Members of the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) this week will assess whether they want to formally endorse any 2020 legislative candidacies.

Amid the ongoing trials of Governor Phil Murphy versus Legislative Leadership, word on the street is members are not overly eager to endorse.

All 80 seats are up this year in the assembly, where Democrats wield a decisive 54-26 majority.

Sean Spiller, vice president of the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) made an observation to InsiderNJ.

“Members are very frustrated and very angry,” he said. “They want to know that the candidates they support share their values and priorities, and one of those top priorities is Ch. 78 relief.

“So far, there’s been way more talk than action on that issue,”Spiller added. “So hard to predict what members will do. Hopefully, legislators give them a reason to support.”

Key battleground districts feature Democratic Party incumbents (including LD1, 2, 8, 11 and 16) who opted against backing Murphy’s millionaire’s tax. Ultimately, the NJEA issued a neutral statement on the budget as the organization has experienced its own frustrations with the governor’s office.

At that time, the organization noted that “NJEA has been engaged in school funding discussions and has remained firm in its belief that taking aid from one district to give another is not a solution to the State’s underfunding problem.  We are concerned that the legislature’s cap of $20 million on emergency aid might not be sufficient to help those districts whose aid was cut and the legislature might need to increase this amount.  In addition, the budget removes extra aid for Lakewood’s unique circumstances.”