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The current New York City mayoral race has created what I believe to be unnecessary tension within the frum community. Much of this has stemmed from letters urging our community to back one candidate over another — Eric Adams, Curtis Sliwa, or Andrew Cuomo. (Of course, Adams is no longer in the race.) These endorsements often focus on fine distinctions between preferred candidates, while leaving unspoken the one point on which we should all agree: we must not allow Zohran Mamdani to become mayor. Mamdani is a radical, openly pro-Hamas, anti-Israel politician who proudly calls himself a “socialist Democrat.” He has proposed government-run grocery stores, endless promises of “free” services, and even threatened to arrest Prime Minister Netanyahu — all without any explanation of how such extreme policies would be paid for. His agenda is dangerous not just for our community, but for the future of New York City. At present, Mamdani is leading in the polls, with Andrew Cuomo as his closest rival. Yet because Cuomo remains deeply unpopular among many frum voters, some have argued that our community should throw support behind other candidates, such as Sliwa. While I understand the frustration, this argument overlooks how the Ranked Choice Voting system works. Here’s how it works: voters list their preferences in order — first, second, third, and so on. If no candidate wins an outright majority (50%+1) in the first round, the lowest-ranked candidate is eliminated, and those votes transfer to the next choice on each ballot. This continues until one candidate crosses the 50% threshold. What this means for our community is simple: If you dislike Cuomo, you can rank someone else (like Curtis Sliwa) as your first choice. But if you dislike Mamdani even more — as every frum voter should — then Cuomo should still be ranked as a backup choice, even second or third, to prevent Mamdani from winning by default. Most importantly: never rank Mamdani at all. Ranked Choice Voting does not require you to rank every candidate. Leaving him off your ballot entirely is the clearest way to reject him. The bottom line: we cannot afford to split our community’s vote in a way that helps Mamdani slip through. Whatever our differences, we must recognize that he poses a grave threat to our city and our community, and our ballots must reflect that reality. Sincerely, D.G. The views expressed in this letter are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of YWN. Have an opinion you would like to share? Send it to us for review. 

Naftali Bennett, Israel’s former prime minister, offered words of appreciation to President Donald Trump for pushing to free the Israeli hostages but issued sharp criticism of the Israeli government for agreeing to terms he described as apologizing to Qatar and releasing large numbers of terrorists.

“I wish to thank President Donald Trump, who works with all his might to secure the release of our hostages. We will never forget that during the October 7th Massacre, over 1,200 Israelis were murdered, burned, and raped, and 251 were abducted from their beds. This was a terrible failure that demands a state commission of inquiry. An unerasable tragedy,” Bennett wrote on X.

He went on to emphasize the heavy toll of the ongoing fighting. “Over the past two years, many hundreds of our sons fell in Gaza; we lost the best of the best. Dozens of hostages were murdered in Hamas captivity, and now, the massacre and war are supposed to end after the Israeli government apologized (!) to the funders of the massacre in Qatar and frees many hundreds of Sinwar-like terrorist murderers. This is a difficult move, but a necessary one after the Israeli government didn’t manage to defeat Hamas and return our captive brothers, who are rotting away in captivity, and the price we are and will continue to pay will be too high to handle.”

Bennett concluded his remarks by urging that Israel must now focus on healing and rebuilding. “The difficult chapter that our country is in must close with the return of our sons and daughters, and the transition into a new and different chapter of the unification and rehabilitation of the State of Israel,” he wrote.

{Matzav.com Israel}

OpenAI is turning ChatGPT into a virtual merchant that can help sell goods for Etsy and Shopify as the artificial intelligence company looks for new revenue in online commerce. ChatGPT users can now buy directly from Etsy sellers while interacting with the chatbot and will soon be able to do the same with Shopify sellers. Competing with the likes of Amazon and Google for purchase fees from digital shopping could be a new source of money for OpenAI. The company hasn’t made a profit and has relied on investors to back the costs of building and running its powerful AI systems. OpenAI said it is working with payments company Stripe on the technical standards that will enable purchases through the “Instant Checkout” system. A number of payment companies have been working with AI developers on so-called AI agents that, given a credit card, could find and make purchases on a shopper’s behalf. OpenAI said ChatGPT won’t favor these items in its product results. “When ranking multiple merchants that sell the same product, ChatGPT considers factors like availability, price, quality, whether a merchant is the primary seller, and whether Instant Checkout is enabled, to optimize the user experience,” the company said in a statement. (AP)

A survey conducted by i24NEWS together with Direct Polls shows a noticeable upward shift in support for the governing coalition.

