By Roxanna Rozehee

Republican congressional candidate Joe Hathaway, running in New Jersey’s 11th District, discussed his campaign promises during a press conference with Princeton Summer Journal student journalists on Wednesday. He promised affordability and a practical ideological approach for the district.

Councilman Hathaway is the former mayor of Randolph, New Jersey. He opened the conference with a reflection on his career of over fifteen years in corporate communications and stressed the importance of individuality.

He shared a personal anecdote of experiencing imposter syndrome while attending Yale University, reassuring students not to contrast themselves with others. “Don’t compare yourself to the people around you,” he said. “Compare yourself to yourself, to the best version of yourself.”

Shifting the conversation to the campaign, Hathaway noted that the race has entered a pivotal stage, remarking that Election day is now 100 days away. He argued that voters had sufficient time to evaluate the record of current Democratic Representative Analilia Mejia and contrasted his platform with her initiatives.

Hathaway described himself as a “common sense, practical, independent-minded Republican, someone who served at the local level, knows how government works, [and] also knows how it could work a whole lot better for New Jersey especially.” 

He focused on decreasing the cost of living and throughout the press conference, he repeatedly remarked that affordability is the defining issue facing New Jersey residents, pointing to rising housing prices, education costs and energy bills.

Among his economic proposals, Hathaway stressed decreasing taxes, increasing vocational education, and strengthening domestic manufacturing. Rather than relying on increasing the minimum wage, he believes the government should foster opportunities that allow workers to earn higher-paying careers through increased skills and workforce development.

Hathaway elaborated on his energy policy. He argued that increasing nuclear energy should be central to meeting future electricity demands, specifically as artificial intelligence increases the need for data centers. While acknowledging public concerns regarding new facilities, he stated that properly planned data centers are necessary for maintaining American leadership in AI and that increased energy production would lead to decreased utility costs for New Jersey residents.

Hathaway defended U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement while simultaneously advocating for increased oversight through body cameras and improved equipment. He criticized New Jersey’s sanctuary policies, however he supported immigration reform that would provide long-term undocumented immigrants with a pathway to permanent legal status.

Addressing the district’s Democratic majority, Hathaway said his campaign aims to attract moderate voters exasperated with political extremism. “People are tired of extremism across the board. You look to the left, you look to the right, there’s too much extremism. There is only one candidate in this race who’s willing to come to the middle. It’s me, and that’s a message we’re getting down, and I think what we do will be successful.”