Standing somewhere in the middle politically can have consequences for lawmakers during the never-ending Trump era. 

Look at U.S. Representative Liz Cheney from Wyoming. The Republican lawmaker lost her leadership role within the GOP because she rebuked former President Donald Trump’s false claims the election was stolen. Congressman Adam Kinzinger has faced the same kind of political isolation. The Republican from Illinois voted to impeach Trump then faced the wrath from conservative members of his own party. 

New Jersey Congressman Josh Gottheimer seems to be following their lead. He’s a Democrat, though. Before the infrastructure bill passed, Gottheimer lashed out at progressives in his own party, who threatened to block the infrastructure proposal he helped broker if the then $3-trillion Build Back Better plan didn’t pass. Since then, progressives have accepted eliminating some programs in the Build Back Better plan in order to bring down the cost of the package. 

At the time, Gottheimer’s bravado as progressives stood their ground, appeared more like a political gamble. Now, Gottheimer might just be one of the smartest political players from New Jersey in the U.S. House of Representatives. 

Democrat Governor Phil Murphy’s slim win is a reminder many New Jersey voters these days aren’t too comfortable with the far edges of either party. Murphy’s decision to gear his campaign toward liberals rather than all New Jersey voters, including independents, led to an anxiety-ridden election night with the vote count coming in the next day. Despite the Governor’s win, the path to victory was as rocky as the potholes that fill New Jersey’s roadways.

Murphy never mentioned the high cost of living in the Garden State, including skyrocketing property taxes. His opponent, Jack Ciattarelli, though, made sure to keep running a video of Murphy in his political ad, saying, “If taxes are your issue, New Jersey’s probably not your state.” 

The political casualty of the Governor’s style of campaigning appears to be Democrat state Senate President Steve Sweeney. Sweeney has been a fixture at the New Jersey State House for years. But his apparent loss this past election to a truck driver, who spent less than $2000 on the race, has stunned the nation. Sweeney, though, has yet to concede. 

It’s clear now, Josh Gottheimer will do everything he can to make sure he doesn’t face a similar fate when he seeks re-election in 2022. Gottheimer seems to understand what New Jersey residents want most in his swing district but he’s not dismissing the needs of those in underserved communities. He’s playing it safe, right in the middle. 

The infrastructure plan he helped negotiate will provide hundreds of millions of dollars to upgrade roads, airports, the rails, trains, and expand broadband. 

Gottheimer appeared on CNN after the infrastructure bill passed, speaking to TV host and political reporter Dana Bash. The CNN news anchor asked him about Murphy’s slim win and Sweeney’s loss. 

“The big lesson for me that night, and I think for a lot of us, is that people want action, right?” Gottheimer said. “They want results for families, and whether that’s clean drinking water or fixing the potholes when they drive to work or spending hundreds of dollars fixing their cars or sitting on Jersey Transit and getting those trains moving faster.”  

The CNN “State of the Union” host pointed out progressives are opposed to details of Gottheimer’s SALT (State and Local Tax Deductions) plan within the Build Back Better proposal because it gives wealthier Americans a tax deduction. Gottheimer, though, responded, saying New Jersey’s middle class might make more than the rest of the nation but that they live in an expensive state. 

“In my district in Bergen County, New Jersey, where the median property tax is over $15,000, and a law enforcement officer and a teacher, together are making $200,000, their taxes went up in 2017 when the state and local deductions was gutted by the Red States,” Gottheimer said. “For hardworking families and middle class families in my district, this will equal a tax cut for them because their taxes went up. So, this is really about making life more affordable for them. 

“You know, I get it, for Bernie Sanders in Vermont, it is a different situation. The property taxes — the median property taxes is $4,000 — not $15,000, and the median income is not $100,000, it’s $40,000. So, I understand it is a very different place. If you’re in Northern New Jersey, where things are more expensive, this is a middle class issue, it is about tax relief for them.”

Only time will tell if Gottheimer’s approach will get him re-elected. But there may be a lesson to be learned from his political approach. He seems to be listening to the voters in his district and standing up for what matters to them. All this, while using a steady hand to negotiate with Progressives, moderates in his own party and Republicans. This might just be what the union needs to come together again.