What we're continuing our series looking at each of the gubernatorial candidates and their campaign priorities as we inch closer to the June 10 primary election.

Tonight, a deeper dive on Republican candidate Bill Spadea.

The longtime conservative radio host is also a former congressional candidate who became a strong supporter of President Trump during his first term, then changed his position in 2021 before coming back around to the president's camp for his reelection bid last year.

Senior political correspondent David Cruz has more.

I am qualified, willing, ready and energized to be your governor.

Bill Spadea on leave from his morning show on NJ 101.5 has been angling for this day for many years.

Say most people who watch this sort of thing on radio and TV, Spadea's leaned into his audience with a Fox News adjacent style, turning Trumpier along with them, even having Trump on his radio show, as he will frequently remind you.

As you know, David, I've had him on my radio show a few times.

We've had some great conversations, both publicly and privately.

I am the only candidate that has been with him since the escalator.

Sure, I've been critical of a few things, and I brought that to the president's attention.

We've talked about some of the areas where we disagreed right on my radio show.

It's still unclear what Trump will do in this primary.

Ashley Koning of the Eagleton Polling Institute says their research shows Republican voters split on whether Trump would sway their votes for one candidate or another.

I also think the GOP with the New Jersey needs to have a reckoning of whether or not they're going to go along with the Trump administration and this Trump brand of Republicanism.

Typically, historically, it really hasn't worked as well in New Jersey.

When we saw Ciatterelli gaining ground on Murphy in 2021, that really came from talking about bread and butter, common sense, economic issues, not from when he was deciding whether or not to embrace Trump that previous summer.

But as a morning radio guy, Spadea is also proficient at pushing buttons, particularly when it comes to issues of immigration, race and diversity, particularly in front of contrary crowds.

The first thing I would do is I'm going to end diversity, equity and inclusion for contracts and hiring.

That's number one.

And the reason?

It doesn't work.

Democrats have a long history of racism, institutional racism.

And it was Martin Luther King and it was the Republicans who said that we've got to do something about this.

And they did.

It's bread and meat for the base for sure, especially if you're counting on a base of MAGA supporters.

Getting them to come out in a non-Trump election year has proven to be difficult, though.

The most recent Eagleton poll that shows Ciatterelli with a 30-point lead won't help.

Spadea so far has been seen as a as a bomb thrower.

He's a very genial guy.

I think he's a very likable guy.

But I don't necessarily think that Republican voters see him as a credible alternative to Ciatterelli.

They see Ciatterelli as somebody who can win.

And so Spadia has got to show that he can be that person, too.

Spadia, Ciatterelli and John Bramnick will be part of a live NJ Decides 2025 conversation with the Republican candidates for governor.

That's Wednesday night on NJPBS.

For a TV pro like Spadia, maybe an opportunity to create a new narrative or reinforce the one that's gotten him this far.

I'm David Cruz, NJ Spotlight News.

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