Peter Jacob

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Peter Jacob

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

June 5, 2018

Contact

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Personal website

Peter Jacob (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent New Jersey's 7th Congressional District. He lost in the Democratic primary on June 5, 2018.

The Democratic primary for New Jersey's 7th Congressional District decided which Democrat would take on incumbent Leonard Lance (R) in a district that voted for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.

A social worker who ran against Lance in 2016, Peter Jacob ran for Congress by emphasizing his background as an activist and his opposition to corporate money in politics. He received support from Justice Democrats, an organization which was founded to advocate against corporate influence in Democratic Party politics, and Brand New Congress, an organization founded to support the policy preferences of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (D). Both organizations were founded by former staffers on Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign. Jacob raised over $100,000 for his campaign in 2017.

Jacob and the Justice Democrats criticized the primary process, saying Democratic Party county officials were favoring their preferred candidates, such as Linda Weber and Tom Malinowski, over his campaign. “We will not stand by and let the establishment rig yet another primary in un-Democratic fashion,” he said. “By standing up for the People’s values, we will make sure that the people have their voice heard on June 5th, instead of the party bosses.”

Jacob lost to Lance in the 2016 election for the 7th Congressional District by 11 points. He did not face competition in the Democratic primary. His professional experience includes working as a licensed social worker and developing and maintaining a homeless shelter. He received his bachelor's degree in sociology from Kean University and his master's degree in social work from Washington University in St. Louis.

For more information about the Democratic primary election: New Jersey's 7th Congressional District election (June 5, 2018 Democratic primary)

For more information about the general election on November 6, 2018: New Jersey's 7th Congressional District election, 2018

Elections

2018

See also: New Jersey's 7th Congressional District election, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. House New Jersey District 7

Tom Malinowski defeated incumbent Leonard Lance, Diane Moxley, and Gregg Mele in the general election for U.S. House New Jersey District 7 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Tom Malinowski (D)	51.7	166,985
		Leonard Lance (R)	46.7	150,785
		Diane Moxley (G)	0.8	2,676
		Gregg Mele (Freedom, Responsibility, Action Party)	0.7	2,296

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 322,742 (100.00% precincts reporting)
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 7

Tom Malinowski defeated Peter Jacob and Goutam Jois in the Democratic primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 7 on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Tom Malinowski	66.8	26,172
		Peter Jacob	19.1	7,503
		Goutam Jois	14.1	5,507

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 39,182
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Kurt Perhach (D)
• David Pringle (D)
• Linda Weber (D)
• Lisa Mandelblatt (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 7

Incumbent Leonard Lance defeated Lindsay Brown and Raafat Barsoom in the Republican primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 7 on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Leonard Lance	74.9	24,934
		Lindsay Brown	14.4	4,795
		Raafat Barsoom	10.7	3,556

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 33,285
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Click here to see a list of endorsements in the Democratic primary

Ballotpedia tracks endorsements by organizations and elected officials. As of March 6, 2018, we have located the following endorsements in this race. To notify us of other endorsements, please email us. County parties in New Jersey often offer endorsements, and their endorsed candidates appear together on the county party's ballot line. Democratic primary endorsements Endorsement Date Jacob Jois Malinowski Weber State figures Myra Terry, founder of Emerge New Jersey Unknown ✔ Former candidates Scott Salmon February 16, 2018 ✔ Lisa Mandelblatt February 7, 2018 ✔ Local figures Christopher Capodice, Springfield Township committeeman March 2, 2018 ✔ Susan Poage, Berkeley Heights councilwoman February 28, 2018 ✔ Richard Sun, former Summit councilman-at-large January 22, 2018 ✔ Ted Romankow, former Union County prosecutor and former mayor of Berkeley Heights January 22, 2018 ✔ Jordan Glatt, former mayor of Summit Unknown ✔ Organizations Our Revolution March 14, 2018 ✔ Union County Democratic Committee March 13, 2018 ✔ End Citizens United March 1, 2018 ✔ Hunterdon County Democratic Committee February 4, 2018 ✔ Somerset County Democratic Committee January 25, 2018 ✔ Essex County Democratic Committee January 25, 2018 ✔ Network for Public Education Action June 26, 2017 ✔ Brand New Congress Unknown ✔ Civil Rights Pioneers Unknown ✔ Justice Democrats Unknown ✔ Women for Tom Malinowski Unknown ✔ Morris County Democratic Committee Unknown ✔ Warren County Democratic Committee Unknown ✔

