Per my newsletter yesterday... but first:
I understand that not everyone receiving this newsletter may participate in the upcoming Democratic Primary on June 4th due to differing political affiliations or perspectives. I hope you know that I fully respect these differences, as they are vital to debate which strengthens our democracy, and our community. However, I am sharing this information with all of you because the outcome of the Democratic Primary Election on June 4th will more than likely determine our next congressional representative. And this individual will represent not only Democrats but every resident of our district. Just like how I represent everyone in the 2nd Ward and across Hoboken, regardless of political affiliation. Given the importance of this election, I hope everyone eligible to vote, including Democrats and unaffiliated voters, will take part to help elect the best leader for all of us. And for those who are unable to participate, that you encourage your friends who can, to vote.
Last week I co-hosted a Town Hall event for Congressman Rob Menendez. And as we reflect on this event below, it is even more clear that keeping him as our representative is the best decision we can make in this election.
Our goals for the event were simple: to have our neighbors meet Rob, hear his views, witness firsthand the impactful work he's been doing in our district and for Hoboken, and then leave a supporter and ambassador for his re-election to congress. Almost 80 neighbors attended the event and after answering audience questions for nearly 2 hours, Rob truly accomplished this goal! The audience was fully engaged the entire time. Attendees and subsequent feedback overwhelmingly praised him, using words and phrases like "authentic," "hard-working," "humility," "smart," “exactly the kind of person I want representing me,” and "how can I help his campaign". We'll have the entire event available online soon!
Here's a snapshot of what he covered:
- Diverse Representation: Rob highlighted the breadth and diversity of the 8th district, comprising of 13 municipalities, where 40% of residents were not born in the United States, and includes most of Hudson County and both Elizabeth and parts of Newark.
- Wide-Ranging Topics: Rob provided content-rich responses to 17 audience questions spanning a wide array of topics. He delved into what he sees as a top priority - affordability - which he views encompasses housing, immigrant work visas, affordable childcare and more. Additionally, he voiced the imperative need and what he has done to advocate for gun control, to codify Roe vs. Wade, to expand public transportation, and ensure a robust public education system with strong early childhood learning and workforce development programs. Rob addressed navigating a dysfunctional Republican-led Congress, distanced himself from allegations against his father, Senator Bob Menendez, and discussed the complexities of the Israel/Gaza conflict, the immigration crisis, fiscal policy and taxes, and more. He also emphasized the importance of focusing on the "singles and doubles" in Congress, the approach he believes is often overlooked, yet crucial, to make positive changes.
- Impactful Initiatives & Advocacy: He shared stories illustrating the broad needs across the district and scope of his work, from addressing a tragic port vessel fire in Newark that claimed two firefighters' lives, to securing Medicare reimbursement for a small doctor in Union City, and funding resiliency and water system improvements in Hoboken. He also discussed aiding 8th District Afghan immigrants post-US withdrawal and tackling issues like helicopter noise pollution in Jersey City and Hoboken.
- Differentiation from Opponent: Rob cited his strong record in Congress he has already built, in just his first term. On his opponent, he reflected on Ravi's historic support for him, the work they did together advocating for Hoboken, and Ravi’s expressions of gratitude, jokingly remarking how he wished he had saved all the texts and emails. He kept his focus on the issues, refraining from engaging in personal attacks. His comments were limited to noting the opportunistic nature of Ravi's decision to enter the race amidst allegations against Rob's father, seeing it as leveraging unfortunate circumstances for political gain.
- Emphasis on Relationships: Rob led early on with the importance of relationships as the basis for being a successful public servant. He cited his lifelong connections within the district—from his upbringing in Union City as the son of public servants to his roles as a lawyer, Port Authority commissioner, and Congressman. He highlighted the presence of numerous elected officials and community leaders from Hoboken at the event, as a testament to these relationships. Rob expressed gratitude for his extensive network of partnerships across the district.
A particularly poignant moment came when Rob was asked about his biggest accomplishment in his Freshman term. Rather than listing policy initiatives, he humbly credited his wife for being by his side to navigate with him the challenges his new role created for their family and two young children, in particular being away in DC most weeks. He then credited his exceptional team, and how grateful he was to have them, whose dedication allowed him to be successful and led to resolving 1,500 constituent issues since he took office.
To learn more about our Congressman, you can see his record in congress on his congressional website. and his priorities for the 8th District on his campaign website. Not unlike Hoboken’s ethics laws that prohibit using taxpayer funded assets for campaign purposes, federal law has the same restrictions which is why the information is divided across platforms.
So, what's next? We are hoping to schedule another event between now and June 4th. If you would be interested in attending this event, or any other of his campaign event, please let me know.
Upcoming Debate: Mark your calendar - Sunday, May 5th, New Jersey Globe is hosting a virtual debate at 8PM that you can watch LIVE online at any one of these sites: ONNJ.COM; NJGLOBE.COM, NJ GLOBE FB, NJ GLOBE YOUTUBE. It will be available afterwards as well. Hudson County View will be hosting a second debate in late May.
How you can help get Rob elected:
- Vote 3C!: Exercise your right to vote whether by mail (the first wave of ballots hit this week) or in person or or before June 4th!
- Spread the Word: Be an ambassador for Rob and encourage at least 5 friends who are registered Democrats or unaffiliated to vote for Rob. If you know people not registered, they can do so until May 14th to be able to vote in the primary.
- Stay Connected: Sign up for newsletters and follow Rob on social media for updates and like and share his posts - Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X, Threads,
- Show your support: Hang a window sign. Wear a sticker. Post on Social Media. Contact me to get your sign or sticker.
- Get Involved: Volunteer or donate to his campaign. We will be out door knocking in Hoboken and I would love to have you join us!
I hope you will join the many of us who are rallying behind Team Rob over the next 36 days to keep this dedicated public servant in office representing us!
Being a Congressmember is a HUGE job. Especially for our 8th District that has so much socio-economic diversity not just in terms of its residents, but in industry, infrastructure and transportation as well. To me, this is not a popularity contest. It is about selecting the person most committed to serving others and who is best positioned to address the diverse needs of our district. It is that simple to me. For these reasons, Rob has easily earned my vote, and I hope yours too.
As always, please share this with everyone you know who may be interested and reach out any time on any issue important to you: 201-208-1764 or [email protected]. Click to subscribe to my newsletter.
Tiffanie Fisher
Hoboken City Council, 2nd Ward
Engage. Inform. Advocate.
“More Voices are Better”
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