Tracing Alex Zdan’s Political Activity Between Senate Campaigns

Alex Zdan is continuing to gather county endorsements as he seeks the Republican nomination for United States Senate. Recent reporting by the New Jersey Globe states that the Cape May County Regular Republican Organization has endorsed his candidacy. That county joins Burlington, Essex, and Passaic in supporting the former News 12 reporter in his bid to challenge Senator Cory Booker in November.

Zdan previously sought the Senate nomination in 2024. During that campaign he secured several county endorsements before withdrawing after news reports disclosed a prior arrest for DUI and leaving the scene of an accident.

Public reporting and campaign filings indicate that Zdan remained politically active after ending that campaign. During the period between the 2024 race and his current 2026 bid:

• Zdan formed Authentic Leadership for America (ALFA PAC), a political action committee registered with both the Federal Election Commission and the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission.
• He joined TV Asia as a political contributor and launched a program titled Inside the Headlines with Alex Zdan.
• Politico reported he briefly explored a congressional run for the seat held by Rep. Herb Conaway (D-NJ-3).
• TAPinto reported he sought consideration for appointment to the Robbinsville Township Council but was not selected.
• Before ultimately entering the 2026 U.S. Senate race.

Federal campaign finance reports and promotional materials associated with ALFA PAC provide additional insight into that period. Together, these records show modest fundraising activity and a series of public events involving Republican officials and conservative advocacy organizations.

Public Record NJ has previously reported on Zdan’s connections within the county party organization in an earlier analysis of the Monmouth County GOP and the disappearing Alex Zdan articles. This article reviews those filings and related public records to document Zdan’s political activity between the end of his 2024 Senate campaign and the start of his 2026 bid.

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Formation and Structure of ALFA PAC

Authentic Leadership for America, commonly referred to as ALFA PAC, was organized during the 2024 election cycle and registered with both federal and New Jersey campaign finance regulators.

At the federal level, a Statement of Organization was filed with the Federal Election Commission on July 1, 2024 establishing ALFA PAC as a political committee.¹ The filing identifies Joseph R. Sarno III of Scotch Plains, New Jersey as the committee’s treasurer and custodian of records.¹

The FEC filing classifies the organization as a hybrid PAC meaning the committee maintains both a contribution account subject to federal limits and a separate account that may be used for independent expenditures.¹

A parallel registration was submitted in New Jersey with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) On August 13, 2024 the committee filed a Registration Statement and Designation of Organizational Depository (Form D-4 identifying Alexander Zdan as chairperson and again listing Sarno III as treasurer. The filing identifies Sarno’s occupation as accountant and lists his employer as Holman Frenia Allison, P.C., a Lakewood-based accounting firm.²

The registration includes a written statement describing the committee’s purpose. According to the filing:

“At ALFA PAC—Authentic Leadership for America—we believe that the workings of a wolf pack are a powerful metaphor for authentic leadership… Authentic leaders work decisively and collaboratively to achieve a clear vision… Authentic leadership isn’t about solitary success; it’s about service, purpose, and faith.”²

The filing states the committee seeks to advance what it describes as “a new era of conservative leadership.”²

The registration also estimated anticipated activity. ALFA PAC projected raising approximately $50,000 during the current calendar year and $100,000 in the following year with 100 percent of funds expected to be used for New Jersey election-related activity.²

More recent FEC filings submitted after Zdan began his current Senate campaign list Brian Johdos as the chairperson of ALFA PAC. Johdos is a committeeman in the Union County Republican organization.⁶

These organizational filings establish the committee’s legal structure and stated scope. Subsequent campaign finance reports provide a clearer picture of the funds raised and spent.

Federal Activity

Federal Election Commission reports show $11,518.59 in total receipts during the second half of 2024⁸ Individual contributions listed in the filings include donations from several New Jersey supporters, including Kate Farley and Sarah Weinstein, who were running for seats on the Middletown Township Board of Education at the time. The reports also list contributions from Richard Kosinski, founder of Brio Benefits. Most donations appear to be relatively small individual contributions, generally ranging from about $125 to $1,000.⁸

Fundraising increased in 2025 when the committee reported $21,997.53 in total receipts for the full calendar year⁸ Contributors include Declan O’Scanlon and Dawn Fantasia, both members of the New Jersey Assembly, along with donors from New Jersey and several out-of-state contributors. The largest contribution ($5,000) came from Dr. Ibrar Nadeem, who served as Muslim Relations advisor for Jack Ciattarelli’s 2025 gubernatorial campaign.⁸

Spending reported to the FEC reflects similarly limited activity. The committee reported $5,041.56 in total disbursements during the second half of 2024 primarily for operating and fundraising expenses.⁸ The largest payment was $2,800 for event space and food at The Barn at South Holland an event referenced on the committee’s social media as a “MAHA Victory Party” honoring State Senator Michael Testa.⁵ Other expenses included web hosting, texting and administrative services through RumbleUp, voter outreach costs, and $1,000 in compliance and reporting fees paid to the committee treasurer.⁸

