Republican, MSU Alum Will Challenge Rep. Mikie Sherrill In NJ-11

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — A Republican who graduated Montclair State University is throwing her hat into the ring against U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill in 2022, she says.

Hillery Brotschol, a screenwriter and film producer from Morris County, recently announced that she is planning to run against Sherrill, a Democratic Party member, when she’s up for re-election in the state’s 11th District.

• See related article: NJ Republicans Release Party's Election 'Wish List' For 2021

Wondering what her politics are? Brotschol said she was motivated to run for office partly by her favorite quote from former president Ronald Reagan:

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”

Other pieces of her platform for 2022 include:

• “Big tech is trampling freedom of speech”
• “Our borders are not secure”
• “Our history is being censored”

In her campaign announcement, Brotschol identified as being part of “the new generation of young Republicans committed to fighting to preserve our Constitution and stop the progressive socialist movement.”

She says on her campaign website:

“I have spent most of my adult life as a registered Democrat, but as the former New Deal Democrat Ronald Reagan once said, ‘I didn’t leave the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party left me.’ When I registered to vote back in 2010 the issues that mattered most to me were ending the war in Iraq, economic recovery after the recession that cost my dad his job, and marriage equality. In the 10 years since my opinions on those issues haven’t changed, but the Democratic Party has. Their new ideology leaves no room for dissent, disagreement, or moderation. There is no effort to understand and there is no willingness to compromise.”

Brotschol adds:

“I get asked a lot, ‘Why are you running?’ Why is a twentysomething with no background in politics who has never before had an interest in public office running to represent NJ’s 11th district? It’s because I know I am a better representation of the people of our district than our usual candidates. I’ll stand up for the middle-class because I am middle-class and I’m not looking to spend a lifetime in politics. I just want to end the kick-the-can-down-the-road policymaking that leaves New Jerseyans who haven’t even been born yet holding the bag for bad ideas made for the sake of political expediency.”

Brotschol filed a campaign committee with the Federal Election Commission in January, the New Jersey Globe reported.

The 11th District includes the following municipalities:

Morris County - Boonton Town, Boonton Township, Butler, Chatham Borough, Chatham Township, Denville, East Hanover, Florham Park, Hanover, Harding, Jefferson, Kinnelon, Lincoln Park, Madison, Mendham Borough, Mendham Township, Montville, Morris Plains, Morris Township, Morristown Town, Mountain Lakes, Parsippany-Troy Hills, Pequannock, Randolph, Riverdale, Rockaway Borough, Rockaway Township and Victory Gardens

Essex County - Bloomfield (split with 10th), Caldwell, Cedar Grove, Essex Fells, Fairfield, Livingston, Montclair (split with 10th), North Caldwell, Nutley, Roseland, Verona, West Caldwell, West Orange (split with 10th)

Passaic County - Bloomingdale, Little Falls, North Haledon, Pompton Lakes, Totowa, Wanaque, Wayne and Woodland Park

Sussex County - Byram, Hopatcong, Ogdensburg, Sparta and Stanhope

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