The poll gives Likud 33 seats, while Bennett 2026 secures 15 mandates. The Democratic Party, Yisrael Beiteinu, and Shas each take 10.

The list “Yashar! With Eisenkot” comes in at 8, the same total as United Torah Judaism. Otzma Yehudit earns 7, Religious Zionism 5, Hadash-Ta’al 5, Ra’am 5, and Yesh Atid only 4.

Yoaz Hendel’s Miluimnikim party, along with Balad and Blue and White, fail to clear the electoral threshold.

Breaking down the blocs, the poll shows Netanyahu’s coalition controlling 63 seats, the opposition holding 47, and the Arab parties together capturing 10.

{Matzav.com}

Ryanair said Tuesday it will not resume flights to Tel Aviv this winter, accusing Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport of stonewalling the airline’s bid for flight slots for the summer 2026 season. The Irish low-cost giant, which had operated 22 routes to and from Israel last winter, blasted airport authorities for what it called “absurd” delays in confirming its historic slots, even as schedules for summer 2026 are already on sale across Europe. “We are not willing to restart loss-making flights to/from Tel Aviv for the winter season, without the certainty that our summer 2026 historic slots have been confirmed,” a Ryanair spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “We are fed up having our low-fare flights repeatedly messed around by Ben Gurion Airport – it is absurd that they refused to confirm our summer 2026 slots.” The carrier warned that until Israeli authorities “honor their low-cost agreements with Ryanair,” Tel Aviv would lose access to its bargain fares and broad route network. The standoff marks the latest chapter in Ryanair’s rocky relationship with Israel, which predates the Gaza war. Earlier this month, CEO Michael O’Leary said the airline might not return even once regional violence subsides. Ryanair had already extended its suspension of Tel Aviv services through October 25, citing the ongoing conflict. The move leaves Israel’s flag carrier El Al and European rivals with one less competitor on routes that had brought tens of thousands of budget-conscious travelers through Ben Gurion Airport in recent years. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

During an overnight mission in Gaza City, Israeli troops encountered a man holding a white flag and shouting for assistance.

The scene raised immediate alarm that the individual could be an Israeli captive, leading commanders to send in additional units to the area.

Channel 12 News reported that following a careful search, soldiers concluded the person was not a hostage but a Hamas operative trying to mislead the army.

Military officials believe the ploy was designed to draw soldiers into an ambush site where explosives or other weapons had been planted.

The IDF spokesperson explained, “During IDF forces’ operations in the Gaza Strip last night, a sign was identified that raised suspicion about the possible presence of hostages and missing persons in the area. Based on the suspicion, extensive searches were conducted using various methods. After no further findings were made, it was determined that it was not a kidnapping but most likely an enemy.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

Israeli authorities announced Tuesday the arrests of two men accused of spying for Iran. The Shin Bet and police’s Lahav 433 major crimes unit confirmed that a prosecutor’s declaration had been filed earlier in the day against the suspects, both 26-year-old residents of Holon. The primary suspect, Maor Kringel, was taken into custody in August after allegedly engaging in espionage activities for seven months. Investigators say Kringel maintained contact with an Iranian handler since early this year, photographing military bases and other sensitive sites across Israel. During June’s war with Iran, he allegedly reached out to his handlers offering to carry out additional operations. According to the investigation, Kringel also communicated with operatives linked to VIPemployment, a front organization Tehran has used to recruit Israelis online for intelligence work. Authorities say Kringel managed to enlist another Holon resident, Tal Amram, into spying on Iran’s behalf. Both men were arrested as part of the same investigation. Police emphasized that the case reflects Iran’s ongoing campaign to penetrate Israel’s security apparatus by exploiting ordinary citizens through online fronts and direct recruitment. State prosecutors are expected to file formal indictments against Kringel and Amram in the coming days. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

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Israel’s Foreign Ministry announced Tuesday that newly uncovered documents from Gaza directly tie Hamas to the organization and funding of a tightly coordinated flotilla aimed at breaching the blockade on the coastal enclave.

“This confirms that key assets of the flotilla are effectively owned and controlled by Hamas,” the ministry stated. “They clarify the chain of command and financial support behind these operations, which have long been presented under civilian pretense.”

