In a letter to the editor, New Jersey Democrat Lisa McCormick is hoping she can defeat Robert Menendez, who has been at the forefront of several federal corruption trials. Although Menendez’s trial ended in a hung jury, at one point during the trial, prosecutors even alleged Menendez may have had sex with hookers in the Caribbean. No charges were ever filed on that claim.
Here’s what McCormick had to say…
Had I not put my name on the ballot, New Jersey Democrats would literally have no choice in the primary election for US Senate. I believe the incumbent senator will either lose to me on June 5 or to the Republican in November. I did try to recruit someone else to run for Senate and ordinary people to seek other offices but we came up short.
This is an unconventional campaign. Our primary method of spreading the word is by email (and I am also sorry about the duplicates, but the technical end of this confounded our volunteer force) but we hope to have about 20,000 volunteers telling other voters about me. We are waging a people-powered campaign.
I do not want money. That said, some people can only help by making donations and we need all the help we can get. All I want is for you to talk to people and let them know they have a choice on June 5.
We all know the phrase, “ready or not.” I may be unprepared as a candidate because I lack a vast fortune but I am fully able to serve as a US Senator, because I am a mother, a citizen and a regular person. I really do not believe the one with the most money should always win. Voters have the responsibility to learn about their options and make wise choices. This is what democracy looks like.
There are detailed plans and statements on my website at www.lisamccormick.org, on Twitter & Facebook to let folks know where I stand on the issues. I believe people know about my opponent’s betrayal of trust and they are aware of the apparent results of his 25 years in Congress, a period that saw the most dramatic decline of the American standard of living in history.
I understand what happened, where Americans are and how we can make things better. Humanity faces extinction level threats — deadly virus outbreaks, possible nuclear nightmares and climate change — as well as a long list of more ordinary problems such as low wages and economic inequality, injustice and security concerns. It is all important and we can fix everything if we only make the effort.
I am not telling you what to do, but I would appreciate your support. Make whatever choice you think is best, as we are all in this together. We have been burned before, but I will not betray your trust if given this honor.
Lisa McCormick