Matt Riccardi – Republican – U.S. Senate

Conservative Leadership for a New Generation

Bob Hugin, the 1990’s called.  They want their campaign back.

In a television interview, when asked by NJTV’s Michael Aron, if he was a “moderate” Republican like former Governor Christie Whitman, Bob Hugin agreed but insisted that he didn’t want to be “labeled”.  Earlier in the interview, Hugin took great pains to distance himself from President Donald Trump, with Hugin explaining how liberal he was on abortion, climate change, and other issues.

Here they go again!

The NJ RINO (Republican-In-Name-Only) Establishment is all set to redo the disastrous gubernatorial election of 2017, with Bob Hugin standing in for Kim Guadagno.  The same Christie-Guadagno  insiders have selected Bob Hugin as their candidate, the same Guadagno team is running the campaign, and the NJGOP is violating their own party rules and the law by behaving as if Bob Hugin was already the nominee.

Rather than opening up the party to new ideas, the NJ RINO Establishment is trying the same old formula that has consistently failed since the 1990’s. They will once again run as if the NJGOP were the moderate wing of the Democratic Party in New Jersey.  They’ve been running from the Republican Party Platform for twenty years, running from Reagan, running from Bush, running from Trump, and in all that time they have only had one winner statewide.  That winner ran as a Pro-Life, Pro-Second Amendment, Pro-Traditional Values CONSERVATIVE.

That WINNER was Chris Christie and he was elected because he ran as a CONSERVATIVE. In government, he ended the RGGI energy tax that was loved by the Climate Changers on the Left.  Governor Christie governed more often as a conservative than not and he was re-elected in a landslide.  What ruined his legacy were the thugs and bullies he surrounded himself with. These are the same thugs and bullies who recruited Bob Hugin and who are promoting his campaign.  Even Bridgegate “mastermind” David Wildstein is back.

I’ve looked at Bob Hugin’s statements on the campaign trail and it seems like the only difference between him and Democrat Bob Menendez that Hugin is talking about is corruption.  But if you think about it for more than a minute, Hugin has his own corrupt supporters, including a north jersey party boss who went to jail for corruption.  How different is a state Republican political establishment, run by a lawyer-lobbyist whose business partners are liberal Democrat former Governor Jim Florio, and the Democrat boss Norcross-controlled Freeholder Director of Camden County?

Last year, I ran for Governor as an Independent to give conservative voters a choice on the November ballot between ultra-liberal, Trump-hater Phil Murphy and liberal No-Trumper Kim Guadagno.  My campaign was underfunded and was shut-out by the media establishment, who remain trapped in the traditional two-party mindset.  An unfortunate result of this is low voter turnout.

This year, I am again putting myself forward as a conservative alternative because people need a choice and they’re not getting one.  The media and the political class harp on and on about low voter turnout, but then turn around and offer the same product except that one is packaged in blue and the other in red.  That’s not the free market.  That’s called a structured monopoly. We, the voters, need a choice on the issues that matter to us.  Giving people more choice is the only way to increase voter participation.  That’s why I am running.

To see where I stand on specific issues, please visit my website…

I do not have Bob Hugin’s money.  I am not a Big Pharma CEO.  I am not a Wall Street Guy.  I am a humble member of the forgotten Middle-Class.  I was born and raised in Union City.  After High School, I served in the United States Marine Corps.  After serving four years as a Marine, I came home, went to college, and completed my education.  My wife, Ashley, and I have three children.  My Christian faith is very important to me.  I am an active member and teacher at Colts Neck Community Church and my faith has led me to work with others to raise thousands of dollars for Haiti Relief, the Darfur Genocide, and to fight Breast, Ovarian and Childhood Cancers.

Finally, I am a member of the first generation that will have less than the one that came before it.  I am a Millennial.  For my generation, entry into the Middle Class has never been tougher. Education debt, housing, and a tighter job market all make it tough.  The political and corporate policies pursued by people like Bob Menendez and Bob Hugin have moved America’s wealth and jobs off-shore and overseas.  I played by the rules.  I served, and defended my country.  I want to leave more for my children than was left for me.  I want a better America.

If you want conservatives to have a choice in the June primary for U.S. Senate, please consider supporting my candidacy.  You can help by letting me know that you will be circulating the attached petition.  Your help in getting 5, 10, or 25 names is important.  We need 1,000 signatures from registered Republican voters in New Jersey.  The deadline is April 2nd.

Thank you,

Matt Riccardi