When Jewish voters in New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District (which encompasses East Brunswick, Milltown, Monroe Township, Bound Brook, Franklin Township, Plainfield, Princeton and 25 other towns) prepare to vote for a candidate for Congress in November, they will choose between two people with sharply different views on Israel, how to fight antisemitism, and combating anti-Israel activities on college campuses.
The incumbent, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, is serving her fifth term in the United States House of Representatives. On her Congressional website, she states that she is the first Black woman to represent New Jersey in Congress, is a member of the Appropriations Committee, and serves as chair of the Policing, Constitution and Equality task force in the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Her website states: “Watson Coleman’s work in the House centers on her belief that, in the United States of America, there’s a floor below which we should never allow any child, any family, any person to fall.”
Prior to her election as a representative for New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District, Watson Coleman served eight consecutive terms in the New Jersey General Assembly and was the first Black woman to serve as majority leader, and as the chair of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee.
The Republican challenger, Darius Mayfield, speaks on his website of his humble beginnings, living in Section 8 housing in different cities in New Jersey and being raised by a single mom. His website states: “His entrepreneurial spirit ignited at the young age of 17 in the auto industry, leading him to achieve milestones such as becoming the youngest sales manager of a Top 25 US auto group and the first black general manager in the third fastest-growing auto group in the US in 2019. Darius is not just a self-made business strategist; he is also a respected political commentator and visionary.”
In addition, Mayfield is deeply involved in nonprofit work aiding local communities. He co-founded Heart-A-Cause and established the Darius Mayfield Foundation, which addresses educational and transportation challenges in underserved areas of New Jersey. The slogan for his congressional campaign is “Not Black. Not White. American.”
In a candidates forum presented by the Jewish Federation of Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren Counties and the Jewish Federation in the Heart of New Jersey on September 18, the two candidates shared their backgrounds and answered questions in consecutive sessions.
One question posed to both candidates was about the rise of antisemitism in the United States and asked: What will you do to protect the Jewish community and what is your position on Israel?
Mayfield responded that “Israel is our most important ally” and said that “a lot comes down to education, and a lot comes down to who leads us.” He asserted that more people need to learn about Jewish history, which will lead them to have more empathy for Jews. He said that it is “perfectly acceptable” for Israel to have done what it’s done and added that “Israel has every right to defend itself and to root out Hamas and Hezbollah, and to fight Iran.”
Watson Coleman responded that she supports the State of Israel, has enjoyed numerous visits there, and she has supported aid and defense allocations to Israel. She added that October 7 was a horrific tragedy. She went on to say, “I truly believe that Netanyahu is a threat to Israel and is standing in the way of a settlement” of the conflict in Gaza. She said that she is on record as opposing the sale of more offensive weapons to Israel. Domestically, she said she is the cosponsor of a bill (H907) to implement a U.S. national policy to fight antisemitism and she supports an increase in funds for nonprofit security grants.
Moderators from the Jewish Federations spoke of the “toxic activities” on college campuses and said that not enough has been done to protect Jewish students. They asked if the candidates believe that federal funds should be denied to institutions that are not properly defending Jewish students on campus.
Mayfield said that yes, funds should be denied, and stated, “My opponent is not setting the right tone: I think we need to draw the line.” He said it is the job of government to defend civil liberties, commenting: “We must do what we have to, to ensure safety and security. We must find leadership who will step up, and stamp it out, as opposed to those who let it take root.”
Watson Coleman said: “We need to ensure that public universities keep kids safe, and that the First Amendment is also upheld.” She remarked that balancing these priorities is a complex problem, and college campuses need funds to handle these challenges. “Denying funds is not the right way to go,” she said, as it will hurt kids on scholarships. She added that she is the cosponsor of a bill in Congress to appoint a national coordinator on fighting antisemitism.
Jewish Federation moderators asked each candidate if they would support an increase in Homeland Security funds for houses of worship.
Mayfield said: “Yes, absolutely; it should be a main priority. When it comes to safety and security, we must provide funding as needed, to support them.” He pointed to the recent incident of the East Brunswick yearbook and said that “we can not allow this to fester, because no one is taking this seriously.” He added: “We must start to develop real answers, to stamp these things out.”
Watson Coleman said that she has long been a supporter of putting federal security funds into local communities and is pleased to see the impact of Homeland Security funds in her local community. She mentioned that in the previous term she toured Temple Bnai Shalom in East Brunswick and saw the security upgrades that were implemented there.
Harry Glazer is the Middlesex County editor of The Jewish Link. He can be reached at [email protected] and he welcomes reader feedback.
