Spadea focusing on empowering young voters in New Jersey

The common sense tour didn't stop at Election Day in 2023. Actually, we're stepping it up.

One of the great things about the Garden State is that with odd-year legislative and gubernatorial elections, there's a significant election every year. So the countdown for 2024 is on.

The presidential election season is in full swing with the Iowa Caucuses coming up fast on Jan. 15, just five weeks away. That event will be followed by the New Hampshire primary, essentially the best and perhaps last opportunity for the non-Trump field to make a stand and separate from the crowd.

In New Jersey, the primary doesn't really impact the result as the event is held in June, months after most of the delegates are chosen by primary and caucus voters around the nation. What's important in New Jersey is fielding the right candidates at all levels of government.

We will have all 12 congressional seats up for election as well as hundreds of local offices. My focus will be on promoting and electing strong candidates at all levels who have principles, courage, and enthusiasm.

We'll be focused on areas that are not considered "easy wins" because it's critical to build the movement in areas that typical consultants and donors would ignore as a "lost cause".

One of the areas that we are focusing on is the youth vote. Too many young people feel left out of the process and they look at politics and political involvement, including voting, as something that their parents did and it really doesn't concern them.

I've said over and over again in speeches around the state that the reason New Jersey failed to oust Murphy is that unlike Virginia, where 6 in 10 voters voted, in New Jersey, 6 in 10 stayed home.

In the recent midterms in 2023, 8 in 10 stayed home. So, we have our work cut out for us.

I want to thank the Atlantic County Young Republicans for continuing the fight and stepping up to energize young voters. Brian Fitzherbert invited me in and it was a great crowd of young and middle-aged voters gathering to celebrate the holidays and working toward building the party. Appreciate that the support for the youth effort goes beyond the county lines with Jacci Vigilante, the chairwoman in Gloucester County, stopping in to wish the volunteers a happy holiday season.

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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