Brand New Congress Endorses Imani Oakley For Congress

Montclair, NJ — Brand New Congress — the progressive organization focused on electing a unified slate of people-funded and unbought Representatives to Congress — endorsed Imani Oakley’s Congressional campaign on Tuesday.

“Congress must reflect the lived experiences of the American people,” Oakley said. “We’ve seen what having Representatives like Cori Bush has meant for the future of working people, and I am proud that Brand New Congress — the same organization that supported Cori Bush — has endorsed our movement for justice in New Jersey.”

Oakley — a political organizer and well-known New Jersey pro-democracy activist — is running for Congress in New Jersey’s 10th Congressional District on a platform of ambitious environmental policy, economic mobility, criminal justice reform, housing justice, and healthcare for all. The incumbent, Rep. Payne Jr., has drawn criticism for funding ICE detention centers and taking money from the fossil fuel industry. He is also known for having one of the highest absentee rates of any Congressperson.

Oakley’s campaign thanked Brand New Congress for their trust and promised that the struggles of marginalized communities would be at the center of her campaign. Their endorsement adds to the growing progressive coalition currently building around Oakley’s campaign, including Black Lives Matter activist Zellie Imani, Maplewood Deputy Mayor Dean Dafis, and Mt. Rainier Vice Mayor Scott Cecil.

“I am honored to be endorsed by true progressives like Deputy Mayor Dafis, Zellie Imani, and Vice Mayor Scott Cecil,” Oakley said. “Their support truly shows that all of our collective liberations are intertwined. As your representative, I will be an unyielding advocate for all marginalized people.”

Imani Oakley is a long time political organizer and pro-democracy activist running for Congress in New Jersey’s 10th Congressional District. The seat — NJ’s only Black majority district — covers parts of Essex, Union, and Hudson counties. Her time working in New Jersey political spaces has made one thing clear: our state suffers from rabid corruption. Her campaign is dedicated to ending this system and lifting up working class communities.