John Novak (New Jersey)

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John Novak

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John Novak (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District. He did not appear on the ballot for the Republican primary on July 7, 2020.

Novak completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. Click here to read the survey answers.

Elections

2020

See also: New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District election, 2020

New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District election, 2020 (July 7 Republican primary)

New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District election, 2020 (July 7 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House New Jersey District 3

Incumbent Andrew Kim defeated David Richter, Martin Weber, and Robert Shapiro in the general election for U.S. House New Jersey District 3 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Andrew Kim (D)	53.2	229,840
		David Richter (R)	45.5	196,327
		Martin Weber (For the People Party)	0.9	3,724
		Robert Shapiro (Independent Constitution Party)	0.4	1,871

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 431,762
= 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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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 3

Incumbent Andrew Kim advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 3 on July 7, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Andrew Kim	100.0	79,417

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 79,417
= 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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 3

David Richter defeated Kate Gibbs in the Republican primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 3 on July 7, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		David Richter	61.1	35,824
		Kate Gibbs	38.9	22,768

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 58,592
= 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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• David Schmidt (R)
• John Novak (R)
• Anthony Porto (R)

Campaign themes

2019

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

John Novak completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Novak's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a lifelong Ocean County resident who has I have a wife of 38 years, three children and one grandchild.

I worked my way through Ocean County College to achieve an Associates Degree in Law Enforcement. I worked my way through Stockton State College to achieve a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice. I worked my way through Rutgers School of Law (Camden) to achieve Juris Doctor Degree.

I been a self-employed small business owner for the majority of my 61 year life owning and operating a logging company, a construction and excavation company and, since 1989, have been self-employed as an Attorney-at-Law admitted to practice in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, The District of Columbia, Federal Court and The United States Supreme Court.

I have been elected to the Barnegat Township Committee three times and will be sworn in as Mayor for the second time January 1st.

Public experience, various jurisdictions: Attorney for Planning Board, Zoning Board, In-Rem Foreclosure Attorney, Municipal Prosecutor, Public Defender, Hearing Officer, Condemnation Commissioner.

Present and Past Affiliations: American Legion Post 232 (Barnegat), NRA (Life Member), Ocean Air Support Squadron, Former Troopers Association, Association of Former Intelligence Officers as well as the Executive Boards of the Ocean County YMCA and the Jersey Shore Council of The Boy Scouts of America along with other organizations.

I love this country and want to Make America America Again.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Support the successful polices of President Trump. Secure our border; a country without borders is a No Man's Land.
• Protect our Bill of Rights. Our God-given rights to worship freely, speak freely, keep and bear arms, along with our right to believe as our conscience dictates is under assault by big government and Leftists/Progressive ideology.
• Bring our country back to its founding principles - recognize the sanctity of life, protect the unborn; allow families to teach children morality not government ordained Leftist/Progressive ideologies.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

If you believe, as I do, that religion and morality have been vilified by Leftist politicians, liberal media and that the federal courts have been undermining our constitution, I am your candidate.

If you believe, as I do, that the moral collapse of America and the rise of socialist anti-prosperity policy police are a threat to your rights, I am your candidate.

If you believe, as I do, that the curriculum in our public educational system has been replaced with anti-American rhetoric and liberal political views, I am your candidate.

If you believe, as I do, in the sanctity of life from conception to natural death, in parental rights, and that the family unit is the backbone of our great society, I am your candidate.

If you believe, as I do, that America's free market capitalist system has been integral to our worldwide generosity, inspiring freedom lovers everywhere to dream, and offering our blessings to those in need, I am your candidate.

There has been an ongoing campaign against the America we all know and love; as President Abraham Lincoln warned, "The philosophy of the school room in one generation, becomes the philosophy of government in the next." Apathy and atrophy are a disease to our nation; recognizing this is a critical step towards restoration and revival. The profit Daniel, who triumphed over the lions' den said, " [...] the people who know their God will display strength and take action. We Want Our Country Back.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

QUEEN ESTER of the Persian king Ahasuerus (commonly identified as Xerxes I, reigned 486-465 BCE) became queen through an interesting turn of events. When faced with political expediency or potential fatal personal consequences, she exhibited the courage to do right by her people and God. Ester exhibited courage and faith.

KING DAVID (reigned c. 1010-970 BCE) Predecessor King Saul became jealous of David and tried to have him killed. While hiding in a cave, David has a chance to kill Saul who is unaware of David's presence but rather than Killing Saul, David merely cuts off a corner of Saul's robe, and when Saul exited the cave David shows the cut off piece of robe, evidencing that he could have killed him but holds no malice towards Saul. Similarly, David is able to infiltrate Saul's camp and remove Saul's spear and a jug of water from his side while he and his guards lie asleep. The two are thus reconciled and Saul recognises David as his successor.

