Dear Editor:
I write to announce my candidacy to serve as a Member of the General Assembly in the 33rd Legislative District of New Jersey. The election is on June 7 and the 33rd Legislative District is comprised of a substantial portion of downtown Jersey City, along with Hoboken, Weehawken, and Union City.
The current Assemblypersons representing the 33rd District are Ruben Ramos and Caridad Rodriguez, who is not seeking re-election. In addition to incumbent Assemblyman Ramos, the other two candidates are Sean Connors and myself. You can vote for 2 out of the 3 candidates, and you can vote for any combination of candidates.
I am running for State Assembly because as a Hoboken Councilman, I understand the direct correlation between the ability to achieve real change, such as property tax relief, and the decisions our legislators make in Trenton. As an attorney-at-law with offices in downtown Jersey City, I have also seen how the rights of average citizens, such as employees in the workplace, and healthcare for working families and seniors, are impacted by the decisions of our state legislators in Trenton. Jersey City needs qualified and talented public servants representing our interests both here at home and in our state capitol.
I am also running for Assembly because I want to provide voters in Jersey City and the entire district a real alternative to the politics as usual in Hudson County. Important decisions such as who will represent you in Trenton are not made at the ballot box, but rather, they are made behind closed doors by county-level machine politicians. I believe voters should be provided a real choice, which also drives my candidacy for State Assembly.
One of my opponents, Sean Connors, serves on the Board of Education in Jersey City. Recently, Mr. Connors voted against approval of the Jersey City teachers’ union contract, which called for modest and reasonable pay increases for our public school teachers. Mr. Connors is also running alongside Assemblyman Ruben Ramos, one of only a handful of Democrats who voted in favor of Governor Christie’s budget. This was a budget that cut $23.3 million in state aid to Jersey City’s public schools, and was balanced on the backs of school children and working families.
Remember, in this election on June 7, you can vote for 2 out of the 3 candidates running for State Assembly. I respectfully ask that you cast one of your votes for me on June 7. Thank you for your time. If elected, I promise to truly represent the interests of Jersey City’s residents, not those of the local party machine.
Sincerely,
Ravi S. Bhalla
Candidate, General Assembly
33rd Legislative District