James Abate
From Ballotpedia
This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.
James Abate (Republican Party) ran for election to the New Jersey State Senate to represent District 17. He lost in the general election on November 2, 2021.
Abate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
James Abate was born in Brooklyn, New York. He earned a bachelor's degree from Brooklyn College, City University of New York in 1996 and a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School in 1999. His professional experience includes working as a criminal and constitutional lawyer.[1]
Elections
2021
See also: New Jersey State Senate elections, 2021
General election
General election for New Jersey State Senate District 17
Incumbent Bob Smith defeated James Abate in the general election for New Jersey State Senate District 17 on November 2, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Bob Smith (D) | 69.1 | 32,455 |
James Abate (R)  | 30.9 | 14,505 | ||
| Total votes: 46,960 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for New Jersey State Senate District 17
Incumbent Bob Smith advanced from the Democratic primary for New Jersey State Senate District 17 on June 8, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Bob Smith | 100.0 | 9,158 |
| Total votes: 9,158 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for New Jersey State Senate District 17
James Abate advanced from the Republican primary for New Jersey State Senate District 17 on June 8, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | James Abate | 100.0 | 2,887 | |
| Total votes: 2,887 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Campaign themes
2021
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
James Abate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Abate's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I come from a union family and am a compassionate conservative constitutional and criminal lawyer and I am running for Senate in LD 17 because I do not like bullies and want to protect freedom. We are entering a new world with new challenges and need leaders who did not cause the current problems and will be around to provide solutions. I will champion the working class which was overlooked during the pandemic in favor of the laptop class. No person should be bound by anything but their free will. I will defend the right of free people to make their own choices about what gets put in their bodies. I will support the protection of free speech and freedom of thought. Phil Murphy is not your co-parent. I will defend religious and parental freedom. I will stop the policies of the Murphy administration that have diminished the safety and freedom of law abiding tax payers. I will support an investigation of why 7000 seniors and veterans needlessly died under the Murphy administration.
- Make New Jersey Free again- No person should be bound by anything other than their free will!
- Phil Murphy is not your co-parent - schools should educate not indoctrinate.
- Its time to put the working class on equal footing with the laptop class.
I am passionate about the ability of citizens to have maximum freedom without having to ask permission from the government. Freedom of speech and thought is at peril. This includes the ability to see our children educated not indoctrinated. This includes the ability to put what we want in our bodies. I support vaccination, but this is a personal choice not subject to mandates. People should be free to practice religion free of interference by the government. Government's highest function should be keeping the people safe. Recent policies that jeopardize freedom safety will end when I am elected. We will investigate the deaths of 7000 seniors and veterans that needlessly perished during the pandemic.
I look up compassionate conservatives such as Ronald Reagan, George Bush and John Kennedy. We have to stop looking at the political party and focus on taking care of people by allowing them to take care of themselves. We must support freedom of speech and freedom of thought.
12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos, by Dr. Jordan B. Peterson
The Constitution of United States of America, by Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, et. al.
The Declaration of Independence
Start with Why, by Simon Sinek
Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand
The Gulag Archipelago by Alexander Solzhenitsyn
Every elected official must say an oath to defend the constitution of the United States of America. We need them to live up to that oath when it comes to the freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. Too often our leaders are too committed to consolidating power to the government and too compliant in sacrificing freedoms.
I have the experience of being a Conservative Republican who is pro police and law enforcement, but defends many marginalized communities. I believe in the individual and that by making individuals stronger, rather than victims, we all become stronger. I believe in education, not indoctrination. I believe we are all more alike than we are different and that we have the capacity of working together for the common good.
Stand up for the personal liberties of the individual rather than consolidation of power by the state. Support the working class over the laptop class as the driving force of our economy. Keep New Jersey free and the people safe. Be honest, diligent and compassionate. Make no person beholden to anything but their free will.
I want to leave the legacy of greater freedom. Freedom of thought and freedom of speech. I want to leave a legacy of greater unity and a stronger nation and state. That will include financial independence and a greater, fairer economy with stronger families and greater purpose for all of us.
The first historical even I remember was Chris Chambliss' game winning Home Run over the Kansas City Royals in 1976. A close second was the Iran Hostage Crisis and the election of Ronald Reagan. I was around 7-10 years old during these events.
My first job was as a News Paper Boy growing up in Brooklyn. I learned the value of a dollar was more important than a handout and that hard work pays off. I delivered News Papers for the Daily News throughout Junior High School.
