Our seat in Congress

Article One of the Constitution of the United States declares a bicameral legislative branch to be comprised of an upper chamber known as the Senate and a lower chamber, made up of individuals who are directly elected by the people from each of 435 districts determined by population and across all fifty states. This second body is referred to as the House of Representatives.

Until 1913, Senators were chosen by state legislators and not directly from the populace. The presidency is ultimately determined by an appointed Electoral College, a troublesome mechanism that, after remedies enacted through the 12th Amendment, we seen in 2000 and again in 2016 a candidate selected by the Electoral College even though the majority of ballots cast by voters indicate otherwise. As for the Supreme Court, voters have no direct connection in the selection of its members and the process has devolved into a partisan choice by the Senate.

It’s important to acknowledge these facts in contrast to the premise for the House of Representatives. From its inception and continuing today, it is designed to be the most direct connection between constituents and a governing body of the federal government. It is because of the exceptional nature of the House that it has been subjected to many forms of corruption—gerrymandering of Congressional districts to favor one political party over another; inhibiting enrollment of qualified voters through restrictive requirements imposed on particular people and communities; narrowing the opportunity to cast a ballot through local limitations of polling places and timeframe for voting; invalidating ballots through selective scrutiny of inconsequential discrepancies in voter information—tactics being used today to undermine the election process and diminish the ability for citizens to choose their representation in Washington.

The seat in the House of Representatives assigned to the 11th Congressional District of New Jersey is not a bequest to one political party or another. It cannot be a mere number in the president’s legislative tally. It should not be occupied by the NRA, insurance companies, or lobbyists representing special interests. It must not be forfeited to political action committees to manipulate the course of our country. Because of the direct connection to constituents, this seat belongs to the people of our district. We determine by direct ballot who will serve us and our interests. We choose which of the various candidates most closely reflects our values and will advocate on our behalf as their prime obligation in office.

We have a choice on November 6th. We can surrender our representation in Congress to the powerful, or we can embrace our civic responsibility and select a voice who will truly speak for our district. The choice becomes clear, and Mikie Sherrill is the Representative our Constitutional framers had intended.

Richard Kushnier
New Jersey 11th Congressional District