Although he said he and his family had been subject to threats, Republican Assembly Member Paul Kanitra, a Republican from Point Pleasant Beach, voted Thursday against a bill now going to the governor’s desk that would allow candidates and politicians to use campaign money for security, because he favors a different approach than using donor funds. Photo credit: Shohini Mitra/NJ State House News Service.
By Jayden Parente
NJ State House News Service
TRENTON, N.J. – In a time when politics has become a dangerous game, the Assembly Thursday sent a bill to the governor’s desk that would allow candidates to use campaign money to protect themselves and their families.
“I’ve had pictures taken outside my house, I’ve had my trash gone through, I’ve had cops posted outside my house for my family’s safety,” said Assembly Member Paul Kanitra, a Republican from Point Pleasant Beach.
“I’ve had my house vandalized, I’ve been threatened, my children have been threatened,” said Assembly Member Jay Webber, a Republican from Morris Plains.
The bill, S3386, would allow campaign party donations to be spent on security devices, security personnel and cybersecurity. The bill specifies that these devices must be intended solely for security, and not to increase home value. The funds also cannot be paid to members of the candidates families or to entities owned by them.
“I think that we should be making sure that our members are safe, and if this is one mechanism that we can use then we should make sure that not only are the members safe but also the families,” said Assembly Member Annette Quijano, a Democrat from Elizabeth.
Although political threats nationwide have affected members of both political parties, several New Jersey Republicans voted against the measure, including Kanitra and Webber.
Kanitra called the bill a “trojan horse,” stating it would benefit deep-pocketed Democrats far more than Republicans, who historically raise less money in the state.
Others argued that security funding was important but should not come from campaign donors.
“I think it’s the responsibility of the government to protect members, staff and families,” said Assembly Member John Azzariti Jr., a Republican from Saddle River, who also voted no. He noted that the federal government gives an allowance for each of its members to spend on personal security and suggested that New Jersey could adopt a similar system.
The bill passed from the Assembly along largely party lines, 53-13-8. In June, it unanimously passed the Senate.
Since 2015, there have been a total of eight incidents of political violence in the United States and twelve killed as a result, according to data from the Violence Prevention Project.
One of the most high profile cases was the attempted assassination of then Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally in 2024.
Jayden Parente is a journalism student at Rowan University.
