NJ Libertarians Back 8 Congress Candidates In 2024 Election

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BACKGROUND – Born in Newark, Kaplan grew up in West Orange and lived in Rockaway and Livingston before moving to his current residence in Parsippany. His community involvement includes membership in the Livingston Lions Club, where he is a past president. All four of his grandparents were immigrants.

ISSUES – Kaplan says he “believes in following the Constitution,” which includes smaller government, lower taxes and more individual liberty. Kaplan said he supports Oliver’s proposals on federal immigration, which include “radically simplifying” the system, returning to an “Ellis Island-style” for processing requests, creating an easier pathway to citizenship for immigrants who are already in the country (including DACA-eligible residents), and expanding the H1B visa and startup visa.

DISTRICT 3: CHRIS RUSSOMANNO

Chris Russomanno is running for a U.S. House seat in New Jersey’s 3rd Congressional District, which is currently occupied by Rep. Andy Kim. Learn more about his campaign platform here.

BACKGROUND – Russomanno was born and raised in Trenton. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps and helped to guard the American Consulate in Saint Petersburg, Russia and the Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He earned an associate’s degree at Mercer County Community College in criminal justice and a bachelor’s degree in law and justice from The College of New Jersey (TCNJ). Russomanno has worked with multiple law enforcement agencies, serving with the City of Trenton, TCNJ and the Ewing Township police departments. He currently lives in Bordentown Township.

ISSUES – According to Russomanno’s campaign website: “The United States is headed in the wrong direction. The cost of living for the nation has skyrocketed and food, fuel and housing are becoming unaffordable. We need to end the federal reserve and stop the rising inflation as a result of printing money at will. America is funding endless wars and foreign countries. Our resources are being spent on protecting other countries while our own is suffering needlessly. Our freedoms are eroding, and voices are silenced. Constitutional rights are being trampled on. Censorship is widespread, our Second Amendment rights are constantly threatened, and our Fourth Amendment protections are shrinking. It is time to end the fed, stop endless wars and take back our country and our rights.”

DISTRICT 4: JOHN MORRISON

John Morrison is running for a U.S. House seat in New Jersey’s 4th Congressional District, which is currently occupied by Rep. Chris Smith. Learn more about his campaign platform here.

BACKGROUND – Morrison was born and raised in Edison and currently lives in Red Bank. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Penn State University and a masters in arts in teaching from Monmouth University. Morrison has been a U.S. history and journalism teacher in the Carteret School District since 2013, teaching the 6th, 7th and 8th grades. He ran as a Libertarian for the New Jersey Assembly in the 13th District in 2023.

ISSUES – Morrison said he supports reforming a “broken” federal immigration system and re-evaluating the nation’s points of entry to ensure the free movement of people, ideas and commerce. He added: “My platform and agenda for my congressional bid stands on term limits. My work is cut out for me, as Chris Smith has been a member of Congress since 1980, seven years before I was born. Having leaders in positions of power for over four decades is something our founders would have deemed incomprehensible. The 4th District is truly my home, having family throughout both Monmouth and Ocean County, so this battle is a personal one for me. I want to be able to ensure my loved ones have a future free of government interference, and control. I have also been a public school educator, teaching social studies for the last 12 years, and unlike many other candidates, can speak on how federal and state intervention has done nothing but destroy our students’ potential and confidence.”

DISTRICT 5: JAMES TOSONE

James Tosone is running for a U.S. House seat in New Jersey’s 5th Congressional District, which is currently occupied by Rep. Josh Gottheimer. Learn more about his background here.

BACKGROUND – A resident of Bergen County since 1980 and retired business executive, Tosone is running on a platform of “liberty, prosperity, and peace.”

ISSUES – Tosone said he is prioritizing fiscal responsibility, educational choice and a “realistic foreign policy.” His key positions include reducing federal taxes and debt by curbing unsustainable spending; making “substantive” reforms to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid; ending tariffs and working toward free-trade policies; expanding school choice options; and taking a “less-interventionalist” foreign policy to avoid unnecessary conflicts.