Campaign finance

The table below contains data from FEC Quarterly January 2018 reports. It includes only candidates who have reported at least $10,000 in campaign contributions as of December 31, 2017.
Democrats

Campaign advertisements

"Peter Jacob Announces 2018 Exploratory Committee," released June 19, 2017

2016

See also: New Jersey's 7th Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Leonard Lance (R) defeated Peter Jacob (D), Dan O'Neill (L), and Arthur Haussmann Jr. (Conservative) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Lance defeated Craig Heard and David Larsen in the Republican primary, while Jacob faced no opposition for the Democratic nomination. The primary elections took place on June 7, 2016. Lance won re-election in the November 8 election.

U.S. House, New Jersey District 7 General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Leonard Lance Incumbent	54.1%	185,850
	Democratic	Peter Jacob	43.1%	148,188
	Libertarian	Dan O'Neill	1.6%	5,343
	Conservative	Arthur Haussmann Jr.	1.2%	4,254
Total Votes				343,635
Source: New Jersey Division of Elections

U.S. House, New Jersey District 7 Republican Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Leonard Lance Incumbent	53.9%	31,807
David Larsen	32.9%	19,425
Craig Heard	13.2%	7,774
Total Votes		59,006
Source: New Jersey Division of Elections

Campaign themes

2018

Jacob's campaign website stated the following:

“	Health Care It is guaranteed in our Declaration of Independence that all people have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. None of this is possible, especially life, without adequate healthcare. Access to full healthcare is therefore a right of all people, and not a privilege or commodity money can buy. Far too many are being shut out from this essential right. Our healthcare system is grossly inefficient with skyrocketing costs and an overly complicated bureaucracy that increases the burden on patients and providers. We need a healthcare system that significantly reduces overhead and administrative costs that threaten the financial security of our nation. Not only is this the right thing to do, but it’s also good for our economy. When we invest in the health of our communities, we invest in our productivity and economy. By simplifying our payment structure, reducing administrative costs, and incentivizing preventative measures, we can lower healthcare spending. Peter Jacob supports the enactment of a Medicare-for-all, healthcare system. Peter Jacob supports HR 676, Expanded & Improved Medicare For All Act. Economy Wealth and income inequality is the greatest moral issue of our time. The gap between the wealthiest Americans and everyone else has not been this high since right before the Great Depression. This inequality is causing more and more working Americans to slip through the cracks, and lose out on the American Dream. Our nation was founded on the principle of equality of opportunity, but special interests have been able to write the rules of our society for their own benefit at our expense. When the wealthiest people and corporations create and exploit their own tax loopholes, working Americans are forced to foot the bill. Peter Jacob supports a fairer tax system which requires the highest earning Americans to pay their fair share of taxes. Peter Jacob supports the creation of millions of new jobs though increased infrastructure spending for roads, bridges, railways, airports, public transit systems, ports, dams, wastewater plants, and other infrastructure needs. Peter Jacob supports a responsible increase to the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 an hour. Environment The scientific community agrees that climate change is not only real, but already causing incredible devastation across the globe. The great challenge for our generation is to reverse and repair the damage that has already been done to the environment. We have the knowledge and tools to meet this challenge. But, our dependency on dirty energy, facilitated by the greed of the fossil fuel industry, has paralyzed our ability to be a global leader in this struggle. Peter Jacob supports extending subsidies for clean, renewable energy solutions and expanding educational opportunities for the workforce. The United States must be a global leader in this fight and work with the international community to find actionable solutions. Peter Jacob supports working with local and state governments, as well as private corporations, to ensure America can run on 100% renewable energy by 2035. Peter Jacob opposes the Keystone pipeline, PennEast, and Pilgrim gas pipelines. Big Money in Politics American democracy and the belief that we have a government of, by, and for the people has always been a pillar of freedom for the global community. Our nation was founded on the principle that the voices of the many are represented by the individuals whom we elect to political office. Although corruption in politics has always been a concern, the threats to the sanctity of our democratic process that we have today have never been greater. The Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling declares corporations have the same rights as American Citizens, and campaign contributions are protected as Free Speech. We must strengthen anti-corruption enforcement mechanisms, provide prosecutors with the resources needed to combat corruption, and ban lobbyists who fail to properly register and disclose their activities. Peter Jacob supports the “We the People” constitutional amendment to overturn the Citizens United ruling and eliminate Super PACs. Peter Jacob supports states’ creation of truly nonpartisan, independent commissions of judges, social scientists, and retired public officials to handle redistricting. Gender Equality Our nation has made incredible progress throughout our history to overcome discrimination and create a more equitable society. But, we still have more work to ensure all Americans are guaranteed the same rights and opportunities regardless of gender, race, class, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation. Women, especially LGBTQ folks and women of color, face higher levels of discrimination, harassment, and assault. District 7 deserves a Representative who vows to advocate and fight for gender equality. It is a great shame that in the year 2017, American women continue to only make $0.79 for every dollar earned by a man doing comparable work. This injustice is even worse for Black ($0.64) and Latina ($0.57) women. Peter Jacob supports the Paycheck Fairness Act that would guarantee equal pay for equal work. Peter Jacob opposes efforts to defund Planned Parenthood and otherwise limit access to women’s health services. Gun Safety Mass shootings at schools to unintended child gun deaths to firearm suicides, these stories have become all too common. The gun violence incidences have reached epidemic levels in our nation. We can argue about the historical context of our 2nd Amendment, but the challenges we face today require 21st century solutions. We may not end gun violence today, but we can take common sense steps to make our nation safe and secure for all of us. Expanding Background Checks 97% of people in America support strong background checks (including the majority of NRA members). Gaps in the law enable felons, those on the terror watch list, and people with a history of domestic abuse to purchase guns. Require private sellers online and at gun shows to follow the same laws as licensed dealers. The Gun Lobby The Gun Lobby has worked to prevent common sense laws to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people. They have fought to prevent Congress from providing any funding for research on gun violence. In 2014, the gun lobby spent over $30 million on political advertising and influencing members of Congress and state legislatures across the country. End the Madness Renew the assault weapons ban and end the sale of high capacity weapons – we do not need military style weapons on our streets. Often people purchase guns and weapons to feel safer, and economic insecurity leads to higher crime rates. Ensure equal access to the life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness our Founders intended all Americans to have. This means good quality paying jobs, investment in education, and access to healthcare. If at the very least we are able to do this, we won’t need guns to feel safe.	”
—Peter Jacob’s campaign website (2018)

