On a Sunday afternoon under a blazing sun, Roy Cho traversed the West Englewood section of Teaneck. The Democratic candidate for New Jersey’s Fifth Congressional District clad in jeans, grey polo, and black shoes knocked on doors for over three hours.
Henry Frish, a Cho supporter and longtime Teaneck resident, escorted the candidate and members of his staff through the neighborhood. Frisch, a former teacher at Bronx Science, who has been involved with politics in some capacity for years, holds Cho in high regard. He says of the candidate, “From the first time I met him I found Roy Cho to be a highly intelligent, moderate, vigorous, and empathetic individual. I am impressed by the priority Roy is giving the support of Israel among the issues of concern to residents of the new Fifth Congressional District.”
Cho went door to door and introduced himself to potential constituents. He asked each person whom he met what issues concerned them regarding the federal government. Not surprisingly, the issue that came up repeatedly was Operation Protective Edge going on in Israel and Gaza. Cho listened intently as resident after resident brought up the dire situation.
Cho was certainly familiar with the situation going on in Israel and empathized with the country. He noted that he has recently attended an AIPAC meeting (and is in contact with AIPAC members and officials) and will be taking a trip to Israel in the very near future. Rabbi Steven Burg, Eastern Director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, amongst others will accompanied him on the trip. Cho said of the trip, “I’m looking forward to going and learning as much as I can.”
Cho, a 33-year-old who resides in Hackensack, has an intriguing personal story. His family moved to America from Korea when he was just 1.
Cho says he came to respect what government could do via his father’s experience. Cho’s father wanted to start a textile import/export business. He approached the New Jersey Economic Development Authority. Richard Font of the NJEDA spent six months going to banks in an attempt to help Cho’s father secure a loan. Ultimately, Cho’s father got the loan and was able to start a business. This experience had a big impact on Cho. It helped form his belief that the “public and private sector need to be invested together.”
The competition for New Jersey’s Fifth Congressional District is steep. Scott Garrett is a seven- term incumbent who has won the district handily each time. Cho believes there are a number of reasons why Congressman Garret is vulnerable. He cited the change in the district based on the 2010 census which now includes much of Bergen County as one prime reason he believes he can win. Mr. Cho also noted the public frustration with the current Congress and that anti-incumbent sentiment is high. He says, “People are sick of career politicians.”
Cho earned an undergraduate degree in political science from Brown University and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. For the past five years, he has worked as a mergers and acquisitions and private equity attorney from the New York office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. He also has worked in government. Cho served as Correspondence Director to U.S. Senator Byron L. Dorgan. Earlier Cho served as an Aide to the Governor of New Jersey and as Special Assistant to the Deputy Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. While with the Port Authority, Cho worked on a number of public-private collaborations.
The stint with the Port Authority reaffirmed Cho’s belief that the private and public sector can work together. It also piqued Cho’s interest in transportation, which along with financial services is the committee that he would like to serve on should he win the election.
Cho’s staff spoke glowingly of their candidate. Each emphasized his personal warmth, genuine kindness, and magnanimity. Director of field operations Sam Berman said, “The first thing Roy does whenever anyone gets involved with the campaign is thank them and not just once.”
That genuineness came through during Cho’s walk through Teaneck. After introducing himself, Cho asked each candidate, “What issues do you have with the federal government.” He was content to listen, but also offered feedback and thoughts when appropriate.
Cho who says, “I am proud to be a Democrat and I believe in the values of the Democratic Party.” He describes himself as a pro business moderate. He noted that bipartisanship and reaching across the aisle are imperative and bemoaned that this has been the least productive Congress in history. Cho says should he be elected, he’d vote based on issues, as he is not “beholden to the president” nor is he “entrenched in ideology.” Cho, who respects both New Jersey Senators, spoke glowingly of Senator Menendez who he says has “shown real leadership” on his stances in regard to his support of Israel and Iranian sanctions.
When asked for his final thoughts, Cho said, “we need to make sure Washington works and that your representative works for you.”
Larry D. Bernstein, a Bergen County Resident, is a freelance writer, tutor, and English teacher. You can find more of his writing on his website: larrydbernstein.com.
By Larry D. Bernstein
