Former NJEA President Sean Spiller is launching a challenge to the incumbent president of the National Education Association in their 2026 leadership election.
Spiller becomes the second candidate to challenge Princess Moss, the current NEA vice president, in a contest to replace outgoing President Becky Pringle. Kate Dias, the president of the Connecticut Education Association, entered the race in July.
“Our strength is in our collective action,” Spiller said. “When educators organize, we can mobilize for real change, elevate our professions, improve our members’ lives, support our communities, and deliver the schools our students deserve.”
Spiller led New Jersey’s largest public employee union from 2021 to 2025. He is a former mayor of Montclair and sought the Democratic nomination for governor earlier this year; he finished fifth in a field of six candidates with 10.6% of the vote.
Through super PACs, the NJEA spent an estimated $40 million in support of Spiller’s gubernatorial bid. The expenditures are now the subject of a lawsuit.
Moss, who served as secretary-treasurer and then as vice president, is a former president of the Virginia Education Association.
The election is next summer at the NEA convention in Denver.
