District 7 Primary Election 2022: Erik Peterson

DISTRICT 7, NJ — Assemblyman Erik Peterson (District 23) is running for election in the House of Representatives 7th Congressional District primary election on June 7. He is running against eight other candidates.

Republican Peterson is running against seven other Republicans including Kevin B. Dorlon, Thomas H. Kean, Jr., Philip Rizzo, John Henry Isemann, Sterling I. Schwab, Roger Bacon and John Flora competing on the ticket.

Democratic incumbent Tom Malinowski and Roger Bacon are also running in a contested Democratic primary.

Are you running for office in District 7? Contact Alexis Tarrazi at alexis.tarrazi@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Patch.

Erik Peterson

Age: 56

Town of Residence: Franklin Township (Hunterdon)

Position Sought: Congress District 7

Party Affiliation: Republican

Family: Wife of 22 years, four children

Education: B.A. North Carolina State University (Business Management), J.D. Temple University School of Law

Occupation: Attorney, Law Offices of Erik Peterson L.L.C.

Previous Elected or Appointed Office:

• New Jersey State Assemblyman 2009 - Present
• (23 rd Legislative District), Hunterdon County Freeholder 2006 - 2009.

Why are you seeking to run for District 7?

I am concerned with what I see happening to America. The radical Democrats want to take away our freedom, our guns, our right to free speech, control our bodies, and destroy our American way of life. So, I am running for Congress because I am concerned about the future for our kids – yours and mine. I want our children to have the same boundless opportunities that our parents and grandparents worked so hard for us to have. In addition to taking away our freedoms, the Democrat policies of out-of-control spending and energy dependence, is resulting in runaway inflation – and needs to be reversed. And, the Democrats’ agenda of indoctrinating their Liberal social agenda – for example calling parents’ “domestic terrorists” or forcing their “woke” gender identity education to young children – cannot be tolerated. As I have done for 12 years on the NJ Legislature, I will continue to be a strong voice for conservative fiscal and economic policies, protect our Second Amendment and Constitutional rights, demand voting integrity, advocate for energy independence, demand parental rights in their children’s education, support a border wall and our law enforcement, and fight against the Democrats’ social war on our American culture, freedom of religion, free speech, women’s equality, and family values.

Do you feel flooding is an issue in the district? How would you like to address it?

Flooding is an issue in some parts of the Congressional District and has been for some time. While in the State Legislature I have been supportive of measures to buy properties in flood areas and return the property to its natural state. I have supported measures for other flood mitigation measures and will continue to do so in Congress. However, Governor Murphy's policies, specifically the stormwater management plans, may be contributing to flooding in areas that were not prone to flooding in the past. I have requested that the NJ DEP take a look at their storm water management plans to evaluate their policies to determine their effectiveness and or contribution to flooding. With sound stormwater management plans we can mitigate flooding.

How do you feel about Roe v Wade potentially being overturned?:

I am pro-life. I am the only candidate in the race that has been endorsed by the New Jersey Right to Life (NJRTL). Government’s fundamental obligation is to protect life. The Democrats in the New Jersey State Legislature recently passed and Governor Murphy signed into law the most sweeping and horrific abortion bill in the world. The law eliminated all restrictions on abortion including removing parental consent of 12-year-olds to obtain an abortion; it permits partial-birth abortions where a partial born viable baby is killed just as it takes its first breath and permits abortions by any medical provider including nurses. I voted against this barbaric legislation and I will always vote in favor of life because a country that values all life is a country that will value all of its people equally and will no longer deem some life or people of a lesser value.

What other issues do you feel must be tackled in the district?

The most pressing issue facing our district is the runaway inflation. Joe Biden and the Democrats
reckless spending and energy dependence policies has resulted in an 8.5% inflation rate, the highest in our nation’s history. This 8.5% inflation rate is a direct tax on the people of our district. If we do not get control of Government spending, and reintroduce America First energy independence policies, the cost of living and quality of life in our State will continue to deteriorate. Our community will not prosper and our children will miss out on the future they deserve if inflation drives the middle class into poverty by demagogic policies of the Democrats in Washington D.C. As our Congressman, I will focus on maintaining a balanced budget through the elimination of wasteful spending and push for energy independence to both lower inflation and enhance our national security.

What sets you apart from the challenging candidates?

I am the only candidate in this race with a consistently solid Republican voting record. I am the only candidate who has been endorsed by the New Jersey Right to Life and the NJ Second Amendment Society. I have earned an American Conservative Union’s CPAC lifetime rating of 95% – the highest rating in the State of any elected official. In the legislature, I voted against every tax increase, including the gas tax. I have stood up against vaccine mandates in Trenton and I have stood with parents at school board meetings. I have introduced legislation to prevent biological males from competing in women’s sports, and I have introduced legislation to prohibit gender identification and sex orientation education in grades K-5 and to require parental informed consent thereafter. The majority of the candidates in this primary have no voting record. One of those candidates has significant ethical issues by creating an improper tax shelter and doesn’t even live in this Congressional district. The only other candidate with State legislature experience voted to increase taxes, received a ‘F’ rating from the NRA, caved to the Democrats’ mask and vaccine mandates, supports Critical Race Theory, and actually voted to allow men
to use girls’ bathrooms. I am the only candidate with a voting record that proves what I say and have always supported and fought for our shared Republican values. You can learn more facts about the candidates and see how I compare at Peterson2022.com/facts.html.

What else would you like to share about yourself or your campaign?

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