Gun Rights, ‘COVID Hysteria’: Stewart Runs For Congress In NJ-10

NEW JERSEY — A self-described “political outsider” from North Jersey is running for U.S. Congress in the state’s 10th district on a platform of gun rights, ending coronavirus mandates and “getting the money out of politics.”

Garth Stewart, a Jersey City resident, is one of five candidates who will appear on the ballot for the primary election on June 7. He’ll face a challenge from David Pinckney for the Republican Party nomination.

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Donald Payne Jr. will compete for the Democratic Party nomination with Imani Oakley and Akil Khalfani. Read More: NJ-10 Congress Race (What To Know For 2022 Primary Election)

Patch recently spoke with Stewart about his political beliefs and plans if elected to Congress. Here’s what he said.

GUN CONTROL

Stewart said that he’s aware one of his platform’s pillars – being unabashedly “pro-gun” – is not a popular stance with many New Jersey voters. Even so, he believes there is “significant grassroots support” for gun control in the Garden State, including his home district.

“If you allow government to deny a basic, historical right, there’s no telling where it will lead,” he said. “Since 2010, the right to bear arms has been chased out of this state, and we lost a lot of good people in the process.”

Stewart said that instead of admitting their mistakes, New Jersey politicians – including Gov. Phil Murphy – are trying to attack gun rights in other states, such as closing the so-called “Iron Pipeline.”

• Read More: Third Wave Of Gun Control Laws Possible In NJ Package
• Read More: NJ Mayor, Top Cop 'Grateful' To Biden For Gun Violence Plan

“I have faith in American gun owners,” Stewart continued. “I think they are good people who would intervene in an emergency, and when our state chases them away, it makes everyone less safe.”

Stewart said he wants “all New Jersey citizens” to be able to own a gun, and carry that gun loaded in their homes and in their cars.

“I think the best way to cripple New Jersey’s gun control is to support national concealed carry licenses and get out-of-staters the right to carry here,” he said.

“In orthodox New Jersey thinking, gun rights have become a sin,” Stewart said. “I hope I can change this and be an advocate for the old Constitutional thinking, going back to pre-9/11.”

CORONAVIRUS

According to Stewart, the “hysteria” he saw during the pandemic was one of the most important things that compelled him to run for Congress.

Stewart said he is against COVID lockdowns and vaccine mandates.

“The level of hysteria over this virus went too far, for too long, and when an actual crisis came along recently (Ukraine), the American people had become too exhausted by fear to take this new crisis seriously,” he said.

“The Democrats hurt a lot of people during this pandemic, and they are changing their tune just in time for the midterms,” Stewart added. “Is it not possible our COVID rules were simply arbitrary power plays by government, and not science? Why change those rules now?”

MONEY AND POLITICS

Stewart says that he’s aware that Democrats outnumber Republicans in his district – and that he likely faces an uphill battle, even if he wins the primary election.

“I think I can make my biggest impact in Cranford, and possibly I can branch out to Clark and Montclair,” he said. “As far as I know, those are the greatest concentrations of Republicans in the district.”

“The fact is I am a political outsider, in a district that has not elected a Republican to the House in more than 70 years,” Stewart conceded. “This district is heavily Democrat, so I understand I am unlikely to win.”

“I am able to use my candidacy to speak though,” he added. “Gun rights matter to me personally, so I hope I can be good ambassador for my beliefs.”

Stewart said he doesn’t currently have a campaign website or social media account set up for the campaign, but added that he’s personally active on Quora.

“I believe I can run a very lean primary campaign with just a clipboard and old-fashioned walking,” he said. “I’m running a campaign with no budget on purpose. I wish we could get money out of politics in this country.”

“My process to prepare for the primary has been to walk the streets, and introduce myself as a Republican candidate for Congress,” he told Patch. “I answer questions if people ask, and after speaking with the potential voter, I have a campaign flyer I email or text to them if they would like to see it.”

“We’ll find out on June 7 whether this simple strategy will bring me victory,” Stewart said.

ETHANOL SUBSIDIES

Stewart also said that he’s pushing to immediately end ethanol subsidies in the United States.

Here’s why, he said:

“Ethanol is not good for your engine, and it is inferior to gas. You pay extra for ‘premium gas’ that has less ethanol. The ethanol gas at the pump is an inferior product, and everyone knows it. I grew up in Minnesota and often lived on my grandparent’s farm, who grew the field corn for ethanol; a human can eat this ‘field corn’ type of corn, but it tastes awful and is difficult to digest. The only reason my grandpa plants it is because of the subsidy, and considering the rise in food prices this spring, we should save as much acreage as possible for human-palatable-foods. With Russia fighting Ukraine, you have a large amount of the world’s wheat locked in combat and cut off from world trade; food prices will rise. Ethanol does not save you gas, it actually hurts your car’s mileage. It wastes acreage on foods only fit for animal consumption, but the by-product of ethanol is even dangerous for cattle to eat (it can make cows go blind if they eat too much “field corn” or the “ethanol meal”). I’m mostly just against field corn (you could keep adding ethanol to fuel, but make the ethanol from sugar, which is cheaper per acre and sugar-ethanol is a more efficient product).”

MILITARY SERVICE

“I was in the invasion of Iraq and lost a foot in Baghdad,” Stewart said. “When I came back to the USA, I fought to heal quickly and rejoin my unit in the Army. I made the fastest recovery my Walter Reed doctors had ever seen (only five weeks in the hospital) and then went back to the Army to requalify for my old job as a mortar gunner.”

Stewart added:

“Along the way I was noticed by President Bush, and invited to the White House. I was a poor farm boy from Minnesota, and was clueless about college. President Bush helped me to get mentoring to choose a good school (Columbia) and helped me get Congressional Letters of Recommendation, which I think helped me get in (my high-school GPA in Minnesota was only a 1.8, so my grades are NOT what got me in).”

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