According to new information released by New Jersey’s Election Law Enforcement Commission, NJEA is the fourth largest spender in local and legislative election campaigning for next week’s elections. Among NJEA’s PAC’s the super PAC funded by teacher union dues called Garden State Forward, has spent $1.9 million.

This was first reported by The Record, which explains, “the teachers’ union [is] a major player in the culture wars that have swept K-12 education.”

“Our goals are to ensure that New Jersey’s schools are safe, well-funded, well-staffed and well-resourced,” union spokesperson Steven Baker said, noting that the NJEA opposes efforts to censor curriculum and ban books. “Access to information is fundamental to both education and democracy.”

Journalist Mary Ann Koruth notes that while policy is decided at the state level, lobbyists like NJEA often have a big impact on policy due to their fund-raising prowess: “One example of opposing interests is the NJEA’s stated opposition to charter school expansion in the state, even though many public charter schools in New Jersey are among the best-performing in the nation.” Also, “NJEA has advocated for inclusive curricula relating to gender and race in schools.”

The union’s teacher-dues-funded PAC can’t make donations to individual campaigns but it donates to other political committees that can. That $1.9 million funded two other PACs, $900,000 to Middle Ground and  $1 million to Prosperity Rising.. Over the last decade the PAC has spend $64 million in teachers dues on campaigns, including NJEA President Sean Spiller’s quest to become NJ’s governor and Governor Phil Murphy’s two gubernatorial campaigns.

While NJEA has occasionally funded Republican campaigns (like Fran Grenier’s ill-fated attempt to defeat Steve Sweeney), it mostly funds Democratic candidates. This may account, in part, for the big cash advantage Democrats have in driving votes. In the hotly-contested 11th District (the only one in NJ with both Democratic and Republican representatives) Sen. Vin Gopal and his running mates raised $3.4 million while their Republican opponents raised just $460K.

The National Council of State Legislatures expects NJ’s Senate and Assembly to remain in Democratic control.