To the Editor:

I was very sad when Rush Holt announced this past March that he wouldn’t seek another term as our Congressional representative. I was eager, however, to learn about the candidates who were seeking his seat. I attended two debates in which all four candidates participated. I also researched the candidates’ stands on key issues and looked at their past voting records. It became clear to me that all four of the candidates are qualified to be in Congress and that all four of them are true progressives. However, I think that Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman stands out for three key reasons.

First, when a bill to abolish the death penalty came before the Assembly in December 2007, Assemblywoman Watson Coleman voted in favor of abolishing it; her main opponent in this race, Linda Greenstein (also in the Assembly at that time) voted in favor of retaining the death penalty (https://votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/22544/linda-greenstein/71/death-penalty#.U4OaDdq9KSN ).

Second, Bonnie Watson Coleman campaigned vigorously for Democratic gubernatorial nominee Barbara Buono at a time when many Democrats, in deference to Governor Chris Christie’s popularity, refused to do so. This is not the only example of Assemblywoman Watson Coleman standing up for her beliefs in the face of pressure from Governor Christie and even from her own party. When Barbara Buono endorsed Watson Coleman for Congress, she emphasized that the commitment that Watson Coleman had shown to her principles and to her constituents was a key factor in her own (Buono’s) endorsement decision.

Third, Assemblywoman Watson Coleman has proven that she can identify and move forward legislation that attracts the backing of both Democrats and Republicans. For example, she sponsored legislation that sends people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses to drug court and supervision rather than to jail and this money-saving legislation attracted the support of both Republicans and Democrats. For these reasons and many more, I will be voting for Bonnie Watson Coleman on June 3; I hope that you will join me.

Eve Niedergang

Forester Drive