As King, David commits adultery with Bathsheba, leading him to arrange the death of her husband Uriah after a cover-up scheme fails. David and Bathsheba eventually marry and their son, Solomon, becomes one of the wisest men who ever lived. David, an imperfect man who had compassion and wanted to do right was a great king - despite his human failings and human shortcomings.

PRESIDENT REAGAN sought to restore prayer in schools and later a moment of silence. Reagan became the first president to propose a constitutional amendment on school prayer and called for Congress to end "the expulsion of God from America's classrooms."

PRESIDENT TRUMP whose campaign was courageous if not somewhat rogue. Despite his failings and human shortcomings, an imperfect man like all men, he loves this country, has compassion and wants to do right for America as President.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The assignation of President John F. Kennedy; I was five years old.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Apprentice truck and equipment mechanic. It was a summer job when I was a teenager.
That summer I also worked as a lifeguard.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

According to Ray Smock, as published by The Dirksen Congressional Center, "The House as Embodiment of Representative Democracy."

House of Representatives, or The People's House as it is sometimes called is embodiment of the Founders' idea of representative democracy. The Framers of the Constitution made the House of representatives the first branch of government and fashioned its composition and function such that it would be most closely related to the will of the people. It was called "The First Branch of the legislature because the sentiments, needs and desires of the people would be represented there, in The House of representatives.

George Mason of Virginia (delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention of 1787) said, "The House would know and sympathize with every part of the community." He viewed the House of Representatives as representing "the rights of every class of people."

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

Yes, provided that the experience of the representative in question demonstrated representing the will of the people and not special interests to whom he or she was beholden to. So prevalent unfortunately is it that men and women get elected to some office at some level of government and almost immediately forget the people who elected them and act as though they were 'owned' by the special interests that either employ them, fund their campaigns - or both.

It is however beneficial for the voting public to see and observe the conduct of elected officials so as to judge their actions and loyalties. If a man or woman elected to some office uses that office to display character, integrity and courage - it will benefit the voters in deciding whether or not to elect that man or woman to higher office such as the house of representatives.

If, however, that man or woman uses his or her time in office to ignore their oath and, almost immediately it seems sometimes, just use that office for their own self-promotion and obedience to special interests then, though unfortunate, is is beneficial for voters to be mindful of the character traits that experience of that man or woman's time in office revealed,

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Restoring America - getting back to the foundational formula of our Founders. We have strayed from America's ways that protected and provided success for us.

So many of our challenges are inextricably intertwined with this, but we have strayed so far that it will be a great challenge. This is not a new thought in fact, historically the following quotes were (and are) telling.

"Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." President John Adams

"The philosophy of the school room in one generation, becomes the philosophy of government in the next." President Abraham Lincoln

"If we don't have a proper fundamental moral background, we will finally end up with a totalitarian government, which does not believe in rights for anybody except the state." President Harry Truman

"The rights of man come not from the state but from the hand of God." President John Kennedy

Our rights, flowing through The Constitution and The Bill of Rights have been under attack and have been so eroded over time that our rights and liberties today are all but unrecognizable to what the Founders intended. We need to get back on track and Make America America Again - We Want Our Country Back.

If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Committees: Homeland Security, Judiciary, Small Business, Transportation & Infrastructure, Veteran's Affairs.

Non-Standing Committees/Sub-Committees: Intelligence / Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence and Counterproliferation, Defense Intelligence and Warfighter Support, Intelligence Modernization and Readiness

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

Two years results in Representatives always campaigning and always fundraising.
A slightly longer term, perhaps three or four years is at least worthy of consideration and study.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

The concept of terms limits makes sense and deserves serious consideration.

If you are not currently a member of your party’s leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives, would you be interested in joining the leadership? If so, in what role?

I would be interested in serving in leadership should my colleagues are of that mind; the role would be determined as to where my skill-set and traits best fit.

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

There are qualities I like in certain Representatives and, once in office and having an opportunity to work with (and perhaps against) certain Members, I could be better equipped to provide an answer.

That being said, I would try to learn from the more seasoned members who love God and Country, who are also honest and courageous. Sometimes these traits seem lacking in government.

So many officials - and especially candidates, are too fearful of taking a position or stand on issues by always trying to be in the middle - or on "all three sides of every issue" that these men and women, trying to be everything for everyone, are nothing to noone.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

2020 Elections

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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)