Press Release from NJCAPAC about 2004 Endorsements

Citizen Watchdog Political Action Committee Endorsements Go To
Challenger Brozak, Incumbent Holt And Others For Congress

Prescription Drugs, Affordable Health Care and Social Security are top issues

September 23, 2004    —   For Immediate Release

HACKENSACK, NJ – Citing candidates' starkly differing positions on top consumer concerns, New Jersey Citizen Action's Political Action Committee announced today that it has endorsed a select group of candidates in Congressional races around the state. As the state's largest citizen watchdog coalition, representing 60,000 family members and more than 100 community, labor, senior, religious and civic organizations, NJCA pays careful attention to the major issues facing the state's residents at the state and federal level.

"This year, affordable prescription drugs, access to quality health care and solvency of Social Security top the list of issues our members and the public at large, care about," said NJCA PAC Chair Mitchell Kahn. "NJCA's PAC has endorsed and will work to elect John Kerry to the White House and make sure our representatives in Congress put the needs of Garden State residents before corporate profits."

Since 1982, NJCA has engaged in different kinds of electoral activities including non-partisan voter registration, voter education, issue advocacy and PAC endorsements. "The Board of Directors and PAC weigh our involvement in many ways, including whether we can reward an ally, punish an opponent, make a difference or elect one of our own," said Staci Berger, NJCA Program Director.

In a four-page questionnaire, NJCA surveyed candidates about their positions on a variety of issues. Berger said the PAC also researched the positions of those candidates who did not respond in races where the PAC considered an endorsement. The PAC made the following endorsements, based on the candidates' positions on NJCA's issues:

Kahn explained, "There are close races, especially in [districts] 12 and 7, where NJCA's support and activities, including neighborhood canvassing, leafleting, press events, mailings and phone calls, can make a real difference. Some of these are places where the other candidate has truly bad record on our major issue, or the endorsed candidate has an especially good history with our members."

The PAC evaluated the candidates' support for specific Congressional actions on quality health care, social security, fair banking and housing, women's reproductive freedom, campaign finance reform, education as well as domestic and international security. The PAC only considers endorsements for those candidates who returned surveys. She noted that not every candidate who asked for an endorsement received one, as the PAC wanted to make a targeted effort in the places where it can be most effective.

Berger said the group will post voter guides on its website, www.njcitizenaction.org. All major party candidates were mailed and faxed the survey, and were contacted by phone to submit their responses, but not all responded. She noted that NJCA will only post voter guides in races where at least one major party candidate returned a survey.