Last month, PolitickerNJ reported that the Democratic Governor’s Association had yet to engage in the New Jersey race, despite early assurances that support would be there for Democratic nominee Barbara Buono.
Both the campaign and a DGA spokesman pushed back on the narrative, saying the DGA was in fact supporting Buono and would continue to.
But according to recent quotes from the DGA chief, it looks like nothing is going to change.
In an interview with BuzzFeed this weekend, DGA Chairman Peter Shumlin tossed what looks to be backhanded support Buono’s way, saying he and the DGA were “working closely with Barbara because we want to win.”
But asked whether television ads in support of Buono would be forthcoming, Shumlin punted.
“We’re not gonna start spending big money until we see evidence that we’re gonna win,” he told the website. “And so we’re continuing to assess that.”
By contrast, the Republican Governors Association has spent at least $1.7 million on ads supporting Gov. Chris Christie.
It’s little wonder the DGA is keeping its powder dry on the New Jersey contest. While only two governors are up for election this year, next year will see 36 gubernatorial contests across the nation, including Pennsylvania, Michigan, Maine, South Carolina, and Florida.
Of course, Shumlin was talking figuratively when he mentioned working closely with Buono. Campaign finance rules prohibit the DGA from working too closely with the nominee as collaboration between the group and the campaign is prohibited.
