Election Profile: Stephanie Schmid For 4th District of NJ

LITTLE SILVER, NJ – The New Jersey preliminary election on July 7 will challenge several Democrats looking to unseat Republican Congressman Chris Smith for New Jersey's 4th congressional district come November. Former U.S. diplomat and lawyer Stephanie Schmid is one Democratic candidate, alongside former Americorp service member and United Nations staffer Christine Conforti and Red Bank media strategist David Applefield. Republican Alter Eliezer Richter is also running to win the seat.

Schmid, 40, has been a practicing attorney for 15 years. She is also a retired U.S. Foreign Service Officer and diplomat.

Schmid has a J.D. from the University of California at Berkeley School of Law as well as a B.A. from Yale University.

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Why are you seeking elective office?

I am running for Congress because our democracy is at a crisis point and we need a new generation of public service leaders to step up and strengthen our democracy by putting country over party and ensuring our government works on behalf of all of us.

I have worked to advance human rights at home and abroad as a Foreign Service Officer and Diplomat for the U.S. Department of State and as a human rights attorney and advocate. As a United States Foreign Service Officer, I’ve been on the front lines of crumbling democracies and during times of crisis, and I worked with governments to increase access to healthcare and other critical public resources, and also to help rebuild their infrastructure and ensure they held free and fair elections to strengthen their democracies.

In 2018 resigned my commission and went to the Center for Reproductive Rights where I led their U.S. Foreign Policy Program. I wrote a bill called the Reproductive Rights are Human Rights Act which has over 180 co-sponsors from both chambers of Congress.

I will use both my voice and my vote to ensure that New Jersey is represented in Washington, and I put myself forward today as a Democratic candidate for Congress in NJ-04 because I believe that our district deserves a representative that will stand up and fight for our families.

The single most pressing issue facing our community is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Healthcare. Every person in the United States should have access to affordable healthcare that does not force them to go bankrupt—no exceptions. People with pre-existing conditions should not live in fear of losing or being denied coverage because of their healthcare needs. I support legislation that automatically enrolls people who are uninsured or under-insured into a publicly-funded program such as Medicare, while maintaining the choice of private insurance for those who want it. I will also work to lower the cost of prescription drugs, as well as expand what is considered to be “healthcare.” Reproductive rights are healthcare; substance abuse treatment is healthcare; mental health services are healthcare too. We all do better as a society when we are healthy, and I will fight for that human right every day.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I will be ready to do the job of a United States Congresswoman on day one. My service to this country as a Diplomat in the State Department and fighting for human rights as a non-profit attorney has given me the experience to go to Washington to amplify the voices of and deliver for the constituents of NJ-04. I have critical foreign and domestic experience that will aid in my success as a United States Representative.

I also am deeply knowledgeable on my general election opponent, Rep. Chris Smith, as I interned in his office 23 years ago and since then have been working against his anti-human rights initiatives. I am the only candidate in this race with the background, the resources, the plan, and the story to finally defeat Chris Smith and bring new representation to this district for the first time in nearly 40 years.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

Rep. Chris Smith consistently votes against the best interests of New Jersey. He has voted repeatedly to strip healthcare away from millions of Americans, he voted against the HEROES act which included a repeal of the SALT cap, he voted against lowering prescription drug costs, and he consistently votes against reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act. Rep. Smith is one of the leading voices opposing women's reproductive rights and LGBTQ+ rights. He has not held a town hall in more than 27 years. New Jersey’s Fourth District deserves better, and we are ready for a change in leadership.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

Protecting Human Rights: As a lifelong human rights advocate, I am committed to standing up and fighting for the rights of all people, not just a few.

Taxes: We need to immediately remove the State and Local Income Tax Deduction Cap (SALT) that explicitly and unfairly targeted New Jersey families. Repealing the SALT Cap would provide financial relief to thousands of middle class homeowners in our state.

Environment/Climate: Climate change is an urgent threat to our community. I see moving to cleaner energy sources as a way to kickstart a part of our economy that needs it and gives working people jobs right here in Central Jersey. We must also fully fund our flood insurance and federal emergency management programs so that victims of natural disasters like Sandy have immediate support.

Education: I will work to make sure every child has access to pre-K and early learning programs, as well as work to increase access to and affordability of New Jersey’s colleges, universities, and trade schools. I will fight to reduce student loan debt so that debt does not burden so many young adults and students have a realistic and achievable path to repaying their loans. Additionally, I will always have the backs of teachers across our district and our country, and will fight for fair pay, benefits, and healthcare for our educators.

Gun Safety Reforms: I have been awarded the 2020 Moms Demand Action Candidate distinction, which is awarded to candidates who are committed to advocating for gun violence prevention and governing with gun safety in mind. I support common sense gun reforms, red flag laws, and universal background checks.

Responsive and Transparent Leadership: This district has gone over 27 years without a town hall from its current Representative and because of that I have committed to hosting 39 town halls in my first term. I want to hear from the people I serve and understand how my work in Washington can improve the lives of our families, friends, and neighbors. I will provide prompt, responsive and compassionate constituent services.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I have spent my life working to protect human rights around the globe as a United States Foreign Service Officer and as a human rights advocate and attorney. I spent seven years as a political officer in Haiti and Brazil working to strengthen democratic institutions, support political parties, ensure free and fair elections, and advance human rights. I resigned my commission in 2018 in order to fight back against this administration's attacks on human rights, particularly women’s and LGBTQ rights, and went to the Center for Reproductive Rights where I led their U.S. Foreign Policy Program on Capitol Hill and conceived of, authored, and successfully lobbied for the introduction of the Reproductive Rights Are Human Rights Act of 2019 which has over 180 co-sponsors. We have an opportunity this year to reject politics as usual, and instead elect a new generation of leaders, like me, who are dedicated to public service and who will always put our country before party, and our communities before special interests.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

One of my heroes, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, has given advice in countless speeches that has always guided me in my own advocacy work as an attorney, a United States Foreign Service Officer, a human rights advocate, and now, as a congressional candidate: “Fight for the things you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” We cannot create lasting, sustainable change alone. True change comes by creating coalitions and partnerships across our communities and the political spectrum and I will continue to do so as the next Congresswoman representing New Jersey’s Fourth Congressional District.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

New Jersey’s Fourth District deserves a Congresswoman who will stand up and fight for public health and safety, put people over partisanship, country over party, and lead during times of crisis. It is time to join together as a community to ensure that in November we send a representative to Washington who will fight for all of us and lead before, during, and after times of crisis. I pledge to be that Congresswoman and use my lifetime of public service experience and foreign policy expertise to protect the health, safety, and security of our community and our country.