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Goutam Jois

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Goutam Jois
Image of Goutam Jois
Elections and appointments
Last election

June 5, 2018

Contact

Goutam Jois (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.

An attorney who has worked on civil rights and immigration cases, Goutam Jois ran for Congress in opposition to Trump administration policies that he says violate civil rights and civil liberties. A campaign ad he released highlights his opposition to Trump's executive order restricting travel from some Middle Eastern and North African countries. He was endorsed by the group Civil Rights Pioneers and raised nearly $300,000 in 2017, $50,000 of which came from a personal loan.

Jois' campaign emphasized his legal experience related to police brutality, LGBTQ asylum, and First Amendment free speech issues. His website indicated his support for the Democracy 2.0 platform, which calls for constitutional amendments related to campaign finance, privacy, and voting.

Jois worked for the law firm Gibson Dunn, the nonprofit group Atlas Corps, and his family's construction management consulting firm. He also performed as a stand-up comedian and coached a semi-professional football team. He received his bachelor's degree in government and his master's degree in public policy from Georgetown University and his J.D. from Harvard University.[1][2]

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

Biography

Jois' professional experience includes working for the law firm Gibson Dunn, the nonprofit group Atlas Corps, and his family's construction management consulting firm. He received his bachelor's degree in government and his master's degree in public policy from Georgetown University and his J.D. from Harvard University.

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

Total votes: 322,742
(100.00% precincts reporting)
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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
Image of Tom Malinowski
Tom Malinowski
 
66.8
 
26,172
Image of Peter Jacob
Peter Jacob
 
19.1
 
7,503
Image of Goutam Jois
Goutam Jois
 
14.1
 
5,507

Total votes: 39,182
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

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
Image of Leonard Lance
Leonard Lance
 
74.9
 
24,934
Image of Lindsay Brown
Lindsay Brown
 
14.4
 
4,795
Image of Raafat Barsoom
Raafat Barsoom
 
10.7
 
3,556

Total votes: 33,285
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Endorsements

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.[17]
Democratic Party Democrats



Campaign advertisements

"Stories," released January 12, 2018


Campaign themes

2018

Jois' campaign website stated the following:

Economy and Jobs
We all know that our economy works best when it works for everyone, not just the privileged few. Unfortunately, the Trump/Lance agenda moves in exactly the wrong direction — and has put a target on states like New Jersey.


The recent tax bill that was rushed through by the Republican Congress is an abomination. If elected to Congress, my first priority will be repealing that tax bill and replacing it with one that provides real tax relief to middle-class families, and isn’t simply a give-away to the richest Republican donors.


I recently said to my wife, Libby, that infrastructure is a jobs issue, because by investing in infrastructure we can support good-paying, sustainable jobs. She replied that infrastructure is a jobs issue because she’ll get fired if she keeps showing up for work late when the trains are cancelled. Those of us in the 7th District who endured the “summer of hell” know firsthand the frustration that results when we neglect our infrastructure. If elected, I will fight for significant infrastructure investment by the Federal government, including in transit and broadband access.


Over the past several decades, workers’ right to bargain for fair wages and to negotiate with their employers has been slowly whittled away. Yet increased rates of union membership increase wages not just for union members but for nonmembers, too. I support strengthening unions, including through “card check” rules to simplify unionizing, and defending Davis-Bacon “prevailing wage” rules.


When I was three years old, my father started a business in our garage. Today, our family business employs 75 people throughout the region. I’ve spoken to countless small business owners in all corners of the district who agree that we need to do more to support small businesses. If elected, I will be a champion for small business owners, including franchisees.

Women's Rights
As a litigator, I’ve stood with victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. As a Member of Congress, I’ll continue to fight for women — not because doing so is a “women’s issue,” but because it is a family issue, an economic issue, and a moral issue.


I will fight to fully fund Planned Parenthood, because access to reproductive health is critical, not just for women’s health, but for the economic well-being of working families.


Women deserve equal pay for equal work, because it’s the right thing to do. I support the Fair Pay Act of 2017, which is co-sponsored by Rep. Frank Pallone, and I would co-sponsor similar legislation in the next Congress.


Recently, my wife Libby shared her #metoo stories on social media.Twenty years from now, I don’t want my six-year-old daughter or four-year-old son sharing the same stories. I support stronger enforcement of laws prohibiting sexual harassment, and I oppose secret settlements used to silence victims.

Environment
One of my first jobs after college was working for a clean energy company. I’ve seen firsthand how we can invest in green technology. And those investments make economic sense. In May 2017, there were more job openings at Tesla than in the entire coal industry.


Did you know that emissions from a coal plant in Pennsylvania caused low birth weights in New Jersey — including right here in our district?


Let’s start here: climate change is real, it’s caused by humans, and we need to do something about it. Unfortunately, the Trump/Lance agenda is awful on environmental issues. In this Congressional session alone, Rep. Lance has voted to make it easier for coal companies to dump waste in streams. That’s not surprising, considering his terrible rating on environmental issues. Lawmaking should always be based on facts and the best available science.


I have pledged that, if I’m elected, I will co-sponsor the OFF Act, which would move the country toward 100% renewable energy sources by 2035. I also support investments in green energy, so that we can create jobs here in New Jersey.

Education
My very first political experiences were in education — from the student council in fourth grade to trying to enact a “Students’ Bill of Rights” in middle school to advocating for putting a student on every school board when I was in high school. If elected, I will lead the fight to invest in, and bring down the cost of, education.


My wife and I started college in the year 2000 and graduated law school in 2007. Today, we still have over six figures in student loan debt. Making matters worse, college costs have skyrocketed in recent years. I support expanding tax credits and deductions for tuition — not just for college, but also for job training programs, apprenticeships, and trade schools.


