we continue our profiles of each candidate running for governor of New Jersey tonight we take a look at our last remaining candidate and the only South Jersey guy in the race former state senate President Steve Sweeney he's run his campaign much like he ran his office as Senate President as a moderate bluecollar iron worker and union leader who's not afraid to tell it like it is senior correspondent Brenda Flanigan has more on his political record and how it's resonating in his run for governor his campaign ad gets right to the point steve Sweeney iron worker union leader Democrat steve Sweeny's constituency draws heavily from bluecollar trades he heads the iron workers union can count on several union endorsements and he's backed by most of the county Democratic bosses in South Jersey too he likes to point out I'm a candidate for governor of New Jersey not just South Jersey but Sweeny's the only contender from south of Route 195 and he's one of the more moderate choices in this packed primary race the former state senate president who famously cut deals with Republican Chris Christie everyone had this perception that this is flaming blue state it's not it's a bluecollar state where unfortunately the Democrats have stopped talking about issues that the public really cares about which is it's the economy stupid sweeney is about as close to a conservative Democrat as you get remember that whole apparatus in South Jersey particularly uh 10 years ago they were rubbing elbows with Chris Christie particularly in Camden to reform the police department in that city more accurately replace that police department in that city to uh take over the school district uh in the city of Camden why's Kenneth Burn says over a dozen years in Trenton the 65year-old brought home the bacon and despite his shocking upset loss to Republican trucker Ed Dur in 2021 particularly among the faithful Steve Sweeney guy notably Sweeny's kept his close friendship with George Norcross the controversial South Jersey power broker recently saw criminal corruption charges against him dismissed and that frees up Norcross to get more involved in Sweeny's campaign says writers Micah Rasmusen he has traditionally helped candidates in South Jersey um so that they don't have to raise money they don't have to focus on money the way other candidates do but the price of that is that you know when George wants something George should get something sweeny's made some powerful enemies including the NJA after he backed raising their pension and health benefit contributions but he's also supported raising the minimum wage and his daughter inspired Sweeney to champion rights for people with disabilities on pocketbook issues he'd eliminate retirement income taxes for seniors earning less than 250,000 but on social issues like the Trump administration's battle to detain and deport immigrants Sweeny's carved a singular path he strongly condemned Newark Mayor and fellow candidate Raz Baraka's recent arrest by ICE his advice on chat box for dealing with Donald Trump got to grow a spine we got to stop sitting back and waiting for Trump on the other hand Sweeney is the only Democrat who as governor would repeal the attorney general's immigrant trust directive that restricts police cooperation with ICE his path to victory veers to the right he definitely is not going to be part of the whole progressive rise in the within the party but you know what to him the progressive candidates can split up their vote and he can bring up the moderate vote and he can champion the moderate vote and that can be his lane but it's a crowded lane that Sweeney shares with Mikey Cheryl and Josh Godheimer i'm Brenda Flanigan NJ Spotlight News