Linda Stender
Encyclopedia
Linda Stender is an American
Democratic Party
politician
who has served in the New Jersey
General Assembly
since 2002, where she represents the 22nd legislative district. She ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing New Jersey's 7th District
, in 2006 and 2008. She was narrowly defeated by incumbent Rep. Mike Ferguson in 2006 but lost by a wider margin to Leonard Lance
in the November 4, 2008 election
.
Stender served as the Assembly's Deputy Speaker from 2006–2009 and currently serves in the Assembly on the State Government Committee (as Chair), Transportation, Public Works and Independent Authorities Committee (as Vice-Chair), and the Appropriations committee. She is a former Vice Chairwoman of the Tourism and Gaming Committee and a former Vice Chairwoman of the Environment and Solid Waste Committee.
(from 1992–1995) in Fanwood
, before winning the first of three terms on the Union County
Board of Chosen Freeholders
where she served from 1994-2002. She served as Chairwoman of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders in 1997. She was elected to the State Assembly in 2001 and reelected in 2003. Democratic Party leaders denied her a chance to run for the State Senate in 2003.
Legislation sponsored by Stender and signed into law includes: The Integrated Pest Management Act, A-2841, which requires public and private schools to establish an integrated pest management policy to protect students and staff; A-2654 and A-2655, which permitted the use of reclaimed asphalt pavement on public highways maintained by local governments and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation
on the State’s three toll roads; and the Toll Road Consolidation Bill, A-3392, which abolished the New Jersey Highway Authority and transferred projects and functions to the New Jersey Turnpike
Authority.
Legislation sponsored by Stender includes: A-2330, which creates a low interest mortgage loan program in the NJ Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency for volunteer firefighters, emergency medical squads, and emergency rescue squads; A-2753, which requires the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
to use transported remains of victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks
in a memorial; A-2930, which permits municipalities to place stop signs on certain intersections near schools, playgrounds, and youth recreational facilities; A-3345, which provides public safety members in federal or state military service who are injured or killed with disability or death benefits; A-3502, which provides municipalities with equal funding for new construction where the existing facilities are considered unfit for rehabilitation for health and safety reasons.
Stender received a B.A.
from American University
in Interdisciplinary Communications.
nominee for New Jersey's 7th congressional district
(map), where she faced off against Republican
incumbent Mike Ferguson. Stender lost the 7th District race by slightly more than 3,000 votes, or about 1.5% of all votes cast in the election. This is the closest challenge Ferguson has faced since being elected.
Stender campaigned as a self-described "progressive" and advocated for stem cell research.
In April 2006, Stender was endorsed by EMILY's List
and Democracy for America
(DFA). In May 2006, Stender was endorsed by The Sierra Club
. On October 22, 2006, The New York Times
endorsed Linda Stender over Mike Ferguson in the 7th district.
The Ferguson campaign ran advertisements featuring the catchphrase "Linda Stender is a Spender," criticizing her voting record as a mayor and assemblywoman.
In the end, the Star Ledger reported that it was in fact conservative-values women who helped to defeat Stender in her bid for Congress.
On November 19, 2007, EMILY's List announced their 2008 endorsement of Stender. On January 18, 2008, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced that Stender would be part of its 'Red to Blue' fundraising program, indicating that the district has been targeted by national Democrats. As of late January, Stender has raised over $615,000 for her 2008 campaign.
On June 3, 2008, Republicans primary voters selected State Senator Leonard Lance to be Stender's opponent in the November general election.
Stender was defeated again for this seat, losing to Leonard Lance with 41.6% to his 50.8%.
publicly criticized Ann Coulter
's book Godless: The Church of Liberalism
. They issued a joint press release, calling on New Jersey retailers to "express their outrage by refusing to carry or sell copies of Coulter's book." Although they did not seek any legislative prohibition, they originally characterized their proposal as a "ban". A few days later they edited the press release to refer instead to a "boycott" in two instances (in the title and in the third paragraph). The original text of the press release can viewed on several websites.
Stender and Quigley issued the press release in response to Coulter's criticism of the Jersey Girls
, four widows of the September 11, 2001 attacks
from New Jersey who have criticized U.S. policies in the events leading up to September 11. Due to this press release Stender and Quigley were both featured on Larry King Live
on CNN
.
Stender and Quigley's call to ban Coulter's book has been denounced as censorship
by some. However, others have defended the two by saying that they were merely advocating a boycott, which would allow the book to continue being published uncensored.
and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly
. The other representatives from the 22nd District for the 2008-2009 Legislative Session are:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who has served in the New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
General Assembly
New Jersey General Assembly
The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.Since the election of 1967 , the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for a term of two years, each representing districts with average...
since 2002, where she represents the 22nd legislative district. She ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing New Jersey's 7th District
New Jersey's 7th congressional district
New Jersey's Seventh Congressional District is currently represented by Republican Leonard Lance.In the 2008 election, Mike Ferguson did not seek another term. Linda Stender won the Democratic nomination unopposed, while Republican primary voters chose State Senator Leonard Lance in a field of...
