Solid backing from police earns Bergen endorsement from state PBA

The state’s largest police union has endorsed Assemblyman Brian Bergen in the New Jersey’s 26th legislative district GOP primary. The state PBA will meet again this summer to consider general election endorsements.

“You are never more than a call away and our members routinely inform us that you volunteer your support in a wide variety of ways,” said NJ PBA President Pat Colligan. Also endorsing Bergen’s running mates.

Bergen, a West Point graduate who served eight years in U.S. Army as an Apache helicopter pilot in Iraq, also received the group’s support in his 2019 and 2021 elections.

The PBA also noted its unusual action in getting involved in a primary campaign.

“As you are aware, the State PBA does not endorse candidates in Primary Elections but your passionate support of the law enforcement community and your public safety record in Trenton compelled us to take a stand this year on your behalf,” wrote Colligan.

Bergen said that the task of law enforcement has become increasingly challenging due to harmful rhetoric that vilifies the police.

“I am ready and willing to answer their call for backup,” said Bergen.  “And I am deeply grateful for their unwavering support. We can do better to help our men and women in blue as they selflessly safeguard our communities.”

The PBA noted that Bergen was their selected lawmaker of the year in 2023, which at the time credited him with garnering bipartisan support for a 2022 law that allows police officers to review their own body camera footage before filing most incident reports. Another measure that provides employment protections for paid first responders diagnosed with work-related post-traumatic stress disorder was recently passed by the state Assembly, thanks to Bergen’s efforts.

He also sponsors bipartisan legislation to strengthen police training in New Jersey. The proposal would increase the amount of time spent on self-defense training at the police academy from 40 hours to 148 hours, and would implement annual in-service training requirements of 48 hours per year.

That idea came from Detective Paul Marinaccio, a training coordinator with the Union County Prosecutor’s Office.  Under the leadership of acting Prosecutor Lyndsay Ruotolo, the prosecutor’s office created an environment that prioritizes training and pioneered efforts to modernize police training.

The backing by the 33,000-member labor union is a major setback for BettyLou DeCroce, a former assemblywoman from Parsippany seeking a return to the legislature two years after losing the 2021 Republican primary.

In 2019, the PBA backed DeCroce alongside Democrat Laura Forgange against incumbent Assemblyman Jay Webber.