Republican Hillary Herzig Challenges Democrat Frank Pallone For U.S. Congress

OCEANPORT, NJ — Hillary Herzig is the Republican running against Democrat Frank Pallone for U.S. Congress this year.

The election will be Nov. 3, but mail-in ballots were already sent to homes; early, in-person voting will be Oct. 24 - Nov. 1.

Subscribe

Pallone represents New Jersey's Sixth Congressional District, which includes Woodbridge, Matawan, Aberdeen, the Bayshore section of Middletown, Long Branch and Asbury Park. Pallone was first elected to Congress in 1988, so he's been in Congress for the past 38 years. Every two years, a Republican challenges him for the Congress seat.

Herzig lives with her husband and their three children in Oceanport. Her husband is a U.S. Army veteran and Herzig also worked for the U.S. Army, as a civilian in their intelligence operations. When her husband was stationed in Germany, she lived there with him and taught children on a U.S. military base.

She most recently worked for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (asylum and personnel security with a focus on national security), and before that she worked for the U.S. Veterans Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Animal, Plant and Health Inspection Service.

Patch asked her if she's a supporter of President Donald Trump, and what she thinks of the job he's doing in his second term.

"I don't believe being a Republican automatically makes someone a Trump supporter," she responded. "I support principles, not personalities. I don't idolize politicians, and my political affiliation does not require unquestioning loyalty to any individual. With that said, I evaluate elected officials and their decisions based on their actions, policies and adherence to the Constitution."

On her campaign website, Herzig lists protecting parental rights, lowering taxes and medical freedom as her top priorities. She's also against flock cameras; she said she wants to "protect personal liberties (and) limit use of law enforcement tech to spy on Americans."

"Healthcare choices belong to families, not government bureaucrats," reads her website. "Parents must be included in medical decisions affecting their children."

On immigration, she said "There is a right and lawful way to immigrate to the United States. I support legal immigration and naturalization through proper channels."

On education, she says she is a strong backer of parental rights and school choice, and and she wants to "keep classrooms free from political indoctrination and age-inappropriate content.​"

"Parents, not bureaucrats should guide their children's education and values," she said. "Families deserve the freedom to choose the best learning environment for their kids."

​She also wants term limits for how long one can be in Congress.

"New Jersey is one of the highest taxed states in America, and District 6 has suffered under one-party control for 32 years," she said. "(Pallone) has been in Congress for 32 years — and our communities have not become stronger, safer, freer or more affordable."

This is her first time running for elected office. She grew up in New Jersey, attended elementary and high school here, and earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Florida Atlantic University. Her first job out of college was as an executive assistant to police chief in Key West, Florida.

​Pallone was was born and raised in Long Branch, graduated from Long Branch High School, then Middlebury College in Vermont, then Tufts University and earned his law degree from Rutgers. Before being elected to Congress, he was a Long Branch City Councilman and NJ state senator. He and his wife still live in Long Branch today and they raised their three children there.

Pallone is a frequent Trump critic; he voted twice to impeach Trump. On policy, he was one of the architects of the Green New Deal. He was a big supporter of wind farms off the Jersey Shore and he said on his website he backs government incentives for "clean, renewable energy such as solar and wind ... Pallone uses his position as ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Committee to advocate for these priorities."

He supports a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and he's a strong supporter of the Dream Act for undocumented children and teens.

"People are sick of taxpayer handouts to big corporations and billionaires who always find a way to make sure the rules and tax laws don't apply to them," Pallone told Patch two years ago when he ran for re-election. In that same article, he said: "Former President Donald Trump is a convicted felon and ... has been found civilly liable for sexually assaulting a woman. He lies to the American people with impunity, demeans the military and pits Americans against each other, rather than unite us. Let us not also forget that he led an insurrection against the United States Capitol to try and overturn a legal election that he clearly lost."

All the town in NJ 6: Carteret, Woodbridge, Edison, Highland Park, Metuchen, New Brunswick, part of Old Bridge, Perth Amboy, Piscataway, Sayreville, South Amboy, South Plainfield, Matawan, Aberdeen, Asbury Park, Atlantic Highlands, Bradley Beach, Deal, Fair Haven, Hazlet, Highlands and Atlantic Highlands, Keansburg, Keyport, Little Silver, Long Branch and West Long Branch, the northern part of Middletown (south Middletown is NJ 4/Rep. Chris Smith), Monmouth Beach, Neptune City and Neptune Township, Oceanport, Red Bank, Rumson, Sea Bright and Union Beach.