, in 2006 and 2008. She was narrowly defeated by incumbent Rep. Mike Ferguson in 2006 but lost by a wider margin to Leonard Lance
Leonard Lance
Leonard Lance is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Republican Party. He previously served in the New Jersey Senate and the New Jersey General Assembly....
in the November 4, 2008 election
New Jersey's 7th congressional district election, 2008
Congressman Leonard Lance defeated state Assembly Woman Linda Stender in a long fought race for the highly competitive seat. Leonard Lance announced his plans to continue to "fight for the republican party I have come to know" and stating that he has suggested an update to the Republican Party.The...
.
Stender served as the Assembly's Deputy Speaker from 2006–2009 and currently serves in the Assembly on the State Government Committee (as Chair), Transportation, Public Works and Independent Authorities Committee (as Vice-Chair), and the Appropriations committee. She is a former Vice Chairwoman of the Tourism and Gaming Committee and a former Vice Chairwoman of the Environment and Solid Waste Committee.
Background
Stender previously served as a Councilwoman (from 1988–1990) and as MayorMayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
(from 1992–1995) in Fanwood
Fanwood, New Jersey
Fanwood is a borough in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 7,318.Fanwood was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on October 2, 1895, from portions of Fanwood Township , based on the results of a...
, before winning the first of three terms on the Union County
Union County, New Jersey
Union County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 536,499. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Elizabeth. Union County ranks 93rd among the highest-income counties in the United States. It also ranks 74th in...
Board of Chosen Freeholders
Board of Chosen Freeholders
In New Jersey, the Boards of Chosen Freeholders are the county legislatures in each of that state's 21 counties.- Origin :New Jersey's system of naming county legislators "freeholders" is unique in the United States...
where she served from 1994-2002. She served as Chairwoman of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders in 1997. She was elected to the State Assembly in 2001 and reelected in 2003. Democratic Party leaders denied her a chance to run for the State Senate in 2003.
Legislation sponsored by Stender and signed into law includes: The Integrated Pest Management Act, A-2841, which requires public and private schools to establish an integrated pest management policy to protect students and staff; A-2654 and A-2655, which permitted the use of reclaimed asphalt pavement on public highways maintained by local governments and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation
New Jersey Department of Transportation
The New Jersey Department of Transportation is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey. It is headed by the Commissioner of Transportation...
on the State’s three toll roads; and the Toll Road Consolidation Bill, A-3392, which abolished the New Jersey Highway Authority and transferred projects and functions to the New Jersey Turnpike
New Jersey Turnpike
The New Jersey Turnpike is a toll road in New Jersey, maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. According to the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, the Turnpike is the nation's sixth-busiest toll road and is among one of the most heavily traveled highways in the United...
Authority.
Legislation sponsored by Stender includes: A-2330, which creates a low interest mortgage loan program in the NJ Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency for volunteer firefighters, emergency medical squads, and emergency rescue squads; A-2753, which requires the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is a bi-state port district, established in 1921 through an interstate compact, that runs most of the regional transportation infrastructure, including the bridges, tunnels, airports, and seaports, within the Port of New York and New Jersey...
to use transported remains of victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
in a memorial; A-2930, which permits municipalities to place stop signs on certain intersections near schools, playgrounds, and youth recreational facilities; A-3345, which provides public safety members in federal or state military service who are injured or killed with disability or death benefits; A-3502, which provides municipalities with equal funding for new construction where the existing facilities are considered unfit for rehabilitation for health and safety reasons.
Stender received a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from American University
American University
American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
in Interdisciplinary Communications.
2006 congressional race
Stender was the Democratic PartyDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
nominee for New Jersey's 7th congressional district
New Jersey's 7th congressional district
New Jersey's Seventh Congressional District is currently represented by Republican Leonard Lance.In the 2008 election, Mike Ferguson did not seek another term. Linda Stender won the Democratic nomination unopposed, while Republican primary voters chose State Senator Leonard Lance in a field of...
(map), where she faced off against Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
incumbent Mike Ferguson. Stender lost the 7th District race by slightly more than 3,000 votes, or about 1.5% of all votes cast in the election. This is the closest challenge Ferguson has faced since being elected.
Stender campaigned as a self-described "progressive" and advocated for stem cell research.
In April 2006, Stender was endorsed by EMILY's List
EMILY's List
EMILY's List is a political action committee in the United States that aims to help elect female candidates to office. It was founded by Ellen Malcolm in 1984....
and Democracy for America
Democracy for America
Democracy for America is a progressive, people-powered political action committee, headquartered in South Burlington, Vermont. Founded by former Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean in 2004, DFA leads public awareness campaigns on a variety of public policy issues, trains activists,...
