11 of the 12 candidates running for the open seat in the 10th Congressional District attended a candidate forum at A Better Life Ministry Church in Jersey City last night.
By Daniel Ulloa/Hudson County View
The special election to succeed late U.S. Rep. Donald Payne is on Tuesday.
The frontrunner for the seat is Newark Council President LaMonica McIver, who has the endorsements of the likes of Gov. Phil Murphy, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, and New Jersey Democratic State Committee Chair LeRoy Jones. She was the only candidate who didn’t attend.
Jersey City NAACP President Charles Mainor, a former state Assemblyman, noted the need to highlight the Jersey City portion of the Essex County-based seat.
“I’m noticing that in more and more communities like ours, it’s very difficult for people to maintain their households. Gentrification is real. I’ve been putting in measures in my town from that happening,” Linden Mayor Derek Armstead said.
He added he wanted to fight gentrification across the district.
“I don’t believe in band-aiding anything. You’ve been given money, and that money has been given to political bosses,” stated Republican nominee Carmen Bucco.
He added he would foster entrepreneurship and would fight hard against illegal immigration.
“The issues that are paramount in Jersey City are economic. Jersey City is going through that gentrification. I helped build affordable housing building on Ocean Ave,” New Jersey Redevelopment Authority Executive Darryl Godfrey asserted.
Former East Orange Councilwoman Brittany Claybrooks explained her background as an urban planner and community organizer, as well as having experience at the federal level.
“Why are people struggling, and what are we going to do about that?” she asked.
“I am tired of more of the same. Legacy and history are more important than the struggle of the people. What about the folks in need?” community activist Debra Salters asked.
“I love to serve the people. I have worked to bring this community $30 million from the federal government for healthcare,” businesswoman and nonprofit leader Alberta Gordon noted.
“I’ve been in the government to save our kids and our communities,” Professor Sheila Montague explained.
She said she worked to address issues like lead in the water and said she hated book banning and the trampling of women and voters’ rights, also highlighting that she wants to “attack Project 2025.”
“Our shared future as a planet and a district includes affordable housing, universal pre-k education,” educator John Flora said.
“I’m a U.S. veteran. I have worked for Congressman Donald Payne. I actually helped the people of the 10th district. I wanted and need to help,” former congressional aide Shana Melius said.
Hudson County Commissioner Jerry Walker (D-3) noted received a hometown welcome before giving introductory remarks.
“My slogan is people before politics. I think I’m doing God’s work. Everything we’re going to talk about is the stuff I’m already doing … I know how to cross the aisle. We all gotta get along somehow,” he added.
Erika Bermudez asked about the inclusion of minority contractors in the construction of the Gateway tunnel.
“The Gateway tunnel is fully funded. I just opened up a trade school. We’re trying to prep our population to get those jobs. It’s really going to change a lot of people’s lives. We want to have our own population ready for these jobs,” Walker noted.
Melius said as Payne’s aide, she fostered minority contractors.
“The congressman opened a lot of doors. I will continue on his legacy,” she exclaimed.
“We need to be careful when we use the word minority. Minorities have different needs. We need to further create those opportunities,” Flora added.
“I’ve had to negotiate community benefits agreements. Making sure of government oversight is a top priority. We need to make sure we’re holding them accountable,” Claybrooks said.
“I’m doing that work. I designed a program where the subs (contractors) got their money,” Godfrey said.
Bermudez asked about their position on providing public safety funding for a mental health unit for police.
“That is a huge problem right now. We need mental health advocates. We’ve had a lot of deaths. They need to be taught how to handle individuals,” Salters said.
“We lack enough mental health workers in general. We would need to address the funding, Gordon said.
Montague said police department budgets shouldn’t be cut.
“They need to people who are certified. Not friends and and family. That’s going on in Newark now,” she added.
Montague said she knows some former gang members are police officers now.
The next question was about issues with felons and the creation of re-entry programs to help them. Flora thought mental health for police is important too.
“They’re making it so hard for us. Everything’s online. But we don’t have devices,” he recounted someone saying to him, adding that he was for anything to aid law enforcement.
Melius said she worked with Payne on creating programs in prisons to address this.
“I actually run an organization … where we get people jobs. They don’t have training programs that would help them,” she added.
Bermudez asked if they felt that low income needs to be specified in the definition of affordable housing and first-time home-owner programs.
“Affordable housing is not affordable housing anything more,” Walker declared.
