Cross-posted at Blue Jersey. Visit me at LindaStenderForCongress.com, where you can sign up for updates and contribute online via ActBlue.
I'm sure many of you have heard the news: Republican Congressman Mike Ferguson is not seeking re-election in 2008. While New Jersey's 7th District won't be seeing the rematch everyone expected, I’m still moving ahead at full-steam with my congressional campaign regardless of who my opponent will be.
First, before anything else, I just want to say that I respect Congressman Ferguson's decision not to run again. As the mother of three children, I understand all too well the difficulty of juggling the demands of public service and family. Along those lines, one of my strongest motivations for running for Congress is the well-being of all families and the future of all our children.
I also want to make it clear that this doesn’t change my outlook on the race. I was never running against Mike Ferguson. All along, I’ve been running for my neighbors in New Jersey’s 7th District. Here are just a few of the reasons why:
I want to end Bush’s War in Iraq. So many of our sons and daughters are fighting halfway across the globe in a war that should never have been waged – led by leaders who have no plan to end it. I will fight to bring them home.
I want to make sure we fund stem cell research. Not so long ago, the mere thought of treating diseases like polio and small pox was a dream of the future. Today, due to our society’s commitment to discovering treatments, these diseases are a thing of the past. I truly believe that stem cell research holds the keys to unlocking the cures for cancer, as well as spinal cord injuries, Alzheimer’s, M.S., diabetes and a whole host of other debilitating diseases and chronic conditions.
I want to help bring about a real, sustainable national energy plan. In the state legislature, I wrote the New Jersey Global Warming Response Act, imposing reduction standards to curb global warming emissions. These are the strictest standards in the nation. But I also believe we need a national energy policy to reduce our dangerous dependence on foreign oil and protect our environment for future generations.
Regardless of who I end up facing on the ballot next November, these are some of the things I am fighting for. You’ll hear me speaking about them on the campaign trail, and you’ll see me fighting for them when I'm elected to Congress.
Ultimately, a simple changing of the guard amongst Republicans will not be nearly enough of a change for the voters. After eight years of (mis)representation from Bush Republicans, the residents of New Jersey’s 7th District want a change in the direction of our country. And no Republican who replaces Mr. Ferguson on the ballot will bring the change that the voters demand and that our nation needs.
The voters have already sent a strong message rejecting the failed policies of the Bush Administration and all the Rubber-Stamp Republicans who sided with him. And the disastrous record of Bush and the Republican Party has become even more pronounced since the 2006 elections. I have no doubt that the voters are more than anxious to follow through in 2008, and I am more than prepared to keep up the fight on their behalf.
I never slowed down after coming within a percentage point of beating Mr. Ferguson last year. In fact, his departure only steels my determination to bring about more change down in DC. The stakes are far too important for my neighbors, our families and this country.
This year, early money is going to mean more than ever before. We need to show the pundits, the press, and any Republicans who might try to continue the Ferguson legacy that this race is going to be an uphill battle for them, that our campaign has the wind to its back.
I hope I can count on your support. As you all know, New Jersey is indeed an expensive place run a race – especially having to contend with the pricey New York City media markets. If you can make a contribution at our ActBlue page, you'll be giving everyone in New Jersey a little something extra to be thankful for this week.
I am honored to have so much support so early for my campaign. I was able to count on such wonderful backing in 2006 – everyone from Governor Corzine to New Jersey for Democracy. And I know I'm going to have an even broader base of support over the coming year. I really hope I can count on you, too.
LindaStenderForCongress.com