(DFA). In May 2006, Stender was endorsed by The Sierra Club
Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. It was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by the conservationist and preservationist John Muir, who became its first president...
. On October 22, 2006, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
endorsed Linda Stender over Mike Ferguson in the 7th district.
The Ferguson campaign ran advertisements featuring the catchphrase "Linda Stender is a Spender," criticizing her voting record as a mayor and assemblywoman.
In the end, the Star Ledger reported that it was in fact conservative-values women who helped to defeat Stender in her bid for Congress.
2008 congressional race
In late 2007, Stender announced another run for Congress in 2008. Ferguson stated on November 19, 2007, that he will not run for re-election in 2008.On November 19, 2007, EMILY's List announced their 2008 endorsement of Stender. On January 18, 2008, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced that Stender would be part of its 'Red to Blue' fundraising program, indicating that the district has been targeted by national Democrats. As of late January, Stender has raised over $615,000 for her 2008 campaign.
On June 3, 2008, Republicans primary voters selected State Senator Leonard Lance to be Stender's opponent in the November general election.
Stender was defeated again for this seat, losing to Leonard Lance with 41.6% to his 50.8%.
Criticism of Ann Coulter's book Godless
On June 8, 2006, Stender and Assemblywoman Joan M. QuigleyJoan M. Quigley
Joan M. Quigley is an American Democratic Party politician who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 1994, where she represents the 32nd legislative district. Quigley serves as the Majority Conference Leader starting with the 2006-2008 legislative session...
publicly criticized Ann Coulter
Ann Coulter
Ann Hart Coulter is an American lawyer, conservative social and political commentator, author, and syndicated columnist. She frequently appears on television, radio, and as a speaker at public events and private events...
's book Godless: The Church of Liberalism
Godless: The Church of Liberalism
Godless: The Church of Liberalism is a book by best-selling author and conservative columnist Ann Coulter, published in 2006. The book is an argument against American liberalism, which Coulter regards as so anti-scientific and faith-based that it amounts to a "primitive religion" which she claims...
. They issued a joint press release, calling on New Jersey retailers to "express their outrage by refusing to carry or sell copies of Coulter's book." Although they did not seek any legislative prohibition, they originally characterized their proposal as a "ban". A few days later they edited the press release to refer instead to a "boycott" in two instances (in the title and in the third paragraph). The original text of the press release can viewed on several websites.
Stender and Quigley issued the press release in response to Coulter's criticism of the Jersey Girls
Jersey Girls
The Jersey Girls or Jersey Widows refers to four American women who lost their husbands in the September 11 attacks. All four, Kristen Breitweiser, Patty Casazza, Lorie Van Auken, and Mindy Kleinberg, were residents of New Jersey, and helped lobby the U.S...
, four widows of the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
from New Jersey who have criticized U.S. policies in the events leading up to September 11. Due to this press release Stender and Quigley were both featured on Larry King Live
Larry King Live
Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
on CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
.
Stender and Quigley's call to ban Coulter's book has been denounced as censorship
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
by some. However, others have defended the two by saying that they were merely advocating a boycott, which would allow the book to continue being published uncensored.
District 22
Each of the forty districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the New Jersey SenateNew Jersey Senate
The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. From 1844 until 1965 New Jersey's counties elected one Senator, each. Under the 1844 Constitution the term of office was three years. The 1947...
and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly
New Jersey General Assembly
The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.Since the election of 1967 , the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for a term of two years, each representing districts with average...
. The other representatives from the 22nd District for the 2008-2009 Legislative Session are:
- Senator Nicholas ScutariNicholas ScutariNicholas P. Scutari is an American Democratic Party politician, who has been serving in the New Jersey State Senate since 2004, where he represents the 22nd Legislative District....
, and - Assemblyman Jerry Green
External links
- Assemblywoman Stender legislative page from the New Jersey LegislatureNew Jersey LegislatureThe New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the Senate...
- New Jersey Legislature financial disclosure forms
- Linda Stender for Congress 2008 official campaign website
- Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
- Profile from SourceWatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...
CongresspediaCongresspediaCongresspedia was a wiki that ran from April 2006 to March 2009, designed to hold information on the workings of the U.S. Congress. It was fully contained within SourceWatch, a larger wiki meant to document the people, organizations and issues shaping the public agenda. The Congresspedia portion of... - Linda Stender's blog entries from Daily KosDaily KosDaily Kos is an American political blog that publishes news and opinions from a progressive point of view. It functions as a discussion forum and group blog for a variety of netroots activists, whose efforts are primarily directed toward influencing and strengthening the Democratic Party...