Politics & Government
Passaic County Freeholder Announces Run For Congress
Democrat John Bartlett of Wayne, a two-term freeholder, announced his bid to run against longtime incumbent Republican Rodney Frelinghuysen.
WAYNE, NJ — Passaic County Freeholder John Bartlett announced his intention to run for Congress in the 11th District in an attempt to unseat Rodney Frelinghuysen, a longtime incumbent Republican.
Bartlett is a Harvard Law School alumnus and a two-term freeholder. The Wayne resident announced his intention to seek the Democratic Party nomination at the Alps Diner. He also announced he will begin his campaign with a "30 coffees in 30 days," series of meetings around the 11th District to meet with constituents.
Unseating Frelinghuysen will not be easy. Although he is 12-term incumbent, his constituents have become more vocal in their criticism of the once moderate Republican after he supported President Donald Trump's travel ban and voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
Find out what's happening in Waynefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
RELATED: Frelinghuysen Criticized At Essex County Town Hall
"Congressman Frelinghuysen's 100 percent voting record in support of the Trump agenda this year is the culmination of a decade-long and continuing tradition of the congressman from someone who represented the 11th Congressional District's moderate and pragmatic New Jersey values to someone who answers to ideologues in Washington while dodging contact with his own constituents," Bartlett said.
Find out what's happening in Waynefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Members of the grassroots group 11th for Change meet outside of the Wayne Municipal Complex on Wednesdays, when a member of Frelinghuysen's staff is at the congressman's open office hours. The congressman has not held a town hall-style meeting with constituents for many years, but does take questions and concerns from them on the phone.
Mikie Sherrill, a former federal prosecutor from Montclair and Jack Gebbia, a 26-year-old U.S. Army National Guard veteran from Boonton also announced their candidacy in the Democratic primary, NorthJersey.com reported.
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Photo: Passaic County Freeholder John Bartlett — Official freeholder photograph
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