Candidate information:
Email: mas2068@gmail.com
Phone number: 609-422-0353
Date of birth: 12/8/1971
Social media: @mattcranbury
Education: BA History Fordham University, MS Weill Cornell Medical College Physician Assistant Program
Occupation: Physician, Assistant Department of Neurosurgery, Lincoln Medical Center, New York City
Party affiliation: Democrat
Public service: My entire career is and has been devoted to helping those in need and those in need of medical care. I have always had a keen interest in history, politics and social policy and social justice. This is my first foray into electoral politics.
Position on good government initiatives:
- Would you support reinstituting the statewide public advocate and making it a directly elected position? Yes. According to Wikipedia, the role of public advocate was created to make the state government; “more accountable and responsive to the needs of New Jersey residents” through legal advocacy, policy research and reform and community and legislative outreach. It should shock no one that the current governor in his unending quest to actually help the people of New Jersey abolished the office of public advocate in 2010. I would hope that the next governor will swiftly act to reinstate and fill the public advocate office as soon as he or she takes the oath of office.
- Would you support measures to increase voter participation (eg. same-day registration, early voting, vote by mail)? Yes. It’s become plainly apparent that the Republican party as part of its electoral strategy has decided that the only way they can win is by denying the most basic right of every adult citizen in a democracy the right to vote. Whatever can be done to increase voter participation should be done. I support not only the aforementioned measures but I would go even further including mandatory voting and a national “election ” holiday on election day.
- Would you support ethics reforms that would require broader disclosure on financial information and the release of income taxes by candidates for public office, as a means for regulating campaigns and limiting corruption? Yes. Much of the corruption that occurs in state politics is due to the fact that many legislators are expected to work in a part time capacity and are not provided an income that befits their office. I would support making their positions full time, increasing their salaries and I would also support the above mentioned reforms.
- Would you support changing the nominating process for members of state-wide Commissions and Boards to have panels of nonpartisan experts nominate candidates, with full public disclosure of the candidates’ credentials, and to have the legislature vote on the nominations? Yes. I think that by allowing political appointees to sit as heads of state-wide commissions and boards you are inviting rampant corruption. A case in point would be the recent Pinelands Commission decision to allow a natural gas pipeline to run through the woods that the commission was created to protect. It was a political appointee appointed by the current governor who pushed through that final antithetical decision.
- Would you support placing a nonpartisan commission in charge of the legislative redistricting process? Yes. Gerrymandering is one of the greatest threats to our democracy. The ability of one political party to control the process by which legislative districts are drawn has lead to millions of Americans losing their voice. The current majority power in the house of representatives has received less votes than the minority power since 2012 and yet they still have a iron clad majority.
- Would you support instituting public funding for all statewide offices, including the legislature? Yes. Removing the need for campaign fundraising will go far to reduce political corruption. By placing all parties on a equal financial footing we will eliminate the need for constant fundraising and the persistent threat of political corruption.
- Would you support making the state legislature full-time and prohibiting simultaneous holding of other paid positions? Yes. See (3) above.
- Would you support reforming New Jersey’s Primary electoral ballots to give all candidates an equal chance of being elected? Yes.
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