REPLACING:
Andy Kim (D)[i]
WORK HISTORY:
U.S. Air Force (Captain); New Jersey Legislature (Assemblyman); Saint Francis Medical Center (Physician)[ii]
EDUCATION:
Diploma, Bordentown Regional High School; BA, Princeton University; MD, Thomas Jefferson University; JD, Rutgers Law School[iii]
CAMPAIGNED ON:
Economy; Reproductive Rights; Protecting Democracy; Lowering Prescription Drug Prices; Environment[iv]
ON THE ISSUES
REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS:
An opponent of the Dobbs decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Conaway is against a federal abortion ban. He supports codifying Roe v. Wade into national law, and he has pledged to introduce and support legislation “that focus[es] on strengthening women's healthcare rights even further.” According to Conaway, this includes “legislation such as the Right to Contraception Act, introduced by Rep. Kathy Manning (D-NC), which would set out statutory protections for an individual's right to access and a health care provider's right to provide contraception.”[v]
IMMIGRATION & BORDER SECURITY:
During the campaign, Conaway reportedly expressed support for the recent bipartisan border bill.[vi]
ECONOMY & JOBS:
To help foster economic growth, Conaway is in favor of protecting small businesses and increasing job opportunities in his district. He supported state legislation to give “$14 billion in relief to small businesses and restaurants,” as well as a bill that he said promoted “manufacturing career pathways for students and will add scores of jobs to the manufacturing industry.” He also advocates for the “Shrinkflation Reduction Act of 2024,” which he said would “which prohibit corporations from deceptively decreasing the sizes of their products without lowering the price commensurately. It’s policies such as these that will enhance the economic prosperity of NJ-03 and its citizens.”[vii]
TAXES:
Conaway supports lessening “the tax burden on middle-class families.” As a member of the state assembly, he supported the creation of a property tax credit program. He supports expanding the Child Tax Credit and the state and local tax deduction. [viii]
CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY:
In 2020, Conaway supported state legislation that he said required law enforcement agencies to “request internal affairs and personnel files of candidates,” noting at the time that while most officers “adhere to the highest standards, some may not.”Conaway has expressed support for the use of police body cameras, and he praised state efforts to “rein in” the “Delta-8 THC and other hemp-derived cannabinoids” sector of the cannabis market. [ix] [x] [xi]
CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT:
As a member of the New Jersey Assembly, Conaway said he “introduced legislation that establishes the ‘New Jersey Invasive Species Task Force’ as well as introduced a bill that provides income tax credits for the purchase of zero-emission lawn equipment.” In Congress, he has promised to “continue to endorse policies aimed at making us more environmentally secure,” which he said includes “funding research aimed at maintaining sustainable environmental practices and supporting legislation to expand access to electric vehicle charging infrastructure in our district.”[xii]
FOREIGN POLICY:
Conaway supports a two-state solution to the crisis in the Middle East, and he has reportedly said that he would vote to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia.[xiii]
HEALTHCARE & SOCIAL SAFETY NET:
A key issue of Conaway’s campaign was lowering prescription drug prices. As a member of the New Jersey Assembly, Conaway touted that he supported capping co-pays for several drugs, including epinephrine injectors, asthma inhalers, and insulin. He also, as Chair of the Health Committee, recalled that he “personally led efforts to create more transparency within New Jersey’s pharmaceutical industry,” including, “requiring pharmacy practice sites to document reasons for not filling certain prescriptions and requiring health care practitioners to inform patients of the addiction potential of controlled dangerous substances prior to issuing prescriptions.”[xiv]
DEMOCRACY:
A supporter of strengthening voting rights, Conaway is in favor of the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, which he says would “strengthen and restore sections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that were restricted by the Supreme Court in their Shelby v. Holder decision.” He has also promised to “pursue further efforts to establish Election Day as a federal holiday and conduct research into the utilization of blockchain technology to secure our election information.”[xv]
SOCIAL ISSUES:
In June 2024, Conaway celebrated the beginning of Pride Month, stating, “To our LGBTQIA+ community, we celebrate all of you today and every day, no matter your gender identity or sexual orientation.” He promised to “never […] stop fighting for your rights in Congress.” Conaway’s campaign was endorsed by Garden State Equality.[xvi] [xvii]
[i] P. Kenneth Burns, “Conaway defeats Mohan in race to represent New Jersey’s 3rd Congressional District,” WHYY PBS, November 6, 2024, available at https://whyy.org/articles/herb-conaway-new-jersey-3rd-congressional-race/.
[ii] Herb Conaway MD LinkedIn, accessed November 14, 2024, available at https://www.linkedin.com/in/herb-conaway-md-49602247/details/education/.
[iii] Herb Conaway MD LinkedIn, accessed November 14, 2024, available at https://www.linkedin.com/in/herb-conaway-md-49602247/details/education/.
[iv] “On the Issues,” Herb Conaway for Congress, accessed November 6, 2024, available at https://www.herbforcongress.com/issues.
[v] “On the Issues,” Herb Conaway for Congress, accessed November 6, 2024, available at https://www.herbforcongress.com/issues.
[vi] Clyde Hughes, “Herb Conaway tries to make history in congressional run,” Ark Republic, November 4, 2024, available at https://www.arkrepublic.com/2024/11/04/herb-conaway-tries-to-make-history-in-congressional-run/.
[vii] “On the Issues,” Herb Conaway for Congress, accessed November 6, 2024, available at https://www.herbforcongress.com/issues.
[viii] “On the Issues,” Herb Conaway for Congress, accessed November 6, 2024, available at https://www.herbforcongress.com/issues.
[ix] Dr. Herb Conaway X, November 30, 2020, available at https://x.com/herbconaway/status/1333451622987542531.
[x] Dr. Herb Conaway X, June 29, 2020, available at https://x.com/herbconaway/status/1277710005173551104.
[xi] Dr. Herb Conaway X, February 23, 2023, available at https://x.com/herbconaway/status/1628741464888086534.
[xii] “On the Issues,” Herb Conaway for Congress, accessed November 6, 2024, available at https://www.herbforcongress.com/issues.
[xiii] Clyde Hughes, “Herb Conaway tries to make history in congressional run,” Ark Republic, November 4, 2024, available at https://www.arkrepublic.com/2024/11/04/herb-conaway-tries-to-make-history-in-congressional-run/.
[xiv] “On the Issues,” Herb Conaway for Congress, accessed November 6, 2024, available at https://www.herbforcongress.com/issues.
[xv] “On the Issues,” Herb Conaway for Congress, accessed November 6, 2024, available at https://www.herbforcongress.com/issues.
[xvi] Dr. Herb Conaway Facebook, June 1, 2024, available at https://www.facebook.com/DrConaway/posts/today-marks-the-first-day-of-pride-month-to-our-lgbtqia-community-we-celebrate-a/122150925848229866/.
[xvii] Joey Fox, “Garden State Equality endorses Kim over openly gay Bashaw,” New Jersey Globe, September 11, 2024, available at https://newjerseyglobe.com/congress/garden-state-equality-endorses-kim-over-openly-gay-bashaw/.