Among the papers is a 2021 letter signed by Ismail Haniyeh, then head of Hamas’s political bureau, openly backing the Palestinian Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA). Though outwardly civilian in character, the group—created in 2018—was designated by Israel as a terrorist entity.

According to the ministry, the PCPA essentially acts as Hamas’s diplomatic arm overseas, functioning like embassies while coordinating protests, demonstrations, and anti-Israel activity. Israel officially blacklisted the organization in 2021.

Another document includes an extensive roster of PCPA members, identifying top Hamas operatives with direct links to flotilla activity. The IDF singled out Zaher Birawi, Hamas’s lead figure in Britain, who has been involved in sending Gaza-bound vessels for over fifteen years.

The same list identifies Saif Abu Kishk, based in Spain, as both a PCPA operative and the chief executive of Cyber Neptune, a Spanish technology company. According to Israeli officials, that firm owns several of the ships now participating in the Samud flotilla.

“Hamas in the Gaza Strip is responsible for activities within the Strip, while Hamas abroad manages operations outside, including mobilization and provocations,” the Foreign Ministry explained. “These documents expose the depth of Hamas’ international network and its operational control over individuals leading the flotilla.”

Roughly 50 ships make up the convoy, which is currently under the watch of Italian and Spanish naval forces. Reports from Greece also claim Turkish drones are following the mission. The organizers maintain their goal is to bring aid directly to Gaza, rejecting Israel’s proposal that deliveries go through Ashkelon or Cyprus. Israeli officials insist they will not allow any vessel to dock on Gaza’s coast.

The flotilla is anticipated to reach Israel’s maritime zone in the coming days.

One of the most recognizable figures on board is Swedish environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg, who was expelled from Israel in June after joining a similar voyage. At the time, Israeli authorities derided that trip as a “selfie yacht.”

Israel, together with Egypt, has imposed restrictions on Gaza since 2007, when Hamas seized control of the territory, in order to curb arms smuggling. Activists have repeatedly attempted flotilla missions to challenge the blockade. A 2011 UN investigation into the deadly Mavi Marmara raid criticized Israel’s use of force but upheld the blockade as lawful.

The backdrop of the current flotilla is Hamas’s October 7 assault on Israeli communities near the Gaza border, which left around 1,200 people dead and resulted in 252 hostages being taken into Gaza. Of the 48 still unaccounted for, about 20 are believed to be alive.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, leader of the Religious Zionist Party, came out forcefully against President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace proposal on Tuesday, denouncing it as a “resounding diplomatic failure” just a day after Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu endorsed the deal in Washington.

Smotrich declared that embracing the plan represents “an act of willful blindness that ignores every lesson of October 7.”

“In my estimation, it will end in tears,” he warned. “A tragedy of leadership running from the hard truth.”

The finance minister’s harsh words followed an initial period of silence. Earlier on Monday, he had drawn clear “red lines” for Netanyahu before the prime minister’s meeting, hinting that his party could abandon the coalition if the agreement crossed those limits.

According to a source from the Religious Zionist Party, the faction planned internal consultations on Tuesday afternoon before making a public statement on its stance.

“I have a lot to say, and, God willing, I will do so after a series of consultations I’m holding today,” Smotrich said.

He also raised the possibility that Hamas’s refusal to sign on might derail the plan. “Is there still a chance that something good might come out of this? That the enemy’s stubbornness will once again save us from ourselves, as it has many times before,” he asked.

Meanwhile, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and his Otzma Yehudit party had yet to issue a position on the proposal.

Back in January, Otzma Yehudit pulled out of the governing coalition to protest a hostage deal with Hamas.

Two months later, Ben-Gvir and his allies rejoined the coalition once Israel renewed its bombing campaign in Gaza.

In contrast, other cabinet members and lawmakers, including figures from opposition parties, have lined up behind the plan.

One of the plan’s central provisions is the return of all hostages held by Hamas within 72 hours of implementation.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid of Yesh Atid pledged his party’s support, saying he provided Netanyahu with a “political safety net” to move ahead. He told reporters he had informed American officials in order “to move forward immediately,” conceding that the arrangement was “not perfect, but is the best option currently on the table.”

“Netanyahu is a seasoned and exhausting expert in ‘yes, but.’ Usually, he says the ‘yes’ in Washington, and the ‘but’ when he returns home and his base reminds him who’s boss,” Lapid said.

