Andrew Bates served as the senior deputy press secretary of the White House under the Biden administration. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images)
The Cost Coalition launched in April 2025, with Holt and Bates slamming Trump's economic policies in comment to The Associated Press at the time, claiming the president's "agenda is an economic crisis threatening your livelihood and standard of living."
The Cost Coalition includes a handful of allies from former Vice President Kamala Harris' 2024 campaign for the Oval Office, including Republican strategist Austin Weatherford, who headed up "Republicans for Harris," Harris’ former national faith and engagement director Rev. Jennifer Butler, and the Harris campaign’s national director of veteran and military family engagement, The Associated Press reported in May.
Rep. Mikie Sherrill and Jack Ciattarelli face off in a gubernatorial debate as they vie to become New Jersey’s next governor. (Heather Khalifa/The Associated Press )
Affordability is a top issue for both Sherrill and her Republican opponent for the governorship, Jack Ciattarelli, in a state notorious for sky-high taxes and chronic housing woes. Sherrill has campaigned on ordering a state of emergency over its electricity prices in order to freeze rates, supporting consolidating school districts to drive down property taxes, and lowering food costs by encouraging additional grocery store locations in the state to promote competition, the New Jersey Monitor reported.
"Sherrill will reduce grocery costs by rooting out price gouging and ensuring small businesses can compete with big chains," Holt and Bates continued in their endorsement. "And she will cut red tape that is keeping home prices high, stop pharmacy middle-men from making drug prices even higher than they already are, and help create and keep good-paying New Jersey jobs."
"Sherrill has been straight with voters about her opposition to the inflationary Washington policies that are supercharging costs, including tariffs — a historic tax hike on working people — cuts to health care and clean energy, and adding trillions in new, unsustainable debt to give tax breaks to those who need them least," they added.
Jack Ciattarelli, the Republican nominee for governor in New Jersey, is backed by President Donald Trump. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News )
The most recent endorsement follows other high-profile Democrats backing Sherrill ahead of Election Day, including former President Barack Obama filming a video endorsement ahead of hitting the campaign trail the weekend before the election. Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro also are joining Sherrill for campaign events.
Former President Joe Biden has not made any public endorsements in 2025.
Off-season election year 2025 will only hold a handful of high-profile races, such as the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial elections and the New York City mayoral race.
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The New Jersey election will be held Tuesday.
Republicans, including Trump, have suggested that the deep blue state could flip red in 2025 after the Trump campaign made inroads with Garden State voters during the 2024 race. Trump cut his 2020 loss from 16 points to six in 2024, with Republicans also flipping five countries red during the most recent federal election cycle.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/former-biden-bush-press-officials-join-forces-back-democrat-key-governors-race