SOMERVILLE - Former senior Biden Administration official Michael Roth - a self-described "radical pragmatist' - wants to go to Congress to run government efficiently, responsively, and fairly for the people of the 7th District, not just in times of crisis but all the time. How does he know he can do it? He's done it, he says.

"This is where my whole family is - this is home," Roth told InsiderNJ, referring to the 7th. "The economy is broken. Housing and taxes are too expensive, and I know how to fix it and I know how to bring a 21st century economy back into New Jersey and build a government that delivers for people.

"We have had decades of policies that have set our country and New Jersey back," added Roth over a cup of coffee on the day after Thanksgiving. "We see an economy in New Jersey that is lagging behind. Lagging in job growth and business creation. We need to be the epicenter of jobs in life sciences and advanced manufacturing - and people need to be able to afford to lie here."

Co-CEO of Next Street, Roth, 35, born and raised here, a graduate of Millburn High School, has a business degree from Wharton. He served in the Biden Administration as interim director of the U.S. Small Business Administration, where he says he helped six million small businesses (including 200,000 in New Jersey) remain productive through the COVID crisis and its aftermath. He spearheaded programs that included paycheck protection, a public-private partnership that infused Main Street businesses with a trillion dollars to keep them running.

The candidate includes relationship-building across the aisle, and a tough spine and negotiating backbone among his professional and governmental skills.

Roth took charge following what he describes as the first Trump Administration's incompetent and cruel maintenance of the program he would lead. "They would take things out on political enemies, as opposed to justly administrating programs; for example, denying funding to immigrant businesses or Planned Parebthood." Roth by contrast prided himself on the equitable distribution of funds.

Moreover, "Trump had not communicated with lenders while we bult strong relationships in a time of emergency. We updated rules and regulations and tech systems to be up and running for businesses to access funding in as short sometimes as 24 hours. One of my gripes with government generally is the things we were doing, if not for a time of emergency, would not get done for 365 days.

"We need to drive our government to urgently deliver in all times - not just in times of emergency," the candidate insisted. "If people feel government is not serving them - and they do feel that way, based on the conversations I am having around the district - then government is not doing its job. People should feel government is there for them in New Jersey, but we have been talking about some of the problems for decades.

"Trains, for example, is a 30 to 50-year-old problem, and Trump and [incumbent Republican U.S. Rep.] Tom Kean, Jr. have slashed funding for [the Gateway Tunnel project]."

Roth says he's hands on and continues to tour all the towns in the district, in contrast to Kean, a shy, reclusive, and elusive congressman, who has not held any actual town halls with constituents.

"People are hurting," said the Democratic candidate. "People can't afford the cost of life here, or, as one 94-year-old woman told me, 'I love it here, but I don't know if I can afford to die here.' The price of everything has gone way up. Tom Kean, Jr. has rubber-stamped the Trump agenda, which raises the price on everything. Kean voted to cut Medicaid after saying he [wouldn't]. He voted to cut investment in energy when he is on record saying if we cut any energy investment, we would be in an energy crisis. Well, here we are in an energy crisis. He rubber-stamped Trump's tariffs, which are a hidden tax on every family in this state. The tariffs have negatively impacted the cost of building and the cost of groceries. Republicans ran on an agenda to lower the cost of living yet people's every day costs have gone way up. Tom Kean, Jr. is ripping off his constituents.

"This race is about the economy and affordability and who can deliver," added Roth. "I'm the only person in either party with a track record of delivering a stronger and more affordable economy on scale. I'm the only candidate in the race who led a federal agency and worked with congress to pass legislation to help people and to make government deliver for people. I'm the only one who delivered for New Jersey's 7th District. The contrast between me and Tom Kean, Jr. is really clear."

It's a big field, of course, packed with Democratic candidates eager to take on Kean, Jr.

What does Roth think about Andy Kim's lawsuit, which successfully eliminated the party line bracketing system, in part contributing to a spawn of hopefuls who think they can win?

"Voters are tired of having Washington elites or Democratic Party elites decide who their representative is," said the candidate. "I look at this primary and I say this is an opportunity every single day for me to get better, to show up in this district. We're going to need the best qualified candidate [to win the seat] and this primary will make that incredibly clear."

Roth said he has a day one plan if he successfully gets through the primary and gets Kean out of there.

"First, we need to rewrite the tax code, so it works for middle class families and doesn't cater to billionaires, second, we need to bring back 21st century jobs in the U.S. and in New Jersey, and third, we need to build more housing here. We need to cut the red tape to build more affordable housing near where there is economic opportunity.

"I fundamentally believe what people want is to be able to live a life of dignity and afford the life they want. That's where we need to focus jobs and cost of living. I'm dead focused on those things. When things are broken, I want to find new solutions."