5 Questions For Your District 7 Congressional Election Candidates

An election to choose a representative for Somerset and Union County's 7th Congressional District will be held Nov. 6. Candidates Tom Malinowski, a Democrat, and incumbent Leonard Lance, a Republican, will face off to represent voters across both counties and beyond.

Lance is a lifelong Hunterdon County resident and currently lives in Clinton Township with his wife, son and dog. He has served for 10 years in congress and is seeking another two-year term. You can read Lance's full bio by clicking here.

Malinowski grew up outside of the district in Princeton, before moving into District 7 in Rocky Hill last year. He considers himself “not a career politician” but a “career public servant.” You can read Malinowski's full bio by clicking here.

Patch caught up with both Lance and Malinowski , and we asked them the same five questions.

Here are their answers:

Patch: Why do you want to be a state representative for Somerset and Union counties?

Lance: I believe my views are the views of the overwhelming majority residents of this district. We are a moderate district and I am a moderate conservative. I very much believe the new congress will need problem solvers and I am member of the problem solvers caucus in house of representatives and they are moderate republicans and moderate democrats… The American people very much want to see us work in a bipartisan capacity and not have the extreme right or extreme left to prevail.

Thomas: I’ve taken the oath to serve and protect the constitution many times in my life. I’ve decided to run because I think the county and state of New Jersey is in trouble right now. The congress under the Republican leadership is not serving the interest of the people of our state. I think they have not been exercising a check and balance on the Trump administration.

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

Lance: The new congress will be controlled by the democratic party or republican party very narrowly… which certainly will mean greater influence for moderates. I want to move forward on bipartisan main issues that confront the nation including fiscal responsibility, internationalism — I am a supporter of NATO and other organizations —, immigration, and healthcare.

Malinowski: My first priority is to replace the tax bill that the GOP congress passed last year. I want to restore state and local tax deductions, build a tax system that is more fiscally responsible and favorable to the middle class in New Jersey.

I want to make sure we move towards universal and more affordable healthcare. I want to protect people with pre-existing conditions and stop the gutting of the affordable care act.

I want to make sure we fund roads and bridges and tunnels in New Jersey, which I think are much more important than the wall the President wants to build. I want to make sure to defend democracy from dark money and foreign interference. I don’t think congress has been delivering for us on those issues. The only way for that to change is to change leadership.

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

Lance: I am a member on the one of two most powerful committees on the house. I am a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee. It is very important to this congressional district because it has jurisdiction responsibility regarding the pharmaceutical industry, medical device industry and telecommunications industry and these are all major employers in our district. Substantively more legislation is signed into law from that committee than any other committee in congress, be it the house or senate.

I want to continue to work on important issues that come before that committee. Making sure safe and effective medicine are available to the American people and health care reform. I note that freshman are not allowed on these committees. I have four terms of seniority on this committee.

Malinowski: I had the chance to serve President Clinton on his National Security Council working to end some of the 20th Century’s bloodiest humanitarian crises. As the chief advocate for Human Rights Watch, I led a bipartisan effort to end the Bush Administration’s use of torture. Most recently, as an Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor under President Obama, I helped lead our global fight to defend the human rights of women and LGBTQ people, to protect workers in our trade agreements, to safeguard our privacy on the internet, to root out corruption, and to stand up to dictators like Putin and Kim Jong-Un.

Patch: How do you feel about current gun laws?

Lance: I favor sensible gun control legislation and I did not vote a bill that would have lessened gun control, a conceal carry bill. I voted against it. I favor the right of law abiding citizens to be able to exercise their second amendment rights. I am strong believer of bill of rights in its entirety.

Malinowski: I believe we should support the second amendment, but I think we should have universal background checks. It should not be easier to buy a weapon in America than it is to drive a car. I think the country should follow New Jersey’s lead on banning military-style weapons with high capacity magazines that allow mass shooters to kill a large number of people in a short amount of time. I support raising the minimum wage of purchase and adopting a law for gun violence prevention orders which permit authorities with court orders to take guns from people who are showing signs of wanting to commit acts of mass violence.

Patch: How do you feel about the immigration issue right now?

Lance: I favor a path to citizenship for the DACA population. I have signed a discharge petition in the house of representatives that would have brought to floor a bill in this area. I also do not favor separating children from their parents.

Malinowski: I would support bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform which provides funds to better secure the border, encourages legal immigration that will strengthen our economy, create a tough but fair process to bring unauthorized immigrants out of the shadows, and strengthens employment verification. I fully support the extension of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, because by any common measure, DREAMers are Americans. They grew up in America; they pay taxes; they have started businesses; they have served in our military; and if deported they would be forced to start entirely new lives in countries they have never known.

Images of Leonard Lance and Tom Malinowski, via their campaigns

Have a news tip? Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com.

Get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our new app. Download here.