Continuing to come to the aide of Democrats across the state, Gov. Phil Murphy (D) came to Jersey City to help fundraise for Josh Welle, the Democratic congressional candidate in the 4th Legislative District.Â
“Your vote is your vote, but you may be able to get 100 more people out to vote and that should be your goal. Because Hudson County should be the county where presidential candidates roll through,” began Hudson County Democratic Organization Chair Amy DeGise.
“Hudson County should be the country where progressive initiatives that are talked about at the national level are done here first and we have that power.”
DeGise also exclaimed that while Hudson County, an overwhelmingly blue county, typically has 30 percent turnout in November, that number needs to be far exceeded next month with U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) on the ballot.
John Currie, the Democratic Committee Chair of both Passaic County and New Jersey, said that it’s time for a change in District 4, given that Smith has been in office since 1981.
“I think it’s far too long that Chris Smith has been down in Washington, doing nothing but expel politics, and we could send a man there that’s going to look out for the progressive folks of New Jersey,” stated Currie.
“I am so happy that you have come to Hudson County, the county that delivers the votes, because Democrats don’t win statewide, or congressional district wide, without Hudson.”
Murphy, who stood side by side with Hudson Dems twice last week to try and bolster the vote for Menendez, this time came to White Eagle Hall to lend a hand to Welle – a 39-year-old U.S. Navy veteran who has run an aggressive campaign against Smith in an overwhelmingly red district.
Particularly impressed with his resume, which also includes three master’s degrees, Murphy said that the time is now to replace someone like Smith – who he claims has a particularly bad voting record when it comes to women’s rights and the LGBTQ community.
“Smith is particularly bad on women’s issues and LGBTQ issues. Reflecting coming out of the Kavanaugh hearings, that has to come into stark relief: we have to make sure that we’re shining a particular light, given how that process was so railroaded.”
As he addressed the small crowd of a few dozen people, Welle echoed the same sentiment that many Democrats across the country have proclaimed: that these November 6th elections will bring a blue wave to the polls to push back against President Donald Trump (R).
“You feel that same sense of duty as we watch this president eat away at our climate, eat away at our justice system, eat a way at a woman’s right to choose in America,” said Welle, who called Smith “an entrenched incumbent” who has let hid district down.
Attacking Smith for his voting record, Welle promised to embrace women’s rights and smart gun laws if elected.
“I think as Democrats, we need to lift everyone up. Lifting them up means a great economic future, investing in teachers, investing in public education, and making sure that everyone can pay their mortgage and pay their rent,” Welle explained.
“Why did we lose elections in the past, as Democrats? We didn’t focus on bringing everyone up, no matter what they look like, the color of their skin.”
While Welle’s district is in South Jersey, this isn’t the first time he attended a fundraiser in Jersey City: Mayor Steven Fulop hosted an event at South House back in July.
The Smith campaign could not be reached for comment.
