Here Are New Jersey’s 50 Top-Spending Political Lobbyists

It’s a political axiom that big elections mean big spending. But which lobbyists plunked down the most cash for their causes in New Jersey last year?

Earlier this week, the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) released preliminary data on state-tracked lobbying for 2018, a year that saw the highest voter turnout for a midterm since 1982.

The top spenders for 2018? “Energy interests and hospitals,” state officials said.

Following a record year for spending in 2017, overall lobbying expenditures dipped 2.5 percent from $91.7 million to $89.4 million in 2018, although late-arriving reports and amendments are likely to increase last year’s total, the ELEC noted in their March 4 report.

While overall spending was down slightly last year, there are always policy matters that draw controversy and “aggressive advocacy,” ELEC Executive Director Jeff Brindle said.

For example, the ELEC pointed to S-2313, a piece of legislation enacted in May 2018 by Gov. Phil Murphy.

"The new law has been controversial because it gives the state Board of Public Utilities (BPU) power to impose a special surcharge on electricity consumers of up to $300 million annually to help keep the state’s three nuclear plants in operation. The BPU still is deliberating over the matter, which could cost average ratepayers an extra $25 to $30 annually."

According to the ELEC, the issue set off a "clash of titans," with PSE&G and JCP&L, the state’s two largest electric utilities, and Exelon Generation, one of the nation’s top power plant operators, on one side, and groups like NJ Petroleum Council (and its parent firm, American Petroleum Council), Chemistry Council of NJ, AARP and other "New Jersey businesses that are large electricity consumers" in the opposing camp.

• Read the full ELEC report here
• Read more about reporting requirements for lobbyists in NJ here

According to the ELEC, the top 50 represented entity spenders, made up just six percent of the 858 filers, but were responsible for $21 million (34 percent) of the $62.2 million in reported spending by represented entities.

Here are the top 50 represented entity spenders for 2018, according to state election officials.

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