Harrison sided with Christie over Obama. NJ Working Families demands to know whether she will side with Trump over New Jersey

Weeks before New Jersey’s July primary, voters have little idea where candidate Brigid Callahan Harrison stands on issues facing New Jerseyans, especially amid COVID-19. 

Despite Chris Christie’s awful, years-long record of draconian austerity measures, anti-worker tirades and cozy relationship with corporations, Harrison has been a longtime admirer and supporter of the former NJ Governor. She even urged him to run for President against Barack Obama. 

Remarkably, in a 2011 op/ed in the Bergen Record, Harrison urged then-Governor Christie to run against President Obama, one of the United States’ most visionary and progressive presidents in history. And not to mention, our nation’s first African-American Commander-in-Chief. 

She wrote, “The reason why you [Christie] are such an appealing candidate is because the others are not. Chances are that Texas Gov. Rick Perry cannot beat President Obama. And Mitt Romney is failing to ignite the passions of conservatives in your party. You [Christie] are your party’s hope: conservative enough to appeal to primary voters, sophisticated enough to a win a general election” (Bergen Record, 10/2/2011).

And, it has been reported Harrison even voted for Christie over the incumbent Democrat. According to the Star Ledger, “she chose Jon Corzine in 2005 but flipped to Chris Christie in 2009.”

New Jersey is still reeling from eight years of Chris Christie. During Christie’s tenure, staffing in the Department of Labor was cut drastically, which now, during a historic pandemic, means departments responsible for unemployment insurance payments are understaffed. Schools were deeply underfunded, leading to cuts in beloved programs and staff lay-offs. Record-breaking tax breaks were given to massive, politically-connected corporations, who have yet to report meaningful jobs data. And, most critically, under Gov Christie, New Jersey experienced eleven credit downgrades and had no rainy-day fund, leaving the state unprepared for an emergency like we are experiencing now. And, it’s not even hurricane season yet. 

And now, Harrison is running in a Democratic Primary where she will bracket with Obama’s Vice President, Joe Biden. CD2 is already reeling from turncoat Jeff VanDrew’s switch to become a Trump Republican. 

In light of Harrison’s support for Republicans like Chris Christie over President Obama, we demand she provide us with a clear understanding of her positions on: 

·       Eliminating massive tax incentives to politically-connected corporations;

·       The right of workers in New Jersey to organize for fair wages and worker protections;

·       Real funding for local governments, so that school children don’t pay the cost for our billionaire bailouts;

·       Fair and equitable school funding for all districts in New Jersey;

·       Increasing tax revenue by demanding that the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes.

We cannot afford another Republican-in-disguise to serve the people of Congressional District 2, one who will side with the GOP and Trump the minute it is politically convenient. 

This race is one of the most crucial Congressional races in the country. We need to win– not with Chris Christie and Trump Republicans, but with candidates who have Progressive values and can carry us to victory in November.