Campos-Medina Advocates for Worker Rights in Senate Race

MONTCLAIR, N.J. — In a comprehensive press briefing on Monday, April 22, 2024, Dr. Patricia Campos-Medina, a Latina candidate for the U.S. Senate from New Jersey, discussed various social and economic issues impacting marginalized communities, with a particular focus on Latino workers. The conversation emphasized economic equity, access to healthcare, and the importance of worker protections.

Campos-Medina outlined her priorities if elected, which include tackling wage inequality, enhancing affordable healthcare access, and improving labor laws to protect all workers. She also addressed her desire to champion issues that affect women and spoke about the need for better political representation for Latinos, stressing the role that cultural economics plays in New Jersey's economy.

"What New Jersey working families need is somebody who's ready to take on corporate America and vie for better jobs, better wages, investment in childcare, investment in after school, and investment in home care so that we can get women back to work," she said. "We also need a woman to fight for reproductive justice and reproductive freedoms. In this moment, in which women's reproductive rights are being taken away by a Supreme Court that is an activist court, we need someone who's ready to stand and call for changing the court by expanding the court."

The press briefing was sponsored by the Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University as part of its 2024 election initiatives with NJ Spotlight News and the Center’s ongoing, Not the Same Old Sources series. The Center held a three-part series of virtual press conferences with New Jersey Senatorial candidates: Dr. Campos-Medina, Lawrence “Larry” Ham and Rep. Andy Kim. Each of these candidates are vying to replace Senator Bob Menendez, who has been indicted on alleged corruption charges for the second time in a decade. The last time Menendez faced reelection he found himself under indictment for alleged corruption but a mistrial in 2017 helped him keep the support of the Democratic party in his 2018 run for office, according to published reports. Menendez has declined to seek reelection as a Democrat, but has until June 4, 2024, to run as an independent.

Atlantic City Focus was invited to participate in the series and will bring our readers all three parts. 

Anthony Advincula, a journalist and prominent community organizer, spoke about the significance of engaging Latino voters through support for local leaders and organizations. The speakers highlighted the lack of resources and representation for Latinos in politics, which they argued contributes to broader issues of economic insecurity and inequality.

The briefing also covered topics related to housing and taxation. Dr. Campos-Medina proposed strategies to alleviate the affordable housing crisis and reduce the tax burden on New Jersey residents. These include advocating for federal support for green and infrastructure jobs that could help ease the cost of living in the state.

Regarding immigration reform, the candidate expressed her commitment to updating asylum laws and providing better support for refugee families. She also discussed her stance on foreign policy, advocating for a proactive approach to managing migration through enhanced trade, economic, democracy, and security policies.

Dr. Campos-Medina, with her background as a union leader and advocate for working-class families, underscored the importance of having diverse voices in the Senate, particularly to address issues facing women and immigrants.

The session concluded with an invitation from Advincula for journalists to attend future events, including a series of discussions aimed at further exploring these critical topics as the Senate race continues.

(Primary Election 2024 coverage and the Atlantic City Focus Civic Engagement Guide were made possible by a grant from the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium.)

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