“These are critical hours, and the 24 MKs of Yesh Atid will enable the agreement to pass,” he continued.

Benny Gantz, chairman of the Blue and White Party, also pledged cooperation, stressing, “We will not allow petty politics to sabotage the plan.”

Yisrael Beytenu leader MK Avigdor Liberman echoed that view, remarking that “any initiative that brings all the hostages home must be welcomed.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

Hamas and other Palestinian factions are leaning toward embracing President Donald Trump’s proposal for ending the Gaza conflict, a source familiar with the matter told CBS News on Tuesday.

Once they finalize their position, the Palestinian groups are expected to deliver their response to mediators from Egypt and Qatar on Wednesday.

This development follows an AFP report earlier Tuesday that Hamas has “begun a series of consultations” regarding Trump’s 20-point roadmap, according to a Palestinian insider connected to the movement.

The plan, publicly backed by Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu on Monday, would require Hamas to disarm and free the 48 hostages still in captivity.

“Hamas has begun a series of consultations within its political and military leaderships, both inside Palestine and abroad,” an unnamed contact explained.

“The discussions could take several days due to the complexities of communication among leadership members and movements, especially after the Israeli aggression in Doha,” the same source said.

Another Palestinian official confirmed that Hamas was reviewing the proposal.

“The Hamas negotiators said they would review it in good faith and provide a response,” a figure involved in the process told Reuters on Tuesday.

President Trump has cautioned that should Hamas reject his offer, Israel would have the United States’ complete support to act however it sees fit.

The terms outlined in the document include a ceasefire, the exchange of all hostages for Palestinian prisoners, a phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the disbanding of Hamas’s armed wing, and the appointment of an interim administration led by an international coalition.

As of Tuesday, Hamas had not formally responded to Trump’s blueprint, and it remained unclear what was new in the deal beyond the broad endorsement it had already drawn from Arab and Muslim governments.

Much of what appears in the 20-point document mirrors earlier ceasefire frameworks floated over the past two years, some of which were accepted temporarily and later dismissed by both Israel and Hamas.

One source close to the group argued the deal was “completely biased to Israel” and created “impossible conditions” designed to dismantle Hamas.

“What Trump has proposed is the full adoption of all Israeli conditions, which do not grant the Palestinian people or the residents of the Gaza Strip any legitimate rights,” the Palestinian official, who declined to be named, told Reuters.

It was not certain how Hamas would phrase its reply, since an outright rejection might put it at odds with several Arab and Muslim countries that have already expressed approval of the plan.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s top general said Tuesday the military is prepared to give the country’s political leadership wide latitude in determining the next phase of the Gaza war, after President Donald Trump unveiled his long-awaited peace plan. Touring Gaza City with senior commanders, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir described the ongoing offensive as a turning point. “The campaign in Gaza City leads to new opportunities and brings us closer to achieving the goals of the war,” Zamir said, according to remarks released by the army. Joined by Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor, Military Advocate General Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, and 162nd Division commander Brig. Gen. Sagiv Dahan, Zamir highlighted both military resolve and political flexibility. “We must continue to excel in military action and lead with professionalism,” Zamir said. “The IDF will enable the political echelon flexibility in any decision regarding the conduct of the campaign.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A man who worked for a prominent German far-right lawmaker in the European Parliament was convicted Tuesday of spying for China for more than four years, according to German news agency dpa. Jian Guo, a German citizen, was accused of working for a Chinese intelligence service and of repeatedly passing on information on negotiations and decisions in the EU Parliament between September 2019 and April 2024, when he was arrested. He was sentenced Tuesday to four years and nine months in prison, dpa reported. He denied wrongdoing during a court hearing last week. China’s foreign ministry last year said reports in Europe about Chinese spying are all “hyping up with an aim to smear and suppress China.” Guo also snooped on Chinese dissidents in Germany and gathered information on prominent politicians with the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD. The federal prosecutor has named him as Jian G., in line with the country’s privacy rules. His former boss, far-right lawmaker Maximilian Krah, previously identified him. Krah was a witness in Guo’s trial and said he did not have any knowledge of his former aide’s activities, dpa reported. Earlier this month, Germany’s parliament lifted Krah’s immunity in connection with allegations that he also has had ties to China and was involved in corruption and spying scandals. Lifting his immunity as a lawmaker was a necessary step for authorities to prosecute him. Authorities searched his home and offices under a court order. Krah denies wrongdoing, and says the allegations are politically motivated. AfD last year banned Krah from EU elections weeks after he told an Italian newspaper that not all members of the Nazis’ elite SS unit, which was involved in major war crimes during World War II, were war criminals. Still, he won a seat in the German parliament earlier this year as part of the party’s historic gains in the Bundestag during the national election. AfD’s second-place finish cemented the party’s status as a factor that other politicians can’t ignore, but mainstream German parties have upheld the so-called “firewall” by refusing to work with it. (AP)

