2018 General Election Elected 52 — 46
The Man
Jeff Van Drew http://vandrewteam.com/ is running for the Congressional Seat that Daily Kos describes as the third most likely to be flipped from Republican to Democrat. Not everyone agrees. One report says the district Leans Republican. Another says the District is a Toss-up. A third says that this is an endangered Republican seat. The Incumbent Congressman has announced his retirement — a sign that he thought his seat was in danger.
Jeff Van Drew is the candidate that locals wanted. He is the candidate that the establishment wanted. He is a state Senator. Has been a state Senator since 2008, representing a district that covers South Jersey — a pretty large piece of territory for an urban, eastern state. He won by 10 points the first time, 20 points the second time, and 30 points the third time. He may be the best liked dentist in the state. He has been president of the New Jersey Dental Society and a Board Expert for the NJ Board of Dentistry. He was a Fire Commissioner, a Mayor, and an Assemblyman.
What might you not like?Van Drew is a cultural conservative – more conservative than I would want my Congressman to be. He was one of only two Democrats in the state Senate to vote against same-sex marriage. He had a proposal that would allow New Jerseyans who pass a background check to carry guns. He proposes that people should be able to display the flag and “In God we trust” whenever they want to. He is proud of opposing tax increases and argues that when people need to tighten their belts, so should government.
What might you like?
Jeff Van Drew advocates for veterans in diverse, meaningful ways. He supports funding education — especially for children with disabilities. He wants to keep net neutrality. He wants to stop unwanted telemarketing. He would stop predatory lenders. He would create consumer protections for people coping with cable and telephone companies. Van Drew fights corporate greed.
Jeff Van Drew beats Republicans. He beats Republicans in Republican areas. He brings Democratic candidates along with him. New Jersey is organized with two state Assembly districts within each Senate district. He gained an Assembly seat. After being elected to the state Senate, he helped two like-minded, Democratic Assemblymen get elected. Jeff Van Drewdidn’t have a personal political website for New Jersey; he had one for his legislative team.
We need Jeff Van Drew http://vandrewteam.com/. We get a Democratic majority in Congress when Jeff Van Drew and others like him beat Republicans. There are other Democrats who have expressed interest in the seat. Now that Van Drew has announced, he will probably clear the field. Even if he does not, he will win the nomination. He will win the election, too, if he is not and we are not complacent. Support him. Monthly donations, even small ones, are an indication of widespread grassroots support. Let’s make flipping this seat a sure thing.
