Assemblyman Jamel Holley (D-20) formally kicked off his bid this week for the LD20 seat presently occupied by incumbent state Senator Joe Cryan (D-20), prompting a Thursday afternoon sit-down with InsiderNJ. Excoriated by his fellow Democrats for taking a 2020 stance against an anti-vaccination bill, Holley explained his position today as he geared up for his collision with old foe Cryan.

It will be a difficult race for Holley, a former Roselle mayor who must run off the Democratic Party line in a gubernatorial election year in which Governor Phil Murphy will occupy the top of the Cryan ticket.

His thoughts on the pandemic, vaccinations, the contest, his policy agenda and focus, and on his political origins in the 20th District can all be found below:

Editor’s Note: InsiderNJ mistakenly pointed out in the interview with  Facebook had taken fellow anti-vaxxer advocate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s page down in an effort to stem the flow of misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines. It was actually Instagram that expunged Kennedy’s page, as Holley notes in the interview. 

Kennedy has fundraised for Holley in the 20th District.

According to CNN: