Here’s why we enthusiastically endorse Eddie Freeman for LD8:

Candidate order: The bill to reform New Jersey’s primary ballots (A5116) moves New Jersey closer to fair primaries by eliminating the county line ballot and instituting an office block ballot design. However, candidate order for the primary ballot will still be determined by the County Clerk or Municipal Clerk drawing names out of a bin. This provides an advantage for the candidate drawn in first position and has resulted in some clerks drawing the party endorsed candidates for first position a statistically improbable number of times. I support the following reform that would ensure a more fair candidate order on the ballot:
Rotating the order of candidates for each office by voting precinct, so each candidate appears on the ballot first, second, and so forth, approximately the same number of times (see the recently introduced bill A5181) 

Comment: Rotating the order of candidates makes the election more fair.

Slogans: I support prohibiting the use of slogans to express party endorsements on primary election ballots. New Jersey is the only state that allows primary candidates to use slogans to indicate endorsements.

Comment: I believe our electoral system should be fair, ensuring no candidate has an undue advantage over another. Every candidate should have an equal footing on the ballot. If removing slogans leads to a more equitable primary and general election process, I support it. Additionally, I believe there are several ballot reform measures in New Jersey that would improve candidate quality, enhance voter knowledge, and create a fairer voting system.

Voter access: I support adopting parts of H.R.1 in New Jersey in order to increase voter participation, ensure access to the ballot box, and strengthen elections, including specifically same day registration, early voting and a paper trail for machine voting that enables verification.

Ethics reform: I support ethics reforms that would require broader disclosure of financial information and the release of income taxes by candidates for county-level and state-level public office, as a means of transparency.

Campaign funding: I support the public funding of campaigns for all state-level elected offices (i.e., the state legislature and gubernatorial elections).

Redistricting: I support placing a nonpartisan commission in charge of the legislative redistricting process.

Public Advocate: I support passing legislation to reinstate the statewide Office of the Public Advocate that was eliminated in 2010.

Comment: I fully support reinstating the Public Advocate. It is crucial that legislators remain accountable to the people we represent. A Public Advocate would add greater transparency to the legislative process, particularly regarding OPRA requests, and encourage lawmakers to carefully consider the implications of proposed legislation before drafting and introducing bills.

Posting of state bills: I support requiring that bills be posted in written form at least 72 hours prior to committee discussion or vote, and that budget bills be posted at least 5 business days in advance of discussion or vote, to improve transparency in the legislative process.

State legislative meetings: I support making all committee meetings accessible to the public for attendance and testimony by online means (e.g., via zoom) and streaming of voting sessions to increase availability and transparency of government.

Full time legislature: I support making the state legislature full-time and prohibiting the simultaneous holding of other paid positions, so as to eliminate conflicts of interest and sources of influence and pressure on state legislators.

Comment: I support making the legislature a full-time position. However, my “maybe” response is due to concerns about salary. Transitioning to a full-time legislature without providing a salary that allows legislators to support their households could create a significant barrier for many candidates. Without adequate compensation, only the wealthy would have the ability to serve, excluding working families and individuals from low- and moderate-income backgrounds. If the salary aligns with the responsibilities of the position, I would fully support this change.

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More information about Eddie Freeman:

Email: Freemanfornj@gmail.com
Phone: 856-295-1098
Campaign website: https://www.freemanforassembly.com/
Party affiliation: Democratic party

Date of Birth: 4/12/1984
Current Occupation: Attorney
Education: I hold Juris Doctor degree from Oklahoma City university school of law
Public/party service: Prior military. Prior councilman from Evesham township.