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Assemblyman John S. Wisniewski.

(John Munson/NJ Advance Media)

NEWARK -- Democratic gubernatorial hopeful John Wisniewski said Tuesday that New Jersey voters get little say in who they elect because of a "rigged system" that gives a party leaders the majority of the power.

Wisniewski, a veteran member of the state Assembly who's among more than a dozen candidates who say they want to succeed Republican Gov. Chris Christie, said voters are hamstrung by a small group of individuals: the party leader of each of the state's 21 counties.

"We have a political process in New Jersey that ultimately needs to be changed," Wisniewski (D-Middlesex) said during an editorial board meeting with The Star-Ledger.

"It's a rigged system that allows party chairs to declare their choice 11, 12, (or) 13 months before we actually have an election," he said. "If we're really going to have a meaningful primary, there ought to be a choice among candidates."

Wisniewski railed against the process in New Jersey where local party leaders often have control over ballot lineup and local resources that can decide the outcome of a a primary election.

"Many people in New Jersey don't realize how unique our system is and the amount of power that party organizations, particularly those county chairs, have in the primary process," said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute.

"When you have the first position, when you have that position that ties you to other known political figures that people are happy with and they're likely to go down that line," Murray said.

Wisniewski called it a "play-to-pay" system that lets hopefuls "shower" local officials with money in return for their support.

He didn't call out his opponent by name.

But Wisniewski's remark was a thinly veiled swipe at rival Phil Murphy, who won all the available lines to date and who has donated at least $1.15 million to state and local Democratic organizations and candidates since 2001, according to a recent NJ Advance Media analysis of campaign finance records.

More than 40 percent of that money -- about $466,000 -- was shelled out over the past three years, a period during which Murphy, a millionaire former Goldman Sachs banking executive, took steps toward launching his campaign

Murphy's campaign assailed Wisniewski for his claim.

"It is laughable when anyone who has spent over 20 years as a Trenton insider rails against the volunteers who are the heart and soul of Democratic county committees across our state," Julie Roginsky, a senior strategist for the Murphy campaign, said.

"That is insulting to the men and women who have devoted time and boundless energy to furthering progressive causes and who overwhelmingly voted to support Phil Murphy because he shares their commitment to growing our middle class and taking New Jersey back from the special interests," she said.

Murphy has won the support of 20 of the 21 Democratic county organizations.

Cape May County Democrats will endorse a candidate on Sunday.

Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or on Facebook.