Corruption fighter McCormick is New Jersey's leading progressive

Fresh off her dazzling performance in last year's primary election for U.S. Senate, Democrat Lisa McCormick is New Jersey's leading progressive and the closest thing the Garden State has produced to compare with Senator Bernie Sanders or New York's young Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

McCormick, who garnered 159,998 votes statewide against Senator Bob Menendez in the 2018 Democratic primary, is now a part of the Democrats United for Progress slate in the June 4 election, and she is bringing progressive energy to a local contest that underscores the importance of getting ordiary people to participate in the election process.

Lisa McCormick is seen here being introduced to voters by New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, while Justice Democrats founder Corbin Trent looks on.

McCormick, like Sanders, has been a passionate champion of universal health care and an outspoken critic of corporate greed. Like Ocasio-Cortez, McCormick is an ardent advocate for a transition to a clean energy economy, which she says is the only way to prevent a disaster from the deadly impact of climate change.

McCormick is working to secure higher wages and universal health care for working families, plus she is national board chair of an advocacy group dedicated to creating a national jobs guarantee program.

Those hot button issues are important to McCormick, but she is talking about more obscure and mundane matters as a candidate for the Democratic nomination to become the next Union County Surrogate on June 4 and yet her campaign also appeals to voters who are tired of corruption.

McCormick, as one of New Jersey's leading advocates of democracy, hope that national calls for apolitical revolution will lend urgency to her message.

"If I were not on the ballot, Union County voters would have no choice in this election," said McCormick. "There is something very dangerous about being deprived of options, because that opens to gate to complacency and corruption, and leaves unchecked the power of government."

McCormick, who became one of the nine New Jersey Democrats to earn the greatest number of primary election votes in the last 25 years, is now competing against a 20-year incumbent who is the son of the last Republican mayor of Elizabeth. McCormick is challenging incumbent James LaCorte for Union County Surrogate, an obscure office concerned with wills and adoptions.

Running with McCormick are Plainfield school board member Wilma Campbell, Linden economic develoment chief Alex Lospinoso, and former Roselle city councilwoman Sylvia Turnage, the three candidates for freeholder on the Democrats United for Progress ticket, which will appear in Column C on the June 4 ballot.

Carlos Rivas, Alex Lospinoso, Wilma Campbell, Linden Mayor Derek Armstead, Sylvia Turnage, Lisa McCormick and Mark Lighten are progressive Democrats represented by the Democrats United for Progress ticket, which will appear in Column C on the June 4 ballot.

Known as New Jersey's leading progressive Democrat, McCormick waged a grassroots campaign for US Senate last year advocating reduced military spending, universal health care, plus expanded free public education and Social Security funded by a restoration of taxes once paid by ultrawealthy individuals and corporations.

If she wins, part of McCormick's job will be protecting widows and orphans from unscrupulous lawyers who may exploit them during a period of grief.

The Jersey Journal said McCormick 'out progressives even former Democratic Party presidential candidate Bernie Sanders' and her anti-establishment resolve is still strong. Among the issues in this campaign, the corruption-fighting Democrat discovered that a high ranking official in her opponent's office is engaging in voter fraud. The FBI and county Board of Elections are known to be investigating.

McCormick has been endorsed by Linden Mayor Derek Armstead, Ruth Fellowship Ministries pastor Rev. Tracey Brown and Mary Ellen Marino, who head the New Jersey Chapter of Progressive Democrats of America, along with other liberal group leaders and organizations.

Lisa McCormick has earned praise at all levels from local to national for her grassroots activism.

A veteran activist in many general interest grass roots organizations, including Our Revolution, MoveOn.org and Democracy for America, along with others that deal with specific issues including Moms Demand Action for Gun Safety, Physicians for Social Responsibility, the National Nurse's Union's Medicare for All campaign and others, McCormick says she has learned that elections are determined by the people who show up.

"The path is hard, much of the process is rigged against ordinary people, and our opponents have all the money but the sheer number of people who comprise the 99 percent give us a real numerical advantage in this movement, which Bernie Sanders called a political revolution," said McCormick. "If we are going to get there, we need every last supporter to step up but victory is within reach."

Lisa McCormick says her secret weapon is meeting voters face to face by walking door to door, remaining sincere about making the world better and being persistent no matter what happens.

McCormick expressed confidence in her agenda along with a willingness to listen to others.

"I am secure in my values, because I know the difference between right and wrong, but I do not pretend to have all the answers and I will hear anyone who wants to contribute good ideas," said McCormick. "If bold ideas are the currency of our campaign, I will show you the color of my money. There is strong evidence to show what America has been doing for the last 40 years is not working and that is why people are broke, institutions are failing and things look bleak."

"However, before President Reagan changed things, America had 50 years of strong prosperity and a growing middle economic class that benefitted all families," said McCormick. "We can easily go back on track to reach a brighter future if we just embrace a brand new day."

Among McCormick's proposals is a plan to fix Social Security that would secure the financial stability of the nation's retirement system and allow an expansion of benefits or even a younger age to qualify for a pension. That plan was endorsed by former US Labor Secretary Robert B. Reich.

"I’m impressed by Lisa McCormick’s proposal to save Social Security and insure long term solvency of the nation’s pension system'" said Reich. "While 94 percent of U.S. workers pay Social Security tax on every dollar in their paycheck, the very richest Americans avoid Social Security taxes on most of their money due to the program's cap on taxable earnings. To correct this, she recommends that we ‘scrap the cap’ so very wealthy Americans contribute to Social Security at the same tax rate as the rest of us. I completely agree."

Robert Reich endorsed Lisa McCormick's Social Security plan.

"Social Security is funded through deductions to everyone’s paychecks. We pay in while we’re working, and then collect benefits when we retire or become disabled. But not everyone pays equally into the system," said McCormick. "By simply requiring upper-income Americans to pay the same tax rate as middle-class families, Social Security's benefits could be expanded, and its funding would remain in balance for decades beyond the longest projections."

"I can win with a groundswell of public support but if people want to restore integrity to government, then they must use their voices and their votes," said McCormick. "If we fail to act, then we can only blame ourselves."

McCormick is asking everyone to volunteer to help turnout voters who might otherwise stay home on June 4, because the political establishment hopes to capitalize on a low voter turnout and the financial disadvantage faced by contenders like those on the Democrats United for Progress ticket, who refuse to accept contributions from corrupt sources.

"Last year, I became one of the biggest vote-getters in the last 25 years and we will learn next month if a people-powered campaign can sustain the kind of energy needed to change things,"said McCormick. "I have faith that Americans understand the power of their vote and if we all work together, we can achieve anything. It all starts with showing up."