Aimee Belgard

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Aimee Belgard
Image of Aimee Belgard
Elections and appointments
Last election

November 4, 2014

Personal
Profession
Trial and appellate litigator
Contact

Aimee Belgard was a 2014 Democratic candidate who sought election to the U.S. House to represent the 3rd Congressional District of New Jersey.[1][2] She won the Democratic nomination in the primary on June 3, 2014. Belgard was defeated by Tom MacArthur (R) in the general election on November 4, 2014.[3]

Biography

Belgard has volunteered with the American Cancer Society, serving on the Executive Board of the American Cancer Society Eastern Division and the National Board of the Cancer Action Network. She has received awards from the American Cancer Society's National Saint George Award and the Capitol Dome Award. She has also been a member of her Neighborhood Watch and Edgewater Park’s Township Committee. Currently, she works on the Burlington County Board of Chosen Freeholders.[4]

Career

Belgard works as a trial and appellate litigator.[4]

Issues

Comments on Obamacare

Belgard defended the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, and opposed attempts to repeal it, though she received criticism from WPHT host Dom Giordano for her "vague responses to complaints about the law.”[5]

Elections

2014

BattlegroundRace.jpg
See also: New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District elections, 2014

The 3rd Congressional District of New Jersey held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Tom MacArthur (R) defeated Aimee Belgard (D) and Frederick John LaVergne (Democratic-Republican) in the general election.[3] In the primary election on June 3, 2014, MacArthur defeated Steve Lonegan for the Republican nomination, while Belgard defeated Howard Kleinhendler and Bruce Todd for the Democratic nomination.

New Jersey's 3rd was considered a battleground district in 2014. Incumbent Jon Runyan (R) did not run for re-election, leaving an open seat. Moreover, although Runyan won re-election by an 8.9 percent margin of victory in 2012, the presidential election went Democratic, with President Barack Obama winning in the 3rd District by 4.6 percent.

U.S. House, New Jersey District 3 General Election, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngTom MacArthur 54% 100,471
     Democratic Aimee Belgard 44.4% 82,537
     Democratic-Republican Frederick John LaVergne 1.7% 3,095
Total Votes 186,103
Source: New Jersey Division of Elections
U.S. House, New Jersey District 3 Democratic Primary, 2014
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngAimee Belgard 83.8% 12,425
Howard Kleinhendler 11.5% 1,705
Bruce Todd 4.7% 700
Total Votes 14,830
Source: New Jersey Division of Elections - Official Election Results

Race background

Belgard was part of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's Jumpstart program in 2014. According to the DCCC, the program provided candidates with "early financial communications, operational and strategic support."[6] The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spent $1.3 million in ads on her campaign.[7] One of those ads, about opponent MacArthur's company, was reported about in Time and deemed deceptive, a judgment the DCCC disputed.[8]

Stuart Rothenberg at Roll Call wrote that the “district is competitive, though it leans slightly Republican” and would be a “serious fight.”[9]

Endorsements

Belgard was endorsed by the following groups:[10]

Media

Belgard 2014 campaign ad discussing her run for Congress.[12]

Campaign themes

2014

Belgard listed the following themes on her campaign website.[13]

  • Revitalizing New Jersey’s Economy: "In Congress, I will make job creation and strengthening the middle class my top priority, and I’ll start by supporting measures to raise the minimum wage and expand educational opportunities. Arming our workforce with a world-class education is key to staying competitive in a global economy. That’s why I’ll work to make higher education affordable, and I’ll work to increase access to low-tuition job training programs in industries that need skilled workers."
  • Fulfilling Promises to Veterans: "When Congress shut down the government and made across-the-board cuts to our country’s military, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and our entire local economy around it, suffered. The Joint Base and South Jersey families can’t afford further cuts because of more irresponsible partisan brinksmanship. Likewise, our veterans - who have given so much - can't afford cuts to the benefits they deserve. In Congress, I’ll work with members of both parties to protect and restore funding to the Joint Base. And, as the daughter of a Vietnam Veteran, I will work to ensure that we fulfill the promises we've made to our veterans, making certain that they receive quality health care - including mental health care - job training and placement when they come home."
  • Protecting Social Security and Medicare: "I strongly believe that we must keep the promises that we’ve made to our seniors. They have worked hard to pay into Social Security and Medicare, sacred trusts that must be protected. In recent years, shortsighted politicians have placed these important programs on the chopping block as an easy way to balance the budget. I think that’s wrong. In Congress, I will ardently defend Social Security and Medicare from cuts, and I will oppose all efforts to privatize Social Security or end the Medicare Guarantee. Seniors shouldn’t have to gamble their retirements on the stock market."
  • Expanding Educational Opportunities: "Growing our economy in the 21st Century requires a highly educated and specialized workforce. That’s why I fully support measures that expand educational opportunities, so that higher education – whether university, community college, or trade school – is both an achievable and affordable goal for all New Jerseyans. I also support measures to better prepare our high school students for continued education after they graduate."
  • Standing up for Women: "It’s 2014, and the fact that women still make 77 cents for every dollar that men make is not only wrong, it’s embarrassing. In Congress, I will fight for measures to ensure equality in the workplace, including equal pay for equal work. I will also work to ensure that women’s health care decisions are made between women and their health care professionals, not extremists in Washington. Finally, I will be a voice that is currently missing from New Jersey’s Congressional Delegation. New Jersey hasn’t had a female representative in Congress for over a decade, and it’s about time that changed."
  • Protecting New Jersey: "I have a strong record of protecting our environment, and I’ll continue that record in Congress. The 3rd Congressional District is home to many natural treasures that encompass our farmland, shore and Pinelands. I’ll work to protect these treasures by working to expand alternative energy, which will create jobs with benefits, lessen CO2 emissions, and decrease our dependence on foreign oil. I’ll also support initiatives that protect our farms and curb pollution. And, I’ll work to keep the shore clean for recreation, tourism and fishing, for generations to come."[14]
—Aimee Belgard, Campaign website (archive)

Campaign finance summary

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Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Belgard is married with two sons.[4]

Recent news

This section links to a Google news search for the term "Aimee + Belgard + New + Jersey + Congress"

See also

External links

Footnotes


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