Rebecca Feldman: From Playground Project to Assembly Race

On Thursday, Morristown Councilman Rebecca Feldman officially kicked off her campaign for the 25th Legislative District in New Jersey’s General Assembly at Angela and Jeff Reiner’s Morristown home.

Feldman lists several issues she plans to tackle, including high property taxes, a need for more high-paying jobs and struggling school systems. Read more about her stances on these topics in this Patch article. 

At the kick-off, Feldman noted recent experiences that made her reflect on her political journey.

“I had the opportunity twice this year to talk to young women, once to a girl scout troop and once, through the League of Women Voters, to high school girls from Patterson and Mountain Lakes high schools in a program called ‘Running and Winning,’” she said. “I think for the young women I spoke to … show them that if you’re passionate about just one thing and they speak up about it, they can really make a difference and you don’t know where it will lead.”

Here’s a look at Feldman’s political background:

• After working on a playground project for a neighborhood association group, Republican Mayor Delaney appointed Feldman to the planning board. “We started to identify areas in need of redevelopment around Morristown.”
• Her political work began in 2005 when she managed an independent, grassroots mayoral campaign. The campaign raised an unprecedented amount of local money. Although the candidate did not win, the campaign won 40 percent of the vote in a three-way race.
• Feldman was first elected in 2007 over a 4-term incumbent of the majority party and in the 2011 election, she beat candidates from both parties with more than 80 percent of the vote. 

“There is more common ground among voters than we see in the headlines. I’ve had enough of pundits who pigeonhole people,” said Feldman. “Nearly half the voters in our District choose not to affiliate with a political party, and those who do still look past labels to choose the person who will solve problems the best.”

Some issues that she tacked as a councilwoman included

• Eliminating “costly health benefits for part-time elected officials … it was the right thing to do for the taxpayers.”
• Citizen Service Act—“It means that whenever we have an opening on a board or commission, we keep all the resumes of people who are interested, they’re automatically notified and then they’re considered. That process is very open and transparent.”
• Check out the attached Patch video to hear more from Feldman.

In Morristown, she has served on the Town Council for six years, led the Washington’s Headquarters Neighborhood Association, served on the Planning Board and Environmental Commission and was Executive Director of Economic Development for the Morris County Chamber of Commerce.

In 2013, she co-founded the Morris Area Committee to Reduