Josh Welle, Former CD-4 Democratic Nominee,

Endorses Stephanie Schmid

Josh Welle, 2018 Democratic Congressional Nominee in NJ-04, is endorsing Stephanie Schmid to lead the party this year in its campaign to unseat 20-term incumbent Rep. Chris Smith.

Welle came closer than any Democrat in CD4 in decades to taking out Smith, raising more money than any Democratic nominee had previously (over $1.8 million) and cutting Smith’s typical margin of victory in half. Welle believes that Stephanie is best positioned to win the race this time around.

“Stephanie has the background and expertise to finally bring a new generation of leadership to this district, which is long overdue,” Welle said. “Her work as a Foreign Service Officer in the State Department and human rights advocate at the Center for Reproductive Rights stands in stark contrast to Chris Smith’s record and makes her the best candidate to take him on.   Stephanie has demonstrated that she is a thoughtful and transparent leader who will put country over party for the good of her constituents. I am thrilled to support her in her bid to finally flip this seat and become the next Congresswoman in NJ-04.”

Stephanie is thankful for Welle’s endorsement. “I have the utmost respect for Josh and the incredible inroads he made throughout our district in 2018,” Stephanie said. “Running against someone who has held a seat for 39 years is no easy feat, and I know that my candidacy is made stronger by the work Josh put in. It would be an honor to represent our district and I am grateful to have the support of our previous nominee to help bring us over the finish line in November.”

Stephanie is a New Jersey native with a strong record of serving her community, protecting those most vulnerable, and solving difficult public policy problems. She’s running to bring new leadership to Congress at a time when we need our leaders to solve pressing challenges and create opportunities for the people of New Jersey.