Rosemary Becchi, the tax policy attorney and public advocate behind Jersey First, today announced she is running for Congress in New Jersey’s 7th District to get Washington to focus on the every day concerns of New Jersey families including, the high cost of living and education, rising taxes, healthcare costs and fixing our broken immigration system.

“I love this state, my neighbors and the people my family has surrounded ourselves with. But everyone I meet – whether I’m rushing to work, at the store or during my daughters’ hockey practices-are all worried whether they can afford to stay here, to grow old with their families and share a future together,” said Becchi.

“The state is simply unaffordable, and the career politicians are a big part of the problem. They just point fingers and make excuses while building their political resumes. New Jersey families need an advocate; someone who wants to go to Washington to do something, not be something. I understand hard work and building consensus. I also understand it’s time to be heard. On behalf of New Jersey families I can make a difference,” she added.

Becchi wants to defeat state Senator Tom Kean, Jr. – already a declared candidate – in the Republican Primary for the right to go up against incumbent U.S. Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-7) in the general. She said her campaign will focus on issues important to New Jersey families, such as ensuring New Jersey gets more from Washington for all the tax dollars we send to the federal government. Rosemary also wants to protect senior citizens from being shortchanged by foolhardy efforts to expand Medicare to all, and to protect the nation’s private sector jobs and businesses from misguided, economy-killing regulations proposed in radical plans to address climate change.

Becchi said she is widely known as a political advocate on the federal and state stages, more recently for founding and leading Jersey First, a non-profit organization with the mission to educate and advocate for policy solutions to lower taxes, reduce government spending and help put that Garden State’s economy back on track.

She began her career in the public sector at the IRS as an attorney and adviser before moving on to the majority staff of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee as tax counsel. It was during her time on the Finance Committee that Rosemary co-authored the “529 college savings plans,” the tax-free accounts used today used by parents across the country to help their children pay for college, and college affordability is another issue she wants to address in Washington.

Becchi said she has served in a leadership role of the Tax Coalition, including as the chair, and she most recently served as Chairman of the Board of Running Start, an organization dedicated to getting more women elected to public office.  Rosemary is also the New Jersey Chair for Maggie’s List, which focuses on electing conservative women to federal public office. She currently works as a Strategic Adviser and Counsel at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, where she specializes in tax and financial services matters.

Becchi lives in Short Hills with her husband, Scott and their three daughters.