On Friday March 21, Croatians Online’s Mark Plavetic interviewed Republican New Jersey Governor candidate, Mario Kranjac. The topics covered his running for governor, his race in the Republican governor primary, Croatian roots, Croatian public relations and his position on President Trump.
Since 2016, Mayor Kranjac has served as mayor for Englewood Cliff New Jersey as a political outsider and changing the status co and improving the quality of life, fight against corruption, improving public infrastructure, lowering government waste spending, and taxes. Before running for Mayor, he founded both a successful law firm at Wall Street New York and a venture capital firm that helps biotechnology companies turn their life-saving technologies into reality.
“I want to do for New Jersey as I did for Englewood Cliff in terms of fraud, waste abuse and corruption and all of the craziness that came with it.” Mayor Kranjac, a Republican who supports President Donald Trump, has emphasized the need for the New Jersey legislature to create a DOGE-like committee to tackle government waste, fraud, abuse, and corruption, like the committee he established in Englewood Cliff.
He was known to be the “Trumpy Mayor” for his unwavering support for President Trump and his actions to challenge leftist opponents, including billing a Black Lives Matter protestor $2,500 who was asked to pay for the police officers who worked overtime. He is also an advocate against public indoctrination and for the reversal of diversity, equity, and inclusion policies that were prevalent to the previous Biden administration’s agenda.
The New Jersey primary for the governor will be on June 10 with five candidates on the ballot. At least 40% of people are currently undecided, and Mario mentioned that he is building up momentum through Former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich’s endorsing of him and his position as a political outsider and successful lawyer and venture capitalist. On March 22, Mayor Kranjac hosted a meet and greeting and petition signing at The Giovanni’s Bicycle Club at Englewood Cliff.
Mayor Kranjac shared about his Croatian heritage where his roots are outside of Pula, the largest city in Istria and home to the best well-preserved Roman amphitheater built between 27 AD and 81 AD for gladiatorial games. He expressed his love and admiration for the food, beaches, and the only place in the world where you can see all the stars at night. He visited his parent’s hometown since childhood when Pula was part of the former Yugoslavia. “It’s so nice to see how Croatia is thriving after 30 years of change through democracy, and capitalism, and it’s such as an amazing thing to see and when you think about it was the same beach years ago, but the system didn’t work.”
He also mentioned that Croatian and US relations will improve with the Trump Administration and that he will shed a light on how much better countries can do to develop themselves than being over dependent on the European Union (EU). “Croatia can do a better job managing Croatia than what bureaucrats and technocrats in Strasbourg can do,” said Mayor Kranjec.
“I think EU needs Croatia more than Croatia needs the EU.”
Croatia has been a member of the EU since 2013 and is the 28th EU member country. Since its accession, Croatia has experienced a demographic crisis where the number of Croatian emigrants has increased in the last 5 years with over 177,000 Croatian citizens reported temporary departure from Croatia. Demographers have claimed that Croatia is undergoing an “incredible depopulation by emigration and natural decline.”
Along with U.S. diplomacy, the Avoidance of the Double Taxation Treaty was mentioned, and Mayor Krajnac spoke positively about its prospects in getting finalized. “Right now, Croatia is stuck in the weeds with the EU tariffs, but I think it will truly finalize in some way in the future.” Since 2022, the treaty has been stuck at the Treasury Department and awaits formal changes in several clauses and language harmonization with various other double taxation treaties. The DTT will then be sent to the Senate for final approval through a 2/3 majority vote.
Last November Mayor Kranjac had an interview with Croatians Online to comment on President Trump’s recent electoral win and was asked on his thoughts were after 60 days since his inauguration. “I think [Trump] is doing a tremendous job,” said Mayor Kranjec. “In the long term it will work very well. I don’t think anyone was ready for him to make changes in the first 60 days let alone the first 100 days that people usually talk about. He is doing exactly what he is doing what he said he will be doing during the campaign, and people shouldn’t feel surprised by it.”
After being asked about any advice to young Croatian Americans, Mayor Kranjac emphasized the importance for young people to embrace “God, Family, and Country” and the fact that the American dream is rooted in the dedication of hard-working immigrants willing to provide a better life and education for their children. He said, “Ben Franklin actually said ‘God gave us life and liberty, man did not give us either,’ so it’s important to keep that alive, but we also have an obligation to make sure we honor all of that.”
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