NJ7 had a spirited, healthy, and only occasionally contentious congressional primary season. All thanks to the seven patriotic Democrats who ran to replace Leonard Lance, including the three who remained in the race through the primary: Peter Jacob, Gautham Jois, and Tom Malinowski.

Now that the primary is over, it is time to unite behind the nominee, Tom Malinowski. Born in Poland and raised in New Jersey, this Rhodes Scholar has spent his career working for our rights and freedoms. During the Clinton administration, he served as Senior Director on the National Security Council at the White House. From 2001 to 2013, as the Washington Director for Human Rights Watch, he advocated for women's rights in Afghanistan, for democratic reforms in Myanmar, and against the use of torture by the U.S. government. In 2014, when President Obama nominated him to be Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, he was praised by both Democrats and Republicans (notably including John McCain) at his Senate confirmation hearing for his stands for human rights and against torture. At the State Department, working under Secretary of State John Kerry, his work included efforts to punish North Korean officials for human rights abuses, to assist persecuted religious minorities in Iraq, and to defend the LGBTQ community globally.

With his unusual breadth of experience and service, Tom Malinowski will be a welcome successor to Leonard Lance. Though Lance strains to appear moderate, his voting record demonstrates very conservative positions on health care, gun safety, and reproductive rights, and he has failed to lead or deliver for New Jersey taxpayers and commuters in the age of Trump.

The most important prize in the November election will be control of the U.S. House of Representatives, which would restore a balance of power to the U.S. government and take committee leadership away from Trump's and Pence's GOP collaborators. For example, a Democratic majority would result in Frank Pallone (NJ6) becoming the chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has one of the broadest jurisdictions of any congressional committee.

As Tom said in his speech the evening of June 5, 2018, following his victory in the NJ7 Democratic primary, "We've got to win 23 seats across this country, and that task runs through the 7th district. We are a swing district - we can be 1/23 of the solution to all the problems that ail our country in 2018."

Then Tom added wryly, "So no pressure."

We will be in touch soon about ways each of us can help become 1/23 of the solution.