He noted a lot of people make what’s thought to be the median income of $62,000 a year.
Walker wanted to make it mandatory to put affordable housing in development, which is difficult in New Jersey.
“It’s a real issue in Jersey City,” he continued.
“We need to amend the AMI. The times are different. After COVID, everything seemed to skyrocket,” Melius said, further stating that Section 8 housing is a good idea.
Flora called for a comprehensive social services center built.
“We’re allotting so much money to people coming into our country when we were told we didn’t have money for reparations,” Montague said.
“I often ask affordable for whom. You need to make $80,000 and up to live,” Salters said.
“(In East Orange), I was the chair over the planning and grants committee. The federal government must step in,” Claybrooks stated, calling for the Home Fund Program to be federally funded.
Godfrey said he has worked to create $30 million worth of development in the district. Godfrey wanted to get more money to build housing to better developers.
“We’re giving money to illegal immigrants,” Bucco exclaimed.
“What would you do if elected to attack the proposed Project 2025?” Bermudez asked, indicating that Republicans want to defund many domestic policy programs.
“We need to get behind someone who’s going to win the election. We need to try to build consensus,” Armstead said.
“Don’t believe the hype: I’m the only Republican on this table. The media is trying to push this narrative,” Bucco alleged.
“We have to vote. If he’s (Donald Trump) is allowed to get more time, it’s going to erode all issues,” Godfrey said.
Claybrooks acknowledged the tumult and drama around President Joe Biden’s (D) re-election campaign after his disastrous performance at last month’s ABC debate.
“We have to work together. Project 2025 will only benefit the richer people,” she added.
“I don’t believe we’re going to let Project 2025 out. It’s the ability to become authoritarian. We can’t let it stomp our civil liberties,” Gordon said.
“Them shrinking the Department of Education is a huge deal,” Montague noted, claiming it would empower the police and police brutality at the expense of oversight.
Melius said they would go after Social Security and housing.
“We need to focus on getting him out of there. They’re trying to eliminate abortion. If Trump is in office we are in trouble,” she added.
“We don’t need Donald Trump’s appointing any more justices. This is something that’s critical to our society,” Walker exclaimed, to which Melius said she would introduce articles of impeachment if elected.
Flora agreed, also calling for term limits and increasing the number of justices on the Supreme Court.
“We should stand for the reversing of Roe v. Wade. We got Juneteenth but not reparations,” Montague exclaimed.
Gordon was also in favor of term limits on Justices.
“I support the right to choose, she added. We should have the right to do whatever we want with our body,” she added.
“A man doesn’t have a womb. So he shouldn’t tell us what to do with our bodies. Abortions are not contraception,” Salters said.
“I want to travel and help get other Democrats elected,” Claybrooks said, indicating she also wanted to address Black maternal health.
Bucco claimed COVID-19 was “nothing” to boos of the crowd before saying he was pro choice
“You’ve got to elect a president who believes in women’s rights. I do believe in the right to choose,” Armstead claimed.
“Should there be term limits for a congressperson?” Bermudez asked.
Flora, Melius, and Walker all definitively came out in favor of term limits.
Walker also argued longtime incumbents in Congress engage in insider trading.
“They call their friends up. They get kickbacks, too!” he exclaimed.
Bermudez asked for closing remarks and if they’d keep the New Jersey district office in Newark open.
“I ensured our economy is responsive. I’ve raised the medium income in our town. I’m the right guy to go to Washington,” Armstead argued.
“I will keep the office open. There will be somebody designated to know when grants are coming. We need somebody that’s going to get the job done,” Claybrooks exclaimed.
“I find it a little disrespectful that not everybody was here. It’s in my DNA to help people,” Walker declared.
He said he has turned down lucrative jobs and noted his desire for bipartisanship.
“I was working with the congressman. I have federal know-how. I was an advocate for small businesses. I will be ready on Day 1,” Melius said.
“I will walk the streets no politicians do. My three pillars are affordable housing, education, and healthcare,” Godfrey stated.
Gordon said she would be a strong advocate for addressing gun violence and maternal health issues.
“I am fighting for climate change. It is an existential crisis,” Flora said, noting he wanted to work on homelessness and other economic issues.
While the primary is next Tuesday, the special general election will be held on September 18th.
Gentrification transformed Newport from a dump into great place to live
Would love to see a link to this forum so i can watch it