The Laken Riley Act stirs up the New Jersey governor's race as two Democrats decline to participate in the roll: "The more someone campaigns, the less they vote."

In the upcoming 2025 race for New Jersey governor, two Democrats abstained from voting on the Laken Riley Act in Congress, prompting criticism from candidates across the political spectrum.

The bill that mandates the detention of illegal immigrants convicted of theft-related crimes was not supported by Reps. Mikie Sherrill of Essex and Josh Gottheimer of Bergen County, as recorded by the House Clerk's office.

The bill derives its name from the tragic murder of a young woman in Georgia, committed by an undocumented immigrant who had been previously arrested and released on minor charges.

In an X post, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop declared, "This is cowardly."

When we lack core convictions and cannot articulate our beliefs, we lose elections. Hiding is not a winning strategy.

"If you lack the courage to vote for a bill, what does that say about your courage to lead as Governor?" Fulop remarked.

The two lawmakers were criticized by former Republican Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli from the right.

"Josh and Mikie were criticized by Ciattarelli for gutlessly ducking a vote on the Laken Riley Act today," said Ciattarelli.

Riley bravely battled a dangerous illegal immigrant, but Josh/Mikie lacked the courage to confront their radical left-wing supporters.

In 2021, Ciattarelli came close to defeating Murphy in the Garden State, losing by less than three points. Meanwhile, Trump lost New Jersey by only four points in November, giving the GOP hope of flipping Trenton red this fall.

If Gottheimer had voted "yea" on the bill when it was last up for a vote, he would have supported it this week, according to a spokesman who spoke to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The three Republican congressmen from New Jersey, namely Reps. Christopher Smith, Jeff Van Drew, and Tom Kean Jr., all supported the Laken Riley Act.

All Democratic Reps. except for Nellie Pou, Frank Pallone, Herbert Conaway, LaMonica McIver, Donald Norcross and Rob Menendez Jr. voted against it.

On Wednesday, Republican Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia, who is not running for governor, made a sarcastic comment about the pair.

"The historic governor's mansion near Princeton has a road paved with flat squirrels who couldn't make a decision," she said.

On Thursday, Sen. Jon Bramnick, a GOP gubernatorial candidate, stated to Planet Chronicle Digital that a legislator's primary duty is to their constituents, not their next election campaign.

Bramnick stated that campaign activities should take a backseat to responsibility when asked about Gottheimer and Sherrill's non-votes.

"If you're running a campaign, your voting should be the primary focus, as systematically, it appears that the more someone campaigns, the less they vote."

Bramnick, an attorney in Plainfield, stated that he couldn't determine the thoughts of the two Democrats regarding their vote, but immigration is a contentious issue that is often challenging to handle.

Bramnick stated that immigration is a bipartisan issue with the Laken Riley Act receiving 48 Democratic "yea’s."

When asked how he would approach President-elect Trump or border czar-designate Tom Homan if elected governor, he stated that he would "adhere to the law."

Unfortunately, Congress has not taken any action to establish a path to citizenship for individuals who have resided in the U.S. for an extended period, despite their law-abiding status and contributions to their communities.

"Although America may not agree with the law, individual states should not alter it based on their personal feelings about the issue."

Sherrill and Gottheimer did not immediately respond to inquiries made via their campaigns.

In the race, Newark's mayor, Ras Baraka, a Democrat, did not respond.

Baraka stated that he would have voted against the Laken Riley Act if he were a member of Congress.