5 Questions With Your Second Congressional District Candidates

For the first time since 1995, someone will represent New Jersey's Second Congressional District in the House of Representatives other than Frank LoBiondo. State Sen. Jeff Van Drew, a Democrat, will face off with Republican Seth Grossman to represent voters in Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and Salem counties, and parts of Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Ocean counties. Election Day is Nov. 6.

For more about Jeff Van Drew, click here.

For more about Seth Grossman, click here.

Patch caught up with both candidates, and we asked them the same five questions. Here are their answers:

Patch: Why do you want to be a congressman representing the Second Congressional District?

Van Drew: I’m running for Congress because Washington desperately needs a dose of common-sense. I’ve been a dentist my entire career, in Pleasantville, but I’ve also been in the state legislature as a State Senator and an Assemblyman, and I was successful because I was willing to work with anyone, from either party, who was willing to do what’s right for South Jersey. I’m going to take that same attitude to Washington, and I’m going to help get Congress working again for all Americans, and for South Jersey. We’ve got a lot that we need to do in Congress, and it would be the honor of a lifetime to represent my neighbors in Congress and to fight for them.

Grossman: I want to represent the Second Congressional District in Congress so I can keep Frank LoBiondo’s seat in Republican hands, preserve the Republican majority in Congress, and help President Trump implement his Make America Great Again agenda.

Patch: What are the three top issues you intend to fight hard for if elected?

Van Drew: In Congress, my priority will always be to find ways to bring economic opportunities and good jobs to South Jersey, and to continue to be a champion for South Jersey’s working men and women. I’ll never stop fighting for our veterans, who deserve the best services, care, and opportunities we can possibly provide. And I will also continue to fight for our seniors, to make sure they receive the benefits and services they’ve earned, and ensure we protect Social Security and Medicare.

Grossman: In my opinion, the three top issues I intend to fight hard for are:

a. Enforce our current immigration laws and reduce legal immigration to sustainable levels. Before Ted Kennedy Democrats raised legal immigration by 400% in 1965, immigration was limited to roughly 300,000 per year, and immigrants were welcome. That is because with sustainable numbers, immigrants quickly learned English and became Americans, and they did not bring down wages.

b. We need to keep Americans safe from radical Islamic terrorism. We need to do everything possible to learn what is causing it and do everything we can to stop it. Keeping Americans safe and saving lives are far more important than political correctness and hurt feelings.

c. Make America great again. Until the mid-1960’s, one parent could comfortably support most families, a good house or apartment cost 25% of household income, students could pay for a year of college with a summer of work, and most young people could afford to live comfortably on their own after finishing school. Today, too many families with both parents working full-time jobs struggle to meet these expenses. I blame the enormous increase in government spending, debt, taxes, laws, and regulations for higher living costs, and I blame massive, uncontrolled immigration for stagnant incomes. I think we can easily bring down the direct and indirect costs of government, without hurting social justice or the environment. We can make government and the American Dream sustainable and affordable for most Americans again.

Patch: What experience in your background has prepared you to be an effective leader?

Van Drew: I’ve always fought for what I believe in, and I’ve always been willing to work with anyone who also wants to do what’s right. In the state legislature, there were a number of years where I had the most pieces of legislation actually signed into law. And getting legislation signed into law isn’t very easy, but I was able to pass bills because I was willing to work with everyone in order to help South Jersey, and that’s exactly why I’ll be effective in Congress.

Grossman: I completed the Atlantic City public schools, Duke University, Temple Law School and six years of National Guard service. I have been a self-employed attorney for 43 years, an Atlantic City councilman, county freeholder, college professor, guest columnist and radio talk show host, and founded and led LibertyAndProsperity.com for 15 years.

Patch: What three words would you use to describe yourself to someone who has never met you?

Van Drew: If nothing else, it’s important people know these three things about me. I’m honest, I’m hard-working, and I’m caring. I care so much about the people of South Jersey, and that’s what fuels me to work so hard to make sure everyone in South Jersey has the best opportunities they can. And I’m honest- I know I’ll never agree with every constituent on every issue, but they’ll always know where I stand.

Grossman: Three words to describe me: Truthful, Effective, Persistent.

Patch: How you would describe the current political climate in our country right now? And if you view in a negative light, what steps would you take towards improvement?

Van Drew: We need to start working together. There’s so much negativity in Washington, and so much partisanship, and so little getting done for the people. It’s good to have honest discussions about our differences of opinion, but we need to be productive. The future of our democracy depends on finding ways around our differences, so we can work together on all that we have in common.

Grossman: America is dangerously divided because for more than 50 years, our schools, colleges, media, and Hollywood entertainment culture have falsely attacked and ridiculed the basic ideas that made America great. Those basic ideas include recognizing and respecting the “unalienable right” of each individual to make the most important decisions concerning his or her own life. That includes the right to enjoy the benefits of good choices, but it also includes accepting the consequences of bad ones. They also include respecting the rights of others to disagree, and understanding and respecting our Constitution and laws established under it, and those who enforce those laws.

Images of Jeff Van Drew, left, and Seth Grossman, right, via their campaigns