Public Administration
New Jerseyans Head to the Polls for 2025 Gubernatorial Election – Today, November 4, is Election Day, which means New Jerseyans up and down the coast will have the opportunity to cast their ballots for the next Garden State Governor, Mikie Sherrill (D) or Jack Ciattarelli (R). Approximately 1.36 million voters have already voted, either by mail or through early in-person. Polls are open from 6 am to 8 pm today, and full details on how and where to vote in NJ can be found here.
Health
Judge Rules Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Benefits Must be Restarted by Wednesday – On November 1, federal judges in Rhode Island and Massachusetts ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to use contingency funds to keep Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits flowing to approximately 42 million (one in eight) Americans during the ongoing government shutdown. The shutdown began after Congress failed to approve full 2026 spending by October 1, prompting USDA officials to warn that SNAP could not continue without alternative funding. The court order stemmed from lawsuits filed by a coalition of 25 states and the District of Columbia, including New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin. The judges ruled that USDA must use its $6 billion contingency fund to issue benefits by Wednesday and, if necessary, identify additional funding sources to fully cover November’s costs, which exceed $8 billion.
On Monday, November 3, the Trump administration announced it will partially fund SNAP, complying with the court rulings, but it still remains unclear how the benefits will be funded. The administration’s initial refusal to issue contingency funds triggered an emergency response by Governor Phil Murphy, who declared a State of Emergency effective November 1. Executive Order No. 402 empowers state agencies to protect the more than 800,000 low‐income residents relying on food assistance. These judicial actions underline how a federal spending lapse can have an immediate impact on major social safety net programs. SNAP recipients in New Jersey are encouraged to check balances at NJFamiliesFirst.com, Call 800-997-3333, Visit njsnap.gov for updates, and Use NJ 211 to locate food pantries.
New Report Exposes Significant Shortcomings in Care for Individuals with Disabilities – On October 28, NorthJersey.com released an expose on the barriers to comprehensive health care people with disabilities face in New Jersey. Among their findings, NorthJersey.com noted the structural forces that can undermine care for people with disabilities. New Jersey as a state has one of the lowest percentage of doctors who accept Medicaid, which creates a huge gap in care, especially for disabled children who age out of their parents’ private insurance coverage. With the aid of disability advocates, some NJ hospitals have begun to make changes to improve both communication and physical barriers that negatively impact disabled patients. In May, Rutgers University faculty members analyzed a national survey of more than 20,000 adults and found that those with disabilities consistently reported worse health care experiences.
Housing
Gubernatorial Candidates Offer Varied Solutions to Increase Affordable Housing in NJ – On October 28, New Jersey Monitor published an article examining the differing solutions Mikie Sherrill (D) and Jack Ciattarelli (R) have presented to address the growing affordable housing crisis in the Garden State. Sherrill supports the existing affordable‐housing framework, rooted in the state’s fair-share, “Mount Laurel” doctrine but wants to accelerate permitting and support first-time homebuyers. Ciattarelli proposes a broader overhaul: rewrite the constitutional duty of municipalities to provide “realistic opportunities,” concentrate affordable units in urban/developed suburbs, and allow municipalities to pay other towns to fulfill obligations (i.e., regional contribution agreements). In New Jersey, over 200,000 affordable housing units are estimated to be needed by the poorest renters in New Jersey. The “Mount Laurel” doctrine requires municipalities to zone for low/moderate‐income housing and remains a central legal framework and a site of political contention. Housing affordability remains a major challenge in New Jersey, particularly given high market rents, limited space, and complex zoning/regulatory dynamics. The gubernatorial race will likely influence how the next administration emphasizes housing development, where it is sited, how it is funded, and how local resistance is handled.
New Direction Program Offers a ‘Critical’ Lifeline for Homeless, Addiction Treatment Services – On November 3, NJ Spotlight News highlighted the Rescue Mission of Trenton, a nonprofit organization responsible for running the New Direction, a six-week program that provides treatment, education, mentorship, and job development skills in an effort to help participants maintain sobriety and stability and eventually find permanent housing. Homelessness has been on the rise according to Monarch Housing Associates, with approximately 13,700 people homeless across New Jersey on a single night in late January 2025, which is an 8% increase in homelessness compared to 2024. With shelters full, nonprofit organizations like the Rescue Mission of Trenton focus on mitigating the driving factors behind homelessness. Their New Direction Program is affiliated with the state’s recovery courts and costs the organization $250,000 per year to operate. New Jersey, like many states, offers supports in the form of recovery courts for people with substance abuse disorders charged with non-violent crimes. Recovery courts are part of criminal justice shifts away from the “War on Drugs” in the 1970s-1980s. Operating in all of New Jersey’s 21 counties since 2002, Recovery Court programs have been shown to decrease rearrest and reconviction rates.
Transportation
Questions Remain as to the Status of the Gateway Tunnel Project – Funding for the Gateway Program, which involves installing new rail tunnels under the Hudson River connecting New Jersey and New York, was reportedly terminated by the Trump administration last month, despite ongoing construction that began following the November 2023 groundbreaking. The project relies on significant funding from the federal government. The Gateway project is intended to act as critical infrastructure and expand rail capacity beyond the existing North River Tunnels under the Hudson River, which are over 100 years old and were damaged during Hurricane Sandy. Without reliable alternatives, the risk of major rail disruptions increases substantially, threatening daily commutes and regional mobility. The Gateway project also holds major significance for New Jersey’s economic competitiveness and long-term transportation resilience. If federal funding is withdrawn or delayed, New Jersey’s financial share and jobs connected to the project may be jeopardized. State leaders, including those currently running for governor, will likely need to respond to possible infrastructure setbacks and propose solutions to keep the project on track.