Pete Cammarano is stepping down as the chief of staff for Gov. Phil Murphy, three sources told ROI-NJ.
The sources requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak on the situation, which is fluid.
The reasons for his departure are unclear, but one source said he was not forced out.
“He did this on his own,” the source said.
The timing of his departure also is unclear, but some say Cammarano has been contemplating resigning for some time.
“It could be next week or next month or next year,” a source said. “It depends on how things play out — but he’s definitely leaving.”
Other sources said the reports stemmed from a recent discussion between Cammarano and the governor on the topic.
A senior administration official did not address the pending resignation but said, “Pete Cammarano has not resigned, and he remains in his position as chief of staff to the governor.”
New Jersey Globe was the first to report on Cammarano’s pending resignation.
Cammarano is a former mayor of Metuchen, but it was his extensive experience in Trenton that made him an ideal selection as chief of staff for Murphy.
Cammarano previously served as chief of staff to Gov. Richard Codey from 2004-06. Prior to that, he spent 10 years working in the New Jersey Senate as state Sen. Codey’s chief of staff. He also served as the director of public affairs for the Department of Insurance during the tenure of Gov. Jim Florio and as deputy director for Frank Lautenberg’s 1994 re-election campaign to the U.S. Senate.
Cammarano is a former member of the New Jersey Casino Reinvestment Development Authority and served for seven years as a member of the Metuchen Borough Council prior to being elected mayor in 2015.
