Republican Challenger Wants to Dethrone Menendez
OLD BRIDGE – Bob Menendez officially has a Republican opponent in 2024.
Shirley Maia-Cusick launched her candidacy at a rather gala kickoff Thursday night at the Grand Marquis banquet hall. About 200 people attended what was – as these always are – an upbeat event.
Maia-Cusick, a native of Brazil, is CEO of World Wide Legal Services in Short Hills, according to her campaign bio. It adds that:
“Shirley has worked for over 20 years in immigration and advisory services, as well as serving previously as an international lawyer and immigration consultant.”
Her platform highlights standard conservative GOP positions in regard to reclaiming the American Dream. empowering parents, elevating education, cracking down on crime and prioritizing American interests.
“Take care of your own house first,” she says in her written platform, adding that this mindset will guide decisions when it comes to America’s engagements in conflicts abroad.
Running for the U.S. Senate in your first try for public office ain’t easy.
Asked why she is aiming so high so quickly, Maia-Cusick said, “At this moment, … it is so important that we fight for our rights, our America.”
She added, “We’re losing our country.”
Asked how that is actually happening, Maia-Cusick replied:
“When the inflation is high, when our politicians are corrupted, when they don’t represent us with dignity and integrity, that’s how we lose it.”
Inflation has cooled considerably and is now about 3 percent annually, according to recent data.
Maia-Cusick was skeptical, saying she disagreed with that analysis.
Her challenge here can’t be underestimated.
For one thing, there will be other Republicans in the primary race.
More relevantly. Republicans have not won a U.S. Senate seat in New Jersey since Clifford Case in 1972.
While Menendez has had well-documented legal problems, he easily defeated Republican Bob Hugin in 2018.
The Senate race is more than a year away, but the state Legislative races are only four months away.
Owen Henry, the mayor of Old Bridge and a candidate for the state Senate in District 12, made that point.
He told the crowd that a big win for Republicans this fall will “prepare the table” for next year’s race.
Not only that, Henry said if the GOP can win control of the Legislature it will scare Democrats throughout New Jersey to death.
“The opportunity is there,” he said confidently.
Keep dreaming. Menendez will squash her like a bug.
When will NJ voters GET IT! For over 50 years we have voted for Democratic Senators and nothing has changed! Isn’t it time to vote for a change. Residents in the inner cities like Newark, Camden, Elizabeth etc.are you better off today than you were 50 years ago…Stop the merry-go-roundand vote for REAL CHANGE!!
Time for Republican and Independent NJ voters to wake up and smell the roses that Democrats are destroying them and this state in the process. They are turning NJ into California (Mexifornia) East. NJ has become full socialist with outrageously, excessively high property, income and sales taxes, along with the 4th highest gasoline taxes, and worst regulatory state after California, in the nation.
New Jersey has a corrupt governor in Gov. Phil KNUCKLEHEAD Murphy pushing to built the 2nd largest (after the one built by Red China) wind turbine farm off of the Jersey coast which will devastate tourism (who wants to look at wind towers instead of a clear ocean sky), and devastate commercial and recreational offshore fishing, and devastate the 2nd largest North American lobster industry after New England/Canada. And, it will kill more whales and dolphins as well as kill many shore birds flying into the wind turbine propellers (as we have seen them kill protected bird species, including bald and golden eagles out west).
All because our corrupt Governor and his lackeys stand to make tens of millions of dollars from a foreign company, Orsted, wanting to build failed wind turbine farms, that are being taken down in the oceans by Germany, France, Sweden, Norway and Finland, while those countries ramp up nuclear power and fossil fuel power again.
Let’s start eliminating Democrat politicians in New Jersey if you want to substantially reduce taxes, regulations, the ability to raise a family and the ability to open a business. New Jersey is not friendly to families or businesses because of their socialist-communist programs giving money to the “deadbeat” population on welfare and who are part of the sanctuary state for illegal aliens.
New Jersey gives over $4 BILLION dollars per year to illegal aliens, giving them free education, free health care, free housing, free food stamps, welfare, free legal services, free transportion, and even free cash to do with what they want. And, they only give back $150 MILLION per year in taxes, after they’ve sent their monies back to their families in their home countries.
Time to stop the “deadbeat gravy train” and make everyone work for welfare, free housing, free educatin, free healthcare, etc.