DISTRICT 6: MATTHEW AMITRANO

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Matthew Amitrano is running for a U.S. House seat in New Jersey’s 6th Congressional District, which is currently occupied by Rep. Frank Pallone. Learn more about his campaign platform here.

BACKGROUND – Amitrano has more than 20 years of public service working as a police officer and volunteering with organizations such as the Red Cross and Meals on Wheels. He told Patch he is an “average, regular person” who doesn’t come from a politically connected family, which is “exactly what we need in Washington.”

ISSUES – According to a statement from Amitrano: “Families already struggling to make ends meet do not need a government who steals from its people. I know what it is like to work every waking moment possible and still feel like you won’t be able to keep your head above water. Plenty of my nights and days off have been spent delivering food, cleaning restrooms and stocking shelves, just trying to get by while watching our ‘leaders’ grow wealthier. The reason why I finally decided now is the time to run for office is because of fear. While joyfully playing with my three young children, I was overcome with anxiety and worry. I looked at them and thought to myself: what kind future will they have? Will they even have the most basic opportunities I had? I decided I can no longer just sit back and allow the very few to continue to take from the many … Together we will take back our lives and never surrender our freedoms again. If you have had it with working long hours and multiple jobs just to fund the military industrial complex and its endless wars … If you just want to live in peace and not have every single aspect of your life controlled by the state … join me and let us send a clear and direct message this election year. We have had enough and will no longer just stand by and take it. Federal government exists solely for the protection of the individual rights and liberties of its people.”

DISTRICT 7: LANA LEGUIA

Lana Leguía is running for a U.S. House seat in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, which is currently occupied by Rep. Thomas Kean Jr. Learn more about her campaign platform here.

BACKGROUND – Leguía is a 32-year-old resident of Sussex County. She is vice president of political affairs for the New Jersey Libertarian Party, the New Jersey chapter leader for Ladies of Liberty Alliance, and volunteers with other grassroots groups in the state. She ran for an unexpired seat on the Stanhope Board of Education in 2023, earning 46 percent of the vote. As the great-great-granddaughter of Augusto B. Leguía, the former president of Peru, she hopes to continue his legacy of public service to her country and community.

ISSUES – Leguía’s platform includes anti-war policies such as ending subsidies to corporate arms dealers, abolishing the draft, closing overseas U.S. military bases and “bringing every single American soldier home.” She also supports “immediately ending all government-funded foreign aid” and withdrawing from NATO. Leguía is advocating for creating “permanent pathways to citizenship” for immigrants and returning to an “Ellis Island-style” immigration system, as well as denying entry to people who have a record of violence in their country of origin. She says that federal gun restrictions are “unconstitutional” and feels the “right to self-defense is one of our most fundamental human rights.”

DISTRICT 9: BRUNO PEREIRA

Bruno Pereira is running for a U.S. House seat in New Jersey’s 9th Congressional District, which is currently occupied by Rep. Bill Pascrell. Learn more about his campaign platform here.

BACKGROUND – A Newark resident, Pereira immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 17, and has worked as a manager at multiple financial institutions.

ISSUES – Pereira’s platform focuses on reducing government bureaucracy, lowering taxes, and “empowering individuals to make their own choices in both economic and social spheres.” He wants education policies that promote “school choice,” advocates for teacher training and supports “innovative approaches to curriculum development.” Pereira gave Patch the following statement about his stance on immigration: “Immigration has always been a cornerstone of America’s strength, contributing to our rich cultural tapestry and driving economic innovation. What is unique to America is the enduring promise of opportunity, the idea that anyone, regardless of their background, can come here and achieve their dreams. People from around the world come to the United States because they believe in the opportunities that this great nation affords. My own story is a testament to the power of the American Dream. It is a dream that should be accessible to all who come here with hope and determination. As your representative, I will work tirelessly to ensure that our immigration system reflects the values and principles that have made our nation a sanctuary for those seeking a better life.”

DISTRICT 12: VIC KAPLAN

Vic Kaplan is running for a U.S. House seat in New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District, which is currently occupied by Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman. His online presence and campaign platform are still in development.

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