Robert Auth endorsed Jon Bramnick for governor, saying at the time that he was playing the "long game."

He meant he was thinking about which GOP candidate had the best chance of winning in the fall.

But now the "long game" has gotten a bit short.

Auth and his Assembly colleague in LD-39, John Azzariti Jr., have a primary challenger in next week's primary.

That's Frank Pallotta, who is a familiar name among Bergen County Republicans.

Pallotta twice tried to oust Rep. Josh Gottheimer in CD-5, losing in 2020 and 2022. Now he's focusing on the state Assembly in a district ranging over northern Bergen County. This is a remaining Republican stronghold in a largely Democratic county.

That itself is an issue for Pallotta.

He says the GOP's winning margin in the district is narrowing, which doesn't bode well.

"We're on the path to losing," Pallotta said in a recent interview with the NJ Globe. A little later, he added:

"I'm a party guy. I want to make sure the Republican Party wins."

This was supposed to be a debate among all three candidates, but the incumbents were not able to attend.

On their websites, Auth and Azzariti say they support "common sense leadership" and standing up to the radical Democrats respectively.

But as the campaign winds down, Auth's support for Bramnick has raised eyebrows.

On that score, we have a recent op-ed from Alexandra Bougher. She is the chair of the Bergen County chapter of Moms for Liberty. She said her op-ed is her personal view.

And in it, she criticized Auth for taking contributions from the NJEA. This, as we have previously stated, is a perennial issue in Republican primaries. In short, the teachers' union tends to support incumbents, sometimes regardless of party.

But then, she wrote:

"Even more alarming is Auth’s endorsement of Never-Trumper Senator Jon Bramnick, a co-sponsor and vocal supporter who voted in favor of the so-called “Freedom to Read” Act. While the title may sound innocuous, the law allows sexually explicit and age-inappropriate content in elementary school libraries - and provides protections for educators who distribute that material, regardless of parental concerns.

This is a clear overstep that sidelines parents and puts questionable content in front of young children.
And yet, Auth recently and publicly posted the Moms for Liberty Parents' Pledge, a document meant to affirm a commitment to parental rights, transparency in education, and -  most importantly -  the protection of children from inappropriate content. This contradiction cannot be ignored.

You cannot claim to stand for parents while accepting money from the very organizations pushing policies that so many parents oppose. You cannot pledge to defend children while endorsing laws that expose them to inappropriate material. This is not principled leadership - it’s political convenience."

Bougher then urges Republicans in the district to back Pallotta.