Yesterday, Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, Executive Vice President of Agudath Israel of America, testified before the Religious Liberty Commission. Established by President Trump in May, the Commission was created to safeguard and advance America’s founding principle of religious freedom. This was its third meeting, and the focus was on the importance of protecting religious liberty in K–12 and higher education. Rabbi Zwiebel, a member of the Commission’s Advisory Board of Religious Leaders, participated in a panel addressing the protection of religious autonomy for faith-based schools. He highlighted the remarkable growth of the Orthodox Jewish community in the United States following the Holocaust and underscored the community’s commitment to providing children with a strong religious education. In his remarks, Rabbi Zwiebel reflected on the 100th anniversary of Pierce v. Society of Sisters, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down an Oregon law requiring all children to attend public schools. He warned that current government efforts, particularly in New York, to impose “substantial equivalency” standards on private schools represent a modern-day threat to the independence of faith-based education. Rabbi Zwiebel quoted two sentences from the Pierce decision that are highly relevant to modern day challenges: “The fundamental theory of liberty upon which all governments in this Union repose excludes any general power of the State to standardize its children by forcing them to accept instruction from public teachers only. The child is not the mere creature of the state; those who nurture him and direct his destiny have the right, coupled with the high duty, to recognize and prepare him for additional obligations.” The Agudah leader cautioned: “To insist today that private schools, including Jewish and other religious schools, become carbon copies of public schools, is just the latest iteration of the state’s effort to standardize its children. It’s 100 years after Pierce; we ought to know better.”

A survey shows overwhelming Israeli support for President Donald Trump’s proposed framework to end the Gaza war — but deep skepticism over whether the plan will ever materialize. The poll, conducted after Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s joint press conference unveiling the peace initiative on Monday, found 71 percent of Israelis support the plan. Among Arab citizens, backing was even stronger, with 93 percent in favor. Yet despite the broad approval, only 12 percent of respondents said they believe the plan has a high probability or certainty of being carried out. The gap highlights a recurring dynamic in Israeli politics: popular support for American-led diplomacy coupled with doubts about its feasibility. The survey also probed reactions to Netanyahu’s apology to Qatar’s prime minister following an Israeli airstrike in Doha that targeted Hamas political leaders. Israelis were sharply divided — about half said the apology was the right move given Qatar’s role in mediation and regional ties, while right-wing voters mostly opposed it. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A new poll has revealed alarming levels of tolerance for antisemitic violence among Italians, as demonstrations against Israel’s offensive in Gaza continue to sweep the country. According to the survey, conducted September 24–26 by pollster SWG and published Tuesday, around 15 percent of Italians said they consider physical attacks on Jewish people “entirely or fairly justifiable.” The findings did not stop there. Eighteen percent of respondents said they believe antisemitic graffiti in public spaces is a legitimate form of expression. Roughly one in five Italians also stated it was reasonable to attack professors who voiced pro-Israeli positions or for businesses to turn away Israeli customers — views that mirror incidents already reported by Italian media. The poll underscores what Jewish leaders and watchdog groups have described as a dangerous surge in antisemitism in Italy. The results highlight how protests over the war in Gaza are being used as a backdrop for rhetoric — and in some cases actions — that target Jewish people directly, rather than Israeli policy. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Five homes in Buxton, North Carolina, collapsed into the ocean between 2 and 3 p.m. on Tuesday during high surf and waves from Hurricane Imelda and Hurricane Humberto. A total of 17 homes on the Outer Banks have been lost to the ocean since 2020.

Yesterday, Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, Executive Vice President of Agudath Israel of America, testified before the Religious Liberty Commission.

Established by President Trump in May, the Commission was created to safeguard and advance America’s founding principle of religious freedom. This was its third meeting, and the focus was on the importance of protecting religious liberty in K–12 and higher education.

