Trump Endorses Christine Serrano Glassner for US Senate

Former President Donald Trump at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City, on May 7, 2024. Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump announced he was backing Mendham borough Mayor Christine Serrano Glassner for the U.S. Senate seat in the upcoming New Jersey primary elections.

Ms. Glassner is “a fantastic woman. You know what, my record is very unblemished for support. I’m giving her my complete and total endorsement,” the former president said during a May 11 rally in Wildwood, New Jersey, adding that Ms. Glassner’s husband worked for him. President Trump expressed his support for the candidate for “running against a Christie person,” referring to Curtis Bashaw, the GOP opponent in the senate race.

“I wanted to stay out of the race but her husband’s been so good,” President Trump said at the rally. “She’s been such a tremendous person, loves the state so much, I said ‘well.’ But then they said that her person (challenger) is a Christie person, I said ‘I’m endorsing you immediately.’ So, good luck. Keep my record intact ... Go out and vote for Christine.”

It could not be confirmed whether Mr. Bashaw was backed by Republican Chris Christie, the former governor of New Jersey who was President Trump’s challenger for the 2024 presidential nomination. Mr. Christie and President Trump have expressed strong opinions against each other in the election campaign, with the former exiting the race in January.

“I’m extremely proud to be endorsed by President Trump! We can and will flip New Jersey red. Together we will work to change New Jersey and America for the better!” Ms. Glassner said in a May 12 post on social media platform X.

Richard Grenell, a GOP member who served as acting Director of National Intelligence under the Trump administration, said the former president “needs Christine Serrano Glassner in the Senate to help defeat the Marxist movement advanced by many of today’s far left Democrats.”

“On June 4 in New Jersey, voters have a chance to nominate the only pro-Trump candidate in the race for the U.S. Senate, Christine Serrano Glassner.”

The Republican primary for the New Jersey Senate seat is scheduled for June 4.

Mr. Bashaw, a hotel entrepreneur, promises stronger border and anti-crime policies if elected to the Senate seat.

“Today, New Jerseyans aren’t feeling so safe and secure. I’m running for the U.S. Senate to secure our border, back law enforcement and keep our streets safe. It’s time we get serious about keeping New Jersey families safe,” he said in a May 8 X post.

President Trump’s endorsement of Ms. Glassner hasn’t gone well with some Republican leaders backing Mr. Bashaw.

“It’s unfortunate that President Trump decided to endorse Christine Serrano-Glassner for Senate. However, I will still be casting my vote for Curtis Bashaw in the June 4th Republican Senate primary!” Rudy Clark, chairman of West Deptford GOP, said.

Ms. Glassner faces off against two other GOP challengers in addition to Mr. Bashaw. The Democratic primary, also scheduled for June 4, features three candidates.

Senator Bob Mendez (D-N.J.), whose seat is up for grabs, did not file for reelection following corruption charges.

New Jersey Presidential Battle

New Jersey has been a Democrat stronghold for decades. The last Republican presidential candidate who won in the state was George H.W. Bush in 1988. In the 2020 election, President Trump lost to President Biden in the state by 16 percentage points.

At his recent New Jersey rally, President Trump said he would flip the state Republican this time around.

“We’re expanding the electoral map because we are going to officially play in the state of New Jersey, we’re going to win the state of New Jersey. Got a great group of people with us, an incredible group of people. We’re also looking really great in the state of Minnesota which hasn’t been won since 1952 and we’re leading in the polls and the state of Virginia and actually many other states,” he said.

According to data from Ballotpedia, the Republican Party last won presidential elections in Minnesota back in 1972.

“All across America, millions of people in so-called blue states are joining our movement based on love, intelligence, and a thing called common sense.”

Even though President Trump is positive on New Jersey, he is lagging behind his Democrat rival in polls.

According to an April survey by Emerson College Polling, 46 percent of voters are backing President Biden in the upcoming elections, a seven percentage point lead over President Trump who trailed with 39 percent support in New Jersey. When third-party candidates are added into the mix, President Biden still leads by five percentage points.

“Over a third (35 percent) of Trump supporters would vote for the former President because they care about an issue, while 30 percent would vote for Trump because they like him. Thirty-one percent of Biden supporters support him because they dislike Trump, while 25 percent support Biden because they like him,” the poll said.

The former president’s assertion of a win in New Jersey was dismissed by Republicans against Trump, a group of “pro-democracy conservative Republicans fighting Trump & Trumpism.”

“Trump says that he’s going to win New Jersey. This is not going to happen. In 2020 he lost the garden state by 16 percent. In 2020 Trump said he’d win California and New York. He lost these states by 29 percent and 23 percent respectively,” the group wrote in a May 12 X post.

However, some Republicans think President Trump has a chance this time in New Jersey. “Contrary to popular belief, New Jersey is not a hopelessly liberal state.” Michael Byrne, a Republican backing the former president’s efforts in the state, told The Epoch Times.

He admitted that New Jersey was not likely to become a focal point for the Trump campaign, which will devote more time to swing states like neighboring Pennsylvania. However, Mr. Byrne said his group was “supplementing” the Trump campaign’s effort in the state.

The goal is to tap into “tens of thousands of potential activists who have a genuine love for President Trump,” he said. “We’re gonna capitalize on that momentum and hopefully help the president close the deal here in New Jersey.”