Although New Jersey itself is a notoriously "blue" Democratic-leaning state, I live in the 11th congressional district, which has been Republican for over 30 years. For context, Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen has and continues to vote to limit abortion and Planned Parenthood facilities, and he opposes gun control legislation and government funding to limit greenhouse emissions and funding for research of solar energy.
My height of interaction with Frelinghuysen was when he visited my AP US Government and Politics class. William Westhoven of The Daily Record describes him best, "He really, really does not present in public in that way in any way, shape or form. Rodney presents as a very, very regular guy — he dresses in simple suits, he drives a simple car. He shows up at event after event after event constantly."
With Rodney Frelinghuysen out of the picture, Democrats have a chance to reclaim the seat, especially considering that Trump beat Hillary in the congressional district by a meager margin of less than one percent.
Naval academy graduate, fighter pilot, and federal prosecutor Mikie Sherrill was the Democratic party's choice to face off against Jay Webber, former state assemblyman for Frelinghuysen's congressional seat.
If I say so myself, Mikie Sherrill is quite literally superwoman. A mother of four who served our country, Sherrill hopes to continue serving our country in this legislative seat as an independent thinking Democrat that is willing to "stop the partisan politics [to] get the job done."
And her message is clearly speaking to the people of the Republican district; Sherrill has raised over $1.9 million in three months for her campaign, which is a exceeds the amount raised by any House member in that period of time. Sherrill is even out-fundraising other long-time members of Congress, such as Bob Menendez, who raised $1.6 million for his Senate seat.
But what is it exactly about Mikie Sherrill that makes her a record-breaking Democrat that may flip a red district? What makes her special?
Mikie Sherrill is a female powerhouse.
Not only is she empowering to women as a veteran and mother, but also actively pursues women empowerment via her campaign, which is run primarily by young, progressive women. Sherrill's campaign began with four powerful women, and has expanded to include "over 100 interns and hundreds of volunteers."
For more information on Mikie Sherrill, including her policies, visit www.mikiesherrill.com.
Whether you vote Sherrill or Webber or whoever is running for your district this November, please make every effort to vote. In the America of the outdated electoral college and political polarization, the voice of the public matters more now than ever before.
For more information on voting, please click here.