2016

The following issues were listed on Jacob's campaign website. For a full list of campaign themes, click here.

“	Campaign Finance Reform: A recent Princeton University study proves that Congress only responds to the desires of the top 10% of income earners. The voices of middle class Americans are drowned out by those wealthy enough to buy lobbyists and purchase politicians through unlimited campaign donations. As a result of a long line of Supreme Court decisions culminating with Citizens United, it is legal for anyone, including faceless, sometimes foreign corporations to spend as much money as they wish to influence our elections. Energy & Environment: The debate on climate change is over. It is settled. Climate change is not some far off threat that we can worry about later. It is happening right now and already causing incredible devastation across the globe. The Pentagon lists climate change as one of the major drivers of future extremism as over a billion people are displaced from rising sea levels, droughts, dwindling resources, and extreme weather events. Jobs & The Economy: How can we have a consumer economy if consumers don’t have enough money in their pockets to consume? Regardless of your income or job, the deplorable state of job opportunities in our economy affects us all. Millions of our fellow Americans are working long hours in multiple jobs and still not earning enough money to make ends meet. Many of our neighbors are forced to take pay cuts just to keep their jobs, while executives of the largest corporations are seeing their paychecks skyrocket. When adjusted for inflation, worker earnings have been stagnant since the 1970’s. Meanwhile, in this same time frame, average CEO salaries rose 997%!!	”
—Peter Jacob's campaign website, http://peterforcongress.com/#theissues

See also

• United States House of Representatives
• New Jersey's 7th Congressional District election, 2018
• New Jersey's 7th Congressional District election, 2016
• New Jersey's 7th Congressional District

External links

Suggest a link

• Search Google News for this topic
• Campaign website

Footnotes

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New Jersey's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Cory Booker (D)

Andrew Kim (D)

Representatives

District 1

Donald Norcross (D)

District 2

Jeff Van Drew (R)

District 3

Herbert Conaway (D)

District 4

Chris Smith (R)

District 5

Josh Gottheimer (D)

District 6

Frank Pallone (D)

District 7

Thomas Kean (R)

District 8

Robert Menendez (D)

District 9

Nellie Pou (D)

District 10

LaMonica McIver (D)

District 11

Mikie Sherrill (D)

District 12

Bonnie Coleman (D)

Democratic Party (11)

Republican Party (3)