This Long Valley Business Owner Is Running For Senate

LONG VALLEY, NJ — A Long Valley businesswoman is tossing her hat in the ring to unseat Senator Cory Booker.

Veronica Fernandez, who owns a small commercial electrical contracting business with her husband, Mike, is running independently against three other official candidates for a seat in the Senate.

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The lifelong New Jersey native is running on the 'End the Corruption! Party' ticket, calling herself an "independent progressive."

Related — Race To Replace Senator Booker: See Who Is Running

"I do not have an Ivy League education, I am not a lawyer, and I am not connected to anyone in power. What I am is REPRESENTATIVE," Fernandez's campaign site reads. "I have faced the same endless struggles you do on a daily basis with everything from affording healthcare and groceries to getting help for a special needs child and trying to save for retirement. I know how we got into this mess and, more importantly, I know how to fix it."

Fernandez's platform focuses on several progressive policies, including the abolition of ICE, Medicare for all, and passing "common sense" gun laws.

One of Fernandez's top priorities is reforming campaign financing policies. She cites the Supreme Court's 2010 ruling on Citizens United, which allowed corporations and unions to spend unlimited amounts on independent political advertisements supporting or opposing candidates.

Fernandez says, if elected, she will sign a proposed 28th Amendment resolution in the Senate to overturn Citizens United on Day 1.

"Change can come from the top, and it's time for our representatives to be on record with who they work for," Fernandez said. "Overturning Citizens United IS the game changer for this country and will be the deciding factor in whether this 'experiment in democracy' succeeds or fails."

Fernandez is also outspoken about the Israel-Palestine conflict, condemning the actions of both Hamas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Fernandez calls out her incumbent opponent, saying, "Unlike Cory Booker, I will NOT vote in any way to continue arming Netanyahu, and I will not be accepting support, money, or otherwise from (the American Israel Public Affairs Committee) in any form."

Fernandez has also spoken on concerns about "splitting the vote" by voting for an independent candidate. She says that because Cory Booker is heavily favored to win, splitting the vote by voting for her is not likely.

"What you are free to do, what you actually have the chance to do in this election, is you can vote for your values, and you can vote your conscience," Fernandez said in a social media post. "A vote for me would also send a very strong message to leadership that you are tired of 'do nothing, status quo' politicians, that you want a working-class Congress, and that you want to be heard."

Click here to learn more about Fernandez's campaign.

To learn more about the Senate race in New Jersey, click here.

Election Day is Nov. 3.