NJEA President Sean Spiller Wasted $42.5 Million of Teachers-Union Dues on Vanity Run for Governor

Few alliances in New Jersey politics are as consistent as the one between Democrats and the New Jersey Education Association. Yet the 2025 Democratic gubernatorial primary is offering a revealing look at just how corrupting a political force the NJEA can be, as it currently bankrolls the organization president’s vanity run for governor.

Sean Spiller, the current President of the New Jersey Education Association, and former mayor of Montclair, is campaigning to be the Democrat nominee for Governor of New Jersey, barely polling above single digits in the final days of the race. 

For years, the NJEA has contributed millions of dollars to political campaigns. But in this race, the NJEA president has contributed $42.5 million to his own gubernatorial campaign, all sourced from teachers’ annual dues. While technically not illegal, the misuse of those dues is undeniable, especially given that Spiller stands virtually no chance of winning. These so-called donations are a blatant misuse of public money, diverted from their intended purpose of improving education and instead funneled into a doomed political campaign. Sadly, it seems that Sean Spiller is merely stealing $40 million as a personal investment in his name, either for his next big run for office or to sell his next book. Maybe then he can teach his students to read.

As mayor of Montclair, Spiller was hardly well-liked, with many former staffers claiming he lacked a moral compass and promoted a toxic work culture. His tenure was also marred by repeated conflicts of interest involving the school board, and he is currently the subject of a criminal investigation.

Even beyond Spiller’s questionable use of union dues, his campaign offers little substance on how he would address New Jersey’s challenges, further proof that this run is driven more by ego than by any serious vision for results. Spiller’s campaign is built on empty platitudes and recycled ideas, offering no serious plan to tackle the major challenges facing New Jersey. He provides no credible strategy to fund his proposals and falsely claims he won’t raise taxes—despite pushing policies that would significantly expand government spending. That spending is already growing year over year, steadily eroding the state’s limited and rapidly shrinking budget surplus.

Unsurprisingly, given the NJEA’s track record, Spiller’s worst proposals are on education. In his commentary submitted to the New York Times, he makes clear his two main goals: blindly increasing school funding, despite no evidence that it improves outcomes, and prioritizing the interests of the teachers’ union over students. His approach would further entrench New Jersey under the influence of corrupt union bosses, at the expense of real reform.

The NJEA’s pattern of abusing taxpayer dollars and manipulating the legislative process long predates Spiller’s tenure as President. For years, the union has prioritized its own political power over student achievement, opposing school choice, lobbying against charter school expansion, and resisting even basic reforms like merit-based pay. These positions have effectively limited educational opportunities for thousands of New Jersey families, especially those in low-income communities, while protecting a system that rewards seniority over performance.

After years of watching their political influence wane, thanks in large part to former Governor Chris Christie’s efforts to expose their repeated abuses, the NJEA is now scrambling to reclaim its dominance in Trenton. And it appears they’ve chosen a vanity campaign by their own president as the vehicle for their comeback. In the end, it looks like the NJEA’s bid to crown a governor may amount to nothing more than a very expensive lesson.