The anti-machine movement is having a moment in New Jersey
More than a year after Andy Kim became New Jersey’s junior senator by running an insurgent campaign against Democratic power brokers, the anti-machine movement is notching even more wins in the Garden State.
In the state’s second-largest city, candidates who railed against the political establishment and corporate interests won runoff elections that included the defeat of a former governor trying to make a comeback. A Statehouse hearing that put on display tensions between state leaders and reformist Democrats led to intense backlash that helped kill a controversial bill to defang a watchdog agency. And Democrats in congressional races are feeling emboldened that a campaign message pushing back against the establishment can propel them to victories in competitive races.
Even beyond New Jersey, longstanding political machines have faltered as insurgents seek to shift who has the power. New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani harnessed the momentum behind the anti-establishment movement earlier this year to resoundingly defeat former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. And in Illinois — another state known for its political boss culture — there have been pushes to restructure power in the state.
Kim’s Senate victory in 2024 came thanks in large part to his crusade against the so-called county line, which empowered party bosses by giving establishment-backed candidates a better spot on the ballot. Ever since New Jersey’s ballot layout changed, primaries have become more crowded and turnout has increased — a significant change in a state where politics have long been shaped by powerful county chairs.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/13/the-anti-machine-movement-is-having-a-moment-in-new-jersey-00689145