The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck. I was reading it to and from work (waiting tables) on the R train, late at night (2 am) while attending law school. It was a period of growth and purpose and peace. It was the time in my life more than the book.
The Governor has to look at the needs of executing laws and the Legislature has to constrain the executive on budget and overstepping the freedoms of the people. They are different chambers in a bicameral system and have to represent different needs. There will be times to be aligned and times to be adversarial. All chambers must support freedom of speech and freedom of thought.
The challenges we face over the next decade will be historical. No one blames the flood, but Noah never put the animals in the water. We face the end of the pandemic and the balance over civil freedoms and their protection. The problems we will face coming out of the pandemic will be faced over the next decade and longer. The world will change and we need to be prepared to change with it. We will literally be restarting a world that has stopped and dealing with mental health and financial harms that have been experienced by every man, woman and student. We will need to learn to love one another again and restrain "cancel culture". We will need to learn about hard work and stop favoring the lap top class over the working class.
You are talking about a near monarchy. A bicameral system is far superior and permits input on the State Wide and Community level. Each are important and need to have their say. We cannot allow the majority to dominate the needs of the local community. The only way we will see true freedom is to give a voice to the community and the statewide viewpoint.
I believe we need to return to the intention of the founding fathers which was for the common man to serve in legislature and then return to their professions. Our leaders need to have a feeling for what it is like to run a business and to be at risk of loosing freedom. Lifetime politicians should be retired.
We must engage with the attitude that we may learn something from the other side. We are not always right and they are not always wrong.
Redistricting should balance the commonality of the community. Gerrymandering to protect political power needs to end. We are loosing freedom because we carve up the districts to be echo chambers free of debate.
I would like to be part of the Judicial and Law and Public Safety committees. A conservative, pro law enforcement criminal defense attorney that represents many marginalized communities is a voice that should be heard. We need new committees that will look to protect freedom of speech and freedom of thought.
Ronald Reagan believed in lifting all others up. I support the right of all people to live their life the way they choose. That is what freedom is about. We have to equally support all people whether they exist in the laptop class or the working class. Government is not a co-parent and should educate not indoctrinate.
I was inspired to enter this race after seeing what was done to Ian Smith of Atilis Gym. All he wanted was to operate his business in a safe manner. The visions of the destruction of this man and his business was a nightmare for all people who love freedom. His willingness to stand up to bullies was inspirational. He is a heroe of the pandemic.
The legislature must oversee emergency powers. Otherwise we risk a totalitarian dictatorship where freedom is lost and we loose the ability of speech and thought as free Americans.
"Compromise where you can, and where you can't ...don't. Even when the whole world tells you something that is wrong is something right, even when the whole world tells you to move. It is your duty to look them in the eye and say ....No! You move."
-Steve Rodgers
-Steve Rodgers
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See also
2021 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on September 28, 2021
Current members of the New Jersey State Senate
Leadership
Senate President:Nicholas Scutari
Majority Leader:Teresa Ruiz
Minority Leader:Anthony Bucco
Senators
District 1
Mike Testa (R)
District 2
District 3
John Burzichelli (D)
District 4
Paul Moriarty (D)
District 5
Nilsa Cruz-Perez (D)
District 6
James Beach (D)
District 7
Troy Singleton (D)
District 8
Latham Tiver (R)
District 9
Carmen Amato (R)
District 10
James Holzapfel (R)
District 11
Vin Gopal (D)
District 12
Owen Henry (R)
District 13
Declan O'Scanlon (R)
District 14
Linda Greenstein (D)
District 15
Shirley Turner (D)
District 16
Andrew Zwicker (D)
District 17
Bob Smith (D)
District 18
Patrick Diegnan (D)
District 19
Joseph Vitale (D)
District 20
Joseph Cryan (D)
District 21
Jon Bramnick (R)
District 22
Nicholas Scutari (D)
District 23
Doug Steinhardt (R)
District 24
Parker Space (R)
District 25
Anthony Bucco (R)
District 26
District 27
John McKeon (D)
District 28
Renee Burgess (D)
District 29
Teresa Ruiz (D)
District 30
Robert Singer (R)
District 31
Angela McKnight (D)
District 32
Raj Mukherji (D)
District 33
Brian Stack (D)
District 34
District 35
Benjie Wimberly (D)
District 36
Paul Sarlo (D)
District 37
Gordon Johnson (D)
District 38
Joseph Lagana (D)
District 39
Holly Schepisi (R)
District 40
Kristin Corrado (R)
Democratic Party (25)
Republican Party (15)
