Welcome to the InsiderNJ list of 100 top lobbyists in the state of New Jersey, a list we hope presents a representative look at key governmental affairs agents laboring mostly in the halls of Trenton.

An atmosphere of expectation pervades the halls of Trenton, where lobbyists ponder a critical statewide question, which will impact all of them: Who will be the next governor of New Jersey, Democrat Mikie Sherrill or Republican Jack Ciattarelli?

After eight years of Gov. Phil Murphy, many sources crave a change, and a new beginning. Others lament the sharp-elbowed re-jockeying for position that certainly will accompany either outcome. Neither Sherrill nor Ciattarelli is Murphy, and each would come with new contacts, new priorities, and a new leadership style.

Many lobbying insiders anticipate Dale Florio (No. 1 on this list) to be first in line to serve as chief-of-staff in a Ciattarelli Administration, while others foresee Sherrill’s current chief- of-staff, Alex Ball, to be the congresswoman’s top choice for the job. Either way, “We all get an opportunity to reintroduce ourselves,” one Trenton insider told InsiderNJ. “It’s a reset for everybody.”

A substantial reset occurred in 2018, when Murphy succeeded Republican Governor Chris Christie, who himself had served for two terms. The Murphy and Christie administrations operated totally differently, almost in opposite ways, with Christie very hands-on. Murphy gave considerably more leeway. Lobbyists adjusted, as needed. Now, with Murphy leaving and either Ciattarelli or Sherrill coming into office in the new year, “I don’t mind figuring it out,” one lobbyist said. “It’s easy to get lazy and complacent. Forged relationships will be challenged. That’s a good thing.” Who will it be, the lobbyists wonder, inside the caverns under the gold dome, where the roles of some of them – or one of them - may change significantly, while others expect to soldier on, in the meantime waiting for New Jersey voters to give the word on Nov. 4th and trigger the transition of power to a new Trenton boss.

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