Sarah Schoengood, a Democratic candidate for New Jersey’s 3rd congressional district, launched her campaign’s first digital ad today, focusing on the Jersey values she says she’ll bring to Congress.
“When I first decided to run, machine-backed politicians told me to wait my turn,” Schoengood said in a statement. “But Jersey families are tired of waiting for change, the kind of change needed to address the serious problems facing our communities – from the climate crisis to the opioid epidemic and the relentless attacks on women’s reproductive freedoms. This [ad] will be the first of an aggressive effort to communicate with voters across the district.”
Schoengood, a small businesswoman from Manalapan, is one of five Democratic candidates competing for the Burlington County-based district, which Rep. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown) is departing to run for U.S. Senate. Also running are Assemblyman Herb Conaway (D-Delran), Assemblywoman Carol Murphy (D-Mount Laurel), civil rights attorney Joe Cohn, and Brian Schkeeper.
Until today, Conaway had looked like the substantial favorite to win the nomination, as he had won the county Democratic line in all three of the 3rd district’s counties. But with a federal judge eliminating the line for this year’s primary, Conaway’s biggest advantage has disappeared, leaving the race much more in flux.
Schoengood herself can take some credit for the judge’s decision; she, along with Kim and 2nd district candidate Carolyn Rush, was one of the plaintiffs who argued that the line was unconstitutional.
“Today’s decision is a huge win for New Jersey voters in the fight to make our electoral system a fairer and truly just process,” Schoengood said earlier today on the court case. “For decades, powerful party bosses handpicked their preferred candidates and banished the other candidates to ballot Siberia. The court’s decision will make this year’s ballots fair so that every primary voter is heard and every candidate has an equal shot at the party nomination.”
Ad script
Schoengood: “The old, machine-backed politicians tell us to wait our turn.”
[Clip of Texas Rep. Chip Roy]: “I want my Republican colleagues to give me one thing, one, that I can go campaign on and say we did.”
Schoengood: “Well, this is what waiting gets us. My name is Sarah Schoengood, and I’m running for Congress. I’m a Jerseyan through and through. I was born here, went to school here, started a small business here, and I plan to raise my family here. I’m proud to call Jersey my home, because it gave me everything I have today.
For me, like most Jerseyans, New Jersey is more than just a state; it’s who we are. Jersey is the teacher who reaches into her own pocket to buy classroom supplies for her students. Jersey is the union contractor who works double shifts, but still finds time to take his kids to the Shore in the summer. Jersey are the men and women in uniform who put their lives on the line when they crossed the Hudson River to answer the call of duty on 9/11. Jersey is people of all backgrounds coming together and having each others’ backs after Sandy. Jersey is showing courage in the face of challenges. It’s in our blood.
Being a politician was never a dream of mine. But I refuse to sit on the sidelines while families across our state are hurting. Our country is facing serious challenges and new threats, and we cannot rely on old-school politicians to solve these problems. They are the problem. That’s why I’m running for Congress. I’ll work to lower costs, cut burdensome taxes, tackle climate change, address the mental health and opioid crisis, solve problems, and always put Jersey first. It’s time for a new generation of leadership, and to bring some good old-fashioned Jersey values to Washington. I’m Sarah Schoengood, and I approve this message.”