Legislative District 29 – NJ Spotlight

The 29th District covers Belleville and part of Newark in Essex County.

It’s a district that heavily favors Democrats: Only 6 percent of district voters are registered as Republicans, while 52 percent are Democrats and most of the rest are unaffiliated.

The incumbent Democrats are facing a challenge. Assemblywomen Shanique Speight and Eliana Pintor Marin, who works in the Essex County Clerk’s Office, are both from Newark. Opposing them are Steve José Poveda of Belleville and Awais Qazi of Newark.

The Republican ticket features Jeannette Veras, a Newark woman who has run unsuccessfully in the last two elections, and John Anello of Belleville.

CANDIDATES IN CONTESTED PRIMARY

NJ Spotlight asked all candidates in contested races to fill out a brief survey about themselves and why they are running. These are the responses we received from 29th District candidates.

Steve Jose Poveda

STEVE JOSÉ POVEDA: DEMOCRAT

Hometown: Born and raised in Newark, now live in Belleville

Age: 28

Occupation: Medical assistant

Family: Single

Education: Cornell University, BS in Government

Website: stevefornj.com

Email/phone: support@stevefornj.com

Why are you running for the Assembly? I am running because I believe elected officials should have to answer to their constituents regularly. Years of uncontested primaries have left our district sorely missing the outreach necessary to foster a dialogue with residents. This often means our elected officials do not vote the ways we want them to. A challenge to the political machine that handpicks their nominees will hold our Assembly members accountable for their positions such as failing to support a millionaire’s tax and supporting a corrupt corporate tax subsidy program.

What are your three top priorities if elected?

  • Vote for an increase in the marginal tax rate of earnings over $1 million, also known as the millionaire’s tax.

  • A moratorium of all corporate tax subsidies until the state has investigated reported abuses to the program.

  • Support legislation that allows for online and same-day voter registration across the state.

What makes you the best candidate? I am a candidate who places a premium on wisdom, not experience. The working families of New Jersey elected a Democratic governor and a Democratic Legislature with the expectation that they’d lead on popular Democratic issues. When a millionaire’s tax passes five times under Gov. Christie but cannot reach Gov. Murphy’s desk with his party holding a legislative majority, it begs serious questions about those we elect. Experience teaches you how to play the Trenton game — to embarrass and score political points. Wisdom tells you the game is not helping working-class residents across the district and it needs to stop.

Awais Qazi

AWAIS QAZI: DEMOCRAT

Hometown: Newark

Age: 24

Occupation: Account specialist at Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Financial Services Company

Family: Unmarried, no children

Education: Bachelors of Science in Business Administration, specializing in finance, from the New Jersey Institute of Technology

Website: awaisqazi.com

Email/phone: awais.a.qazi@gmail.com, 862-301-0756

Why are you running for the Assembly? I am running for office because I oppose the public positions held by Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor Marin. Assemblywoman Pintor Marin was reluctant in her support of raising the minimum wage to $15. Her position was that such a move would cause businesses to flee New Jersey.

Regarding the current budget and the millionaire’s tax, Assemblywoman Pintor Marin said she would not support an increase in taxes unless there was a dire need to do so. New Jersey has not fully funded its school funding formula and its pension obligations. Our infrastructure is crumbling. We do not even have access to clean water in the city of Newark (referring to the Newark lead water crisis). There is clearly a dire need to ensure that the wealthiest people in New Jersey pay their fair share in taxes.

Lastly, Assemblywoman Pintor Marin has been one of the most vocal supporters of the NJ Economic Development Authority. I firmly believe that the EDA needs to be dismantled and replaced with new programs that invest in our communities. Trickle-down economics is known to be a failure. We need to look into ways in which we can create a trickle-up economy. What that means to me is that we should refurbish abandoned properties and turn them into affordable housing units and community centers. We should have grant programs that provide nonprofits with the funding to provide residents with free therapy, addiction counseling, career advisement, and more. We need to make sure that we are taking care of everyone.

In addition to that, I believe we need to work from the ground up and create grant programs that allow for people of color to create new businesses that create local jobs. We should be investing in home-grown small- and medium-size businesses rather than simply providing exorbitant subsidies to companies that do not need it and that make minimal investments in our community.

In President Obama’s farewell address, he said “If you’re disappointed by your elected officials, grab a clipboard, get some signatures and run for office yourself.” I have taken that lesson to heart in running to oppose Assemblywoman Pintor Marin. I hope to abolish the EDA, replace it with a Community Development Authority, and secure state funding to clean our water supply.

In addition to that, I hope to put pressure on the Essex County Democratic establishment to end our ICE contract. I hope to secure more funding for public schools while putting a moratorium on charter schools.

What are your three top priorities if elected?

  • Rally support to get state and federal funding to address the lead water crisis in Newark. Everyone should have access to clean water without having to pay $1,000, as is currently expected in the city’s eight-year plan to replace the lead infrastructure. I will work toward getting public support for funding the replacement of lead infrastructure and use that support to put pressure on elected officials to support state funding to start replacing pipes and assessing other areas potentially impacted.

  • Rein in corporate welfare. We need to invest in areas that will grow our local economy. That means divesting from large tax incentives to profitable corporations and re-investing in programs that help to make Newark and Belleville a better place.

  • Comprehensive election reform in New Jersey. We need to get rid of the party line and encourage fair elections that include significant focus on primary challenges. There are quite a few districts that are heavily Democrat-leaning and heavily Republican-leaning that give people no option for a change in leadership. For example, LD-29 is a strongly Democrat district. We have not had an option for change in 10 years. We need to make it clear that primary challenges are an important part of our democracy and enable us to pick out the best people to represent each district. We need to encourage a competitive democracy in order to get the elected leaders that will best represent the people of each district.

What makes you the best candidate? I am now, and will always be, an activist first. My goal is to work closely with the community, understand the issues that are directly affecting the people I am elected to represent, and to produce solutions that address their concerns with their help. I believe that politics, and the entire process of creating legislation, should be transparent and should involve direct input from the constituency. For far too long, legislation has been written behind closed doors, disproportionately benefiting the wealthiest people due to the influence of money in politics. We have sworn off any donations that aim to influence our politics. Our plan is to re-imagine what it means to be an elected official.

When elected, I will continue to attend meetings of the Newark Water Coalition and I will help to bring more attention to that cause and any similar causes through organizing and activism. I will always speak truth to power and never hold back from criticizing programs that harm my constituency or that do not reflect the best interests of working people across New Jersey.

I will be the most transparent Assemblyman. I will be the most outspoken Assemblyman. And I will make it clear that we need a political revolution in New Jersey to hold our current elected officials accountable and make it clear that if they do not support the interests of working people, they will be challenged in a primary and voted out of office. My opponents do not seem to be taking any bold and courageous stances, so it is time for a change in leadership.

SHANIQUE SPEIGHT did not respond to the survey request.

ELIANA PINTOR MARIN did not respond to the survey request.