Louise Walpin, South Brunswick resident

For me, politics isn’t about party labels or campaign slogans. It’s about values.
In Judaism, there is a powerful concept called Tikkun Olam: Repairing the world. It teaches that we are not here merely to witness injustice, but to confront it. To lift up the vulnerable. To protect our planet. To build a society where every person belongs and is treated with dignity.

As a Jewish person, a grandmother and an LGBTQ+ advocate, these values are not abstract to me. They are a responsibility. Among other things, they shape how I decide who deserves my vote and who I trust to represent me in public office.

In the New Jersey 12th Congressional District Democratic primary, the answer is clear: Dr. Adam Hamawy.

Dr. Hamawy’s life and career reflect service in its truest form. He served in the US

armed forces from 1989-2020 and was a 9/11 first responder at Ground Zero. He was honorably discharged with medals and commendations, including one for fighting global terrorism. Dr. Hamawy served as a medic in areas devastated by war and natural disaster, caring for civilians regardless of who they are and how they identify. While serving in Gaza, he refused to leave until he knew his patients would be cared for and his team would be safe. He wouldn’t leave anyone behind.

If humanitarian service was all Dr. Hamawy had done, that alone would demonstrate extraordinary character, however his commitment to justice does not end there. It extends directly to a myriad of other issues impacting families.

As someone who has spent decades advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, I have sadly grown accustomed to politicians deflecting or going silent when it comes to protecting transgender people. But not Dr. Hamawy.

When I asked him where he stood on trans rights, he immediately drew a connection between islamophobia and transphobia, explaining that discrimination against any community threatens all communities. He stands firmly, publicly and unapologetically for LGBTQ+ rights. Dr. Hamawy was also the first of only two candidates in this race to publicly condemn the antisemitic letters recently sent to religious organizations in Princeton.

That matters. Leadership demands moral courage and a willingness to defend all humanity, including vulnerable minorities.

Dr. Hamawy has firsthand experience with the realities facing ordinary Americans. As a physician working in New Jersey emergency rooms, he sees patients who delay care or don’t fill prescriptions due to cost. He worries about patients who do not return for treatment due to fear based on immigration status or skin color.

These are not abstract policy debates to him. He speaks about affordability, not as a buzzword, but as a physician who witnesses suffering every day. This is why he supports Medicare for All, lowering prescription drug costs and pursuing immigration reform including a pathway to citizenship.

Having witnessed firsthand the devastation caused by natural disasters around the world, he understands the urgency of addressing climate change. He recognizes that protecting our environment is essential for future generations.

As a grandmother, this resonates deeply with me. I often think about the kind of world we are leaving for our children and grandchildren. I want them to inherit a society that values compassion over cruelty, inclusion over division and justice over fear.

So I urge voters across CD-12 to pay attention and compare candidates carefully. Look beyond slogans and negative ads. Ask who has actually demonstrated the courage, heart, conviction and leadership required to repair a broken world.

For me, there is only one clear answer: Dr. Adam Hamawy.

Make a plan for early voting or return your mail-in ballot today in a secure ballot drop box location. Early voting begins May 26 and ends May 31. June 2 is Primary Election Day. Every single vote will matter in this race.

Let’s send Dr. Adam Hamawy to Congress!!

Louise Walpin is a South Brunswick resident. She is the co-lead of WADEIn New Jersey (We Advocate for Democracy, Engagement and Inclusion), a statewide Indivisible chapter and recently co-founded the Trans Rights Coalition of NJ. Louise, and her wife of 36 years, were the lead couple in the 2009-2013 NJ legislative fight for marriage equality, as well as one of the lead plaintiff couples in the Lambda Legal lawsuit that secured marriage for same sex couples in NJ. Louise’s activism has earned her annual recognition on the Insider NJ LGBTQ Power List and Assemblywoman Sumter’s Women Power List.