former State Senate President Steve Sweeney is officially running for governor in 2025 the longtime Democratic lawmaker is looking to make his political comeback after a stunning loss in 2021 when his two decade long run in the legislature was upended by Republican newcomer Ed the trucker dur Sweeney's campaign launch was widely expected especially after his former running mates reclaimed their seats in November's general election and he has a long long list of accomplishments to run on from his time in Trenton but a senior political correspondent David Cruz reports Sweeney isn't the only Democrat in the race and he's been in a similar position before I was a union iron worker for years Steve Sweeney's launch video was a Gauzy reboot for the once powerful State Senate President his story told through his relationship with his daughter positioned the Burley iron worker as a champion for the most vulnerable I've gotten a lot done for working people in New Jersey fair minimum wage that's indexed so when costs go up pay goes up family leaves so parents can be there for their kids when it's most important and Sons and Daughters can care for their elderly parents we made marriage equality the law because Love Is Love if it looks like a sequel to the 2016 race where Sweeney and Jersey city mayor Steve fulli were poised for a battle of the Steves you're kind of right except that there doesn't seem to be a Goldman Sachs millionaire ready to step in and Bigfoot everyone as Phil Murphy did back then you never know it could happen in New Jersey Phillip until today the only announced candidate in the race said he welcomed Sweeney adding that he and the former Senator have a good relationship but he said their paths to the governor's race have been very different I think being an inside Trenton person is not necessarily an asset I think you know I'm coming from from a different perspective on the ground making decisions as an executive and and knowing how Trenton interacts with cities or municipalities in a way that's not productive I think being inside Trenton you have a totally different perspective you're in a little bit of a bubble Sweeney is a moderate who initially voted against marriage equality the teachers union once famously spent Millions opposing him and progressives have never been a fan of his reforms on spending and the millionaires tax and then there was the whole losing to an unknown trucker thing back in 2021 the results of Tuesday's elections are in all votes have been fairly counted and I of course accept the results but this is 2023 with a whole new cast of characters including most likely New York mayor Ras Baraka and maybe even Representatives Josh gimer Mikey Cheryl and who knows who else so with a wide open field Sweeney's presumed South Jersey base is a big asset in hand in a crowded field as this one is certainly shaping up to be there are going to be lots of different lanes and you don't have to win with 50% of the vote you might win with 30% of the vote and in that case the math is the same as the math that kept him in the Senate president's chair longer than anybody else which is solid South versus a divided North and if that's the way that it plays out for him then he does have a chance in this race it's worth noting that the election is still almost two years away A lot can happen in that span and then there's also the history of Jersey voters propensity for mixing it up Republicans are counting on the old slogan no man or in this case no party is good three times Senator John bramnick is expected to announce his candidacy for governor early next year so no matter how great your Democrat is and they've got some decent candidates I'm not going to argue with that you want balance you want two sides down here and when you have two sides you get really good balanc legislation so good guy wrong person for the job the players are beginning to assemble it's all Steves at the moment but democrats should expect the field to expand very soon I'm David Cruz NJ Spotlight News [Music] [Music]