In recent years, for-profit schools (like Trump University) have preyed on vulnerable students to line their own pockets while students are left unemployed and in debt, and taxpayers are footing the bill. We have to crack down on predatory for-profit schools, holding them accountable and ensuring that they don’t make a profit while their students are left unemployed and in debt.

Civil Rights
For the past decade, as a litigator, I’ve fought for civil rights, civil liberties, and criminal justice. In 2014, I represented a victim of police brutality in the United States Supreme Court. When we won that case in a unanimous, 9-0 decision, it was the first time in 10 years that the court had ruled in favor of a civil rights plaintiff in such a case. As a Congressman, I’ll continue to fight for these causes.


New Jersey has the worst racial disparity in its prison population, in large part because we are locking people up for nonviolent offenses based on a failed war on drugs. I support the legalization of marijuana for medicinal and recreational purposes.


In 2006, by overwhelming, bipartisan majorities, the House and Senate reauthorized sections of the Voting Rights Act (VRA). Yet in 2013, the Supreme Court struck a critical provision of the VRA. If elected, I will fight to strengthen the Voting Rights Act to ensure that all Americans have a fair right to vote without interference.


A statute, Section 1983, gives individuals a right to sue state or local officials who violate their rights. But the statute does not cover civil rights violations by federal officials. I support amending Section 1983 to cover federal officials as well.

Immigration
My parents came to this country forty years ago seeking greater opportunity and a better life. They found both — and realized America’s promise in their lives.


While visiting all 75 towns in our district, I met Ramses from Somerville. Ramses was brought to this country by his parents at age 3. Today, he’s in college, has a job, and pays taxes. He is, in every respect, a model American. But because he was undocumented when he came to this country, he is at risk of being deported. That’s immoral. I support a clean DREAM Act, to provide a pathway to citizenship for Ramses and others like him. I also support comprehensive immigration reform to bring millions of undocumented immigrants out of the shadows*.


America must always be the engine of growth and innovation for the entire world. We have to encourage smart, creative, talented individuals from across the globe to come to the United States to study, to build their businesses, and achieve their dreams. I oppose the Trump Administration’s attempts to limit immigration from skilled workers.

LGBTQ Issues
As a law student, I worked with advocates and wrote a law journal article about marriage equality. As a litigator, I’ve fought for the rights of LGBTQ clients, including by securing asylum for a gay man from Jamaica.


I support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would prohibit discrimination in hiring and employment on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. I also support the Customer Non-Discrimination Act, which would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit discrimination in public accommodations on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Veteran's Issues
In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln said we need to care for those who “shall have borne the battle” and their families. Unfortunately, today, our country still falls short when it comes to delivering on this promise. If elected, I will support legislation to help veterans find jobs and improve access to education. In addition, I will fight to ensure that veterans have access to prompt, high-quality, affordable health care, including mental health services.


The Servicemember’s Civil Relief Act is a law designed to ease the financial burdens on servicemembers while on active duty, but the law is outdated. I support amending the SCRA to account for today’s economic conditions and to assist servicemembers as they transition to civilian life.

Data Privacy
As a litigator, I’ve handled countless matters related to data privacy and cybersecurity. As part of “Democracy 2.0,” I propose a constitutional amendment giving all individuals a right to privacy in their personal information and private lives.


In addition, we need to modernize our badly outdated privacy and technology laws. The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and the Electronic Communications Privacy Act were passed on 1986, and they were not designed with our modern information age in mind. The United States is the only advanced democracy without a national data privacy law. I will fight for strong data privacy protections.


Internet service providers should not be allowed to sell your internet history to the highest bidder — yet Leonard Lance voted to allow just that. If elected, I will fight to ensure that all individuals have strong privacy protections in their personal information.

[18]

—Goutam Jois' campaign website (2018)[19]


See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. Goutam Jois for Congress, "Home," accessed March 6, 2018
  2. Observer, "Gibson Dunn Alum Challenging Lance for Congress," September 7, 2017
  3. Daily Kos, "Daily Kos elections live digest: 12/19," December 19, 2017
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Poage
  5. Linda Weber for Congress, "Springfield Township Committeeman Christopher Capodice Endorses Linda Weber for Congress in New Jersey’s 7th District," March 2, 2018
  6. 6.0 6.1 Linda Weber for Congress, "Former Summit Councilman-At-Large Richard Sun and Former Union County Prosecutor Ted Romankow Endorse Technology and Finance Trailblazer Linda Weber for Congress in New Jersey’s 7th District," January 22, 2018
  7. Facebook, "Tom Malinowski for Congress on January 24, 2018," accessed January 25, 2018
  8. 8.0 8.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named union
  9. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named ECU
  10. Insider NJ, "In Hunterdon, Malinowski wins the line," February 4, 2018
  11. Insider NJ, "Weber beats Malinowski for the Somerset County Democratic Line," January 25, 2018
  12. Linda Weber for Congress, "NATIONAL EDUCATION LEADER DIANE RAVITCH AND THE NETWORK FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION ACTION ENDORSE LINDA WEBER FOR CONGRESS IN THE 7TH DISTRICT OF NEW JERSEY," June 28, 2017
  13. 13.0 13.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named jacobendorsements
  14. Jois for Congress, "Civil Rights Pioneers endorse Goutam Jois for Congress," January 22, 2018
  15. Facebook, "Tom Malinowski for Congress on January 19, 2018," accessed January 25, 2018
  16. 16.0 16.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named weberwithdraw
  17. FEC, "Federal Election Commission", accessed February 13, 2018
  18. Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  19. Goutam Jois' campaign website, “Issues,” accessed March 6, 2018


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