Reform Party of New Jersey

Reform Party of New Jersey
Founded	2009
Headquarters	none
Ideology	Populism, Centrism, Conservatism
Political position	Centrist
National affiliation	Reform Party of the United States of America
Colors	Red, White, Blue (unofficial)
Website
Reform Party NJ

The Reform Party of New Jersey is the multi-tendency state party organization for New Jersey of the Reform Party of the United States of America. It is the successor to the defunct New Jersey Reform Party. It is one of three parties in the state to have elected officials. While it is the recognized state affiliate of the national party, the current New Jersey organization was founded and operates completely independently of its predecessor.

History

Since the dissolution of the original New Jersey Reform Party in 2000, there had long been talk amongst members of the Reform Party of the United States of re-organizing a state party within New Jersey. A lawsuit at the national level, however, had prevented the party from further organizing any state chapters beyond those that already existed. The lawsuit was resolved in the fall of 2009, and National Chairman David Collison again began pushing for the formation of a New Jersey state party.

By early 2010, several student activists within New Jersey expressed interest in reviving the Reform Party as a viable alternative to the fiscally liberal Democratic Party and the socially conservative Republican Party. These students began attending local fairs, parades, and events, to drum up support for the proposed third party. By August 2009, the group had acquired the voter registration lists of the original New Jersey Reform Party, and all former members were called to attend the formative convention of the new party.

The RPNJ has also involved itself in fighting eminent domain in the central New Jersey area. The group has been featured in several New Jersey publications, and the party promises to run a full slate of congressional candidates during the 2012 election. They are also vocal proponents of school choice, charter schools and immigration reform.

Early success

The Reform Party of New Jersey has experienced a greater deal of initial success than most third parties operating within New Jersey.

• Miriam Martinez, the first Latina member of the New Jersey State Police, sought and earned the Reform Party's endorsement in her bid to become Mercer County Sherriff.

• In December 2011, Belleville Councilman Kevin Kennedy announced he had joined the Reform Party.

Issues

• Opposition to the North American Free Trade Agreement
• End Eminent Domain abuse
• Historic preservation
• Support for Charter Schools and "School Vouchers"
• Implementation of Term Limits
• Lowering of tax rates
• Reformation of social programs

External links

• Reform Party of New Jersey Twitter
• Official Reform Party of New York State Web Site