The outgoing representative values his time in Congress and representing the state.
Editor’s Note: Freshman at Clearview Regional High School Thomas Caprio submitted the following article to The Sun. The article was written for Caprio’s journalism class at the high school on Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ2).
By Thomas Caprio
Special to The Sun
Representative Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ2) will retire this year, and replaced by Congressman-elect Jeffrey Van Drew (D-NJ2), who defeated Republican Seth Grossman by 14,000 votes in an extraordinarily tight seat for such a Democratic state like New Jersey.
However, residents of New Jersey’s Second Congressional District would understand why a Republican would do so well in such a race. LoBiondo, who has served for a staggering 24 years over 12 terms, was, and is, extremely popular among the people he represents.
To further understand why he is such a popular figurehead, you must only turn to his elections’ results. According to Ballotpedia, LoBiondo won his last election in 2016 by 66,000 votes. What does a Congressman have to do to become so popular within his community and among the voters? According to LoBiondo, it’s commitment. If you count his time in the State Assembly, he’s represented the district for 30 years. When asked why he decided to start in the first place, he responded; “I felt like I could contribute a lot if I had the opportunity.”
When asked about his retiring, LoBiondo responded that “it’s a bittersweet decision” and remarked that he would miss chairing the CIA. LoBiondo also is a member of the House Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. It is of note that this interview was delayed due to his working on the CIA. In 2000, LoBiondo claims he started an exploratory committee to investigate running for Senate, but he “realized pretty quickly that wasn’t going to be fruitful.”
LoBiondo also said that he valued his work with veterans and emphasized “making sure promises to our veterans are kept.” He also exclaimed; “It’s the mission that will never end” and “there’s a lot more to do”.
But LoBiondo may not have the time to do more, as in January he will be replaced by Van Drew. When he was asked about the congressman-elect, he remarked; “I don’t know Jeff really well, but I think he has tried to work hard for the district and I have my fingers crossed that he will do the same thing as a member of Congress.”
All the district’s eyes turn to Van Drew as its 12-term congressman leaves the district, and they are crossing their fingers with Congressman LoBiondo.