In 2025, spending increased to $27,612.42 in total disbursements.⁸ Payments were largely directed to consulting and fundraising vendors. Several payments went to Campaign Engine for campaign and fundraising services, along with consulting payments to Story Group and Winning Republican Strategies, legal fees to Archer and Grenier, travel costs, and a $1,000 political donation to Solomon for Jersey City.⁸ Some expenditures appear in filings as “allocated federal/nonfederal disbursements,” meaning a single expense was divided between federal and nonfederal activity under federal reporting rules. Taken together, the federal filings reflect modest but continuous activity by the PAC Reports show $862.14 cash on hand as of December 31, 2025.⁸

New Jersey Activity

New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission filings show $12,520.51 in contributions during 2024.³ Most donations appear to come from individuals and fall in the low hundreds of dollars. Two larger corporate contributions were reported from Colliers Engineering and Design ($5,250) and Holman Frenia Allison P.C. ($1,500).³

The committee reported $13,572.34 in expenditures during 2024, slightly exceeding the amount raised that year.³ Expenses include consulting, communications services, event costs, and administrative expenses associated with operating the committee. As with the federal filings, the spending pattern suggests operational activity and event organizing rather than large-scale advertising.

In 2025, ELEC records show $6,250.00 in contributions reported to the state system.³ Fundraising appears more limited compared with the previous year. Contributions again appear to come largely from individuals. A closely linked committee, Proven Leadership PAC, contributed $1,000 during the year.³

The committee reported $7,976.57 in expenditures during 2025.³ Reported expenses include consulting, communications, and administrative costs typical for a political committee maintaining operations between election cycles. Together, the state filings indicate ongoing but relatively modest activity that complements the federal PAC activity described above.

Public Events and Endorsements

In addition to financial disclosures, ALFA PAC has maintained a visible public presence through events and endorsements.

Promotional materials and social media posts show that in 2024 the PAC hosted a pre-launch event honoring Middletown Mayor Tony Perry. Event sponsorship tiers advertised contributions up to $10,000. Federal filings provide context for those advertised levels, although the reports do not break out revenue by individual event.

Subsequent events included a rally centered on parental rights policy issues and partnerships with organizations such as Moms for Liberty NJ, the Newark Freedom Caucus, and other education-focused advocacy groups. Promotional materials from December 2024 reference a “MAHA” themed event honoring State Senator Michael Testa.⁵

In 2025, ALFA PAC endorsed Jack Ciattarelli for governor. Public press releases confirm that endorsement decision and place Zdan within a defined faction in the Republican gubernatorial primary.

Event materials from July 2025 reflect a fundraiser tied to Zdan’s 40th birthday that featured appearances by Ciattarelli and Scott Pressler of Early Vote Action. Promotional content lists sponsorship tiers and co-hosts, including individuals previously identified in Monmouth County Republican leadership.

Public records reflect consistent but relatively limited fundraising tied to these events when compared with overall receipts reported during the period.

Themes Reflected in PAC Activity

In an article covering his bid for Robbinsville Township Council, Zdan was described as “a GOP strategist and conservative political contributor, and he is the founder of the Authentic Leadership for America (ALFA PAC), focusing on conservative themes like fighting political corruption and securing the border.”

Public materials and endorsements associated with the PAC reflect several recurring themes:

• Education policy and parental rights advocacy, including partnerships with organizations such as Moms for Liberty.
• Public health messaging associated with the “MAHA” branding.
• Support for Republican candidates concentrated in Monmouth County.

These themes appear in the PAC’s events, endorsements, and public messaging.

Conclusion

Public records show that after withdrawing from the 2024 Senate race, Alex Zdan remained politically active through Authentic Leadership for America at both the federal and state level. Campaign finance filings document modest but continuous fundraising and expenditures through 2025, along with a series of events and endorsements connected to the committee.

The same filings indicate the PAC raised substantially less than the fundraising projections described in its original state registration documents. Available records also suggest much of its identifiable support has been concentrated in Monmouth County. While the PAC’s founding documents describe a goal of ushering “a new era of conservative leadership,” most candidates it endorsed have faced difficult general election outcomes.

As Zdan enters the 2026 Senate cycle, those records provide a documented view of his political activity between campaigns and how the PAC has operated during that period. With only a few county conventions remaining, those endorsements will provide the clearest tests of how much institutional support Zdan has within the state Republican organization.

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Notes

1. Federal Election Commission, Statement of Organization (FEC Form 1), ALFA PAC, filed July 1, 2024; amended February 12, 2026, FEC Committee ID C00882373.
2. New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, Registration Statement and Designation of Organizational Depository (Form D-4), Authentic Leadership for America PAC, filed August 13, 2024.
3. New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, campaign finance reports for Authentic Leadership for America PAC, 2024–2025 reporting periods.
4. Federal Election Commission, letter to Joseph R. Sarno III, Treasurer, ALFA PAC, regarding Post-General Report (Oct. 17–Nov. 25, 2024), December 19, 2024.
5. Instagram post, @therealalfapac, November 25, 2024, referencing the “MAHA Victory Party.”
6. Federal Election Commission, Statement of Organization amendment for ALFA PAC, filed February 12, 2026.
7. Federal Election Commission correspondence to ALFA PAC Treasurer Joseph R. Sarno III regarding Post-General Report compliance.
8. Federal Election Commission, ALFA PAC campaign finance reports, 2024–2025 reporting periods.