Rabbi Zwiebel, a member of the Commission’s Advisory Board of Religious Leaders, participated in a panel addressing the protection of religious autonomy for faith-based schools. He highlighted the remarkable growth of the Orthodox Jewish community in the United States following the Holocaust and underscored the community’s commitment to providing children with a strong religious education.

In his remarks, Rabbi Zwiebel reflected on the 100th anniversary of Pierce v. Society of Sisters, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down an Oregon law requiring all children to attend public schools. He warned that current government efforts, particularly in New York, to impose “substantial equivalency” standards on private schools represent a modern-day threat to the independence of faith-based education.

Rabbi Zwiebel quoted two sentences from the Pierce decision that are highly relevant to modern day challenges:

“The fundamental theory of liberty upon which all governments in this Union repose excludes any general power of the State to standardize its children by forcing them to accept instruction from public teachers only. The child is not the mere creature of the state; those who nurture him and direct his destiny have the right, coupled with the high duty, to recognize and prepare him for additional obligations.”

The Agudah leader cautioned:

“To insist today that private schools, including Jewish and other religious schools, become carbon copies of public schools, is just the latest iteration of the state’s effort to standardize its children. It’s 100 years after Pierce; we ought to know better.”

Click here to watch Rabbi Zwiebel’s full remarks.

{Matzav.com}

POTUS: “I’m thrilled to sign a very historic Executive Order to massively accelerate pediatric cancer research and harness the extraordinary potential of Artificial Intelligence to fight this terrible disease.”

With weeks to go in New Jersey’s high-stakes governor’s race, key members of Democrats’ diverse coalition, including union and Black leaders, have been raising concerns — even when they’re not supposed to. New Jersey state Democratic Chair Leroy Jones Jr. spoke on a recent Democratic National Committee conference call that was designed to project strength ahead of the fall elections. Yet he concluded with a warning. “As a Black man, not just as a Black chair, we have to do better,” Jones said, referencing challenges messaging with the state’s Black community. New Jersey voters on Nov. 4 will decide an election that has drawn intense interest from both major political parties — and the White House. The race, along with an election for Virginia governor, will be seen as an early sign of how voters are feeling about President Donald Trump and Republicans’ leadership. Trump hopes that a victory from his Republican loyalist Jack Ciattarelli over Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill will send a resounding message to the nation that his GOP is as strong as ever. And as Election Day nears, Trump and his allies are growing increasingly confident in their party’s outlook in New Jersey, even more so than in Virginia, which currently has a Republican governor. Trump, who has endorsed Ciattarelli, was optimistic about his bid in a social media post last week. “Jack is tough on crime and cutting taxes, two things that people really demand today. He will be a GREAT Governor,” Trump wrote. A presidential visit before Election Day has not been ruled out, according to Trump’s allies. Meanwhile, Democratic leaders are working to downplay expectations in the race to succeed Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, who will finish his second term at the end of the year. They’re quick to note that Democrats have not won three consecutive governor’s elections in New Jersey since 1961. New Jersey has reliably supported Democrats in presidential and U.S. Senate races but has swung between Republicans and Democrats during its odd-year gubernatorial elections. Four years ago, Murphy defeated Ciattarelli in a closer-than-expected race, winning by about 3 percentage points. “New Jersey governor’s races are always highly competitive,” said Meghan Meehan-Draper, executive director of the Democratic Governors Association. “We’ve known all along that this would be a close race.” Democrats’ loosening grip on labor Traditionally, organized labor has backed Democrats. That’s not necessarily the case in the Trump era — a potential problem for Democrats in a state with one of the nation’s highest rates of labor union membership. Abi Ortiz, a 61-year-old Teamsters local president in southern New Jersey, said he’s seen a definite shift among members toward the GOP in recent years. “I thought I’d never see it,” said Ortiz, who started as a Teamster in 1987 as a UPS truck driver. “But now what we’re doing is we’re actually demanding the candidates say, ‘What are you going to do for the working class?’” Democratic state Sen. John Burzichelli said Democrats’ loosening grip on workers is a red flag. The way through the problem, he said, is more conversations with members and voters. “The national Democrat brand I don’t think is in a good place,” Burzichelli said. “Having the support of (union) leadership is one thing, but having the support of rank and file is another. We need to make sure they’re reminded […]