Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair) for governor on Monday afternoon, according to an announcement.

The union said she is the candidate who will protect workers if elected governor. In the Democratic primary, the union backed Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, a rival of Sherrill and the third-place finisher.

“We are proud to endorse Mikie Sherrill for governor. Mikie understands what’s important to working people in New Jersey, and as governor I know she’s going to fight for our priorities,” HTC President Rich Maroko said in a release. “She has our back, and will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with us as we fight for better pay, better benefits, and dignity in the workplace. HTC members will be doing all they can to see Mikie win this election.”

The HTC represents more than 6,000 workers in New Jersey and touted the congresswoman’s 100% lifetime AFL-CIO score.

Sherrill faces Republican former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli in November’s general election. Mail-in ballots will start to be sent out later this month.

“Unions built New Jersey, but with Donald Trump, their rights are under constant threat. We know that an attack on workers anywhere is an attack on workers everywhere,” Sherrill said. “That’s why it’s critically important to defeat Jack Ciattarelli and his union-busting, anti-worker agenda at the ballot box this November.”

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