My friend Ian Smith is no stranger to controversy. He was one of the handful of business owners who refused to comply with the governor's outrageous lockdown orders during the pandemic.

Protest at Atilis Gym in Bellmawr
(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
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He proved a few points during the resistance.

First, that New Jersey government will vilify a gym owner and push criminal charges for non-compliance. We also learned that the gym remained open and the government could not pin any connection between the open gym to the spread of COVID.

Ian has been fighting and winning for more than two years. He showed that eventually defiant advocates for liberty will wear the government down and they will back off.

Remember in May 2020 when the local government was unable to keep the doors locked? We saw plenty of examples across the globe and in the U.S. where states reopened and eventually could show conclusively that the deaths in lockdown states far outpaced free states.

We also saw that states that locked down and crushed businesses did severe damage to their economies and education all while doing virtually nothing to stop the spread of the virus.

So, seems to me based on the evidence and results, Anders Tegnell, Ron Desantis, and Ian Smith were proved right.

Now Ian is running for Congress in NJ's 3rd Congressional District, which covers Mercer, Burlington and parts of Monmouth County.

He joined me on the air to discuss "Small Business Monday" and the role government needs to take to empower small businesses in New Jersey.

If you are wondering where your town falls when it comes to congressional districts, here is the list.

New Jersey's new congressional districts for the 2020s

A district-by-district look at New Jersey's congressional map following the redistricting done after the 2020 Census.

But make sure you know the difference between congressional and legislative districts.

New Jersey's new legislative districts for the 2020s

Boundaries for the 40 legislative districts for the Senate and Assembly elections of 2023 through 2029, and perhaps 2031, were approved in a bipartisan vote of the Apportionment Commission on Feb. 18, 2022. The map continues to favor Democrats, though Republicans say it gives them a chance to win the majority.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Spadea. Any opinions expressed are Bill's own. Bill Spadea is on the air weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m., talkin’ Jersey, taking your calls at 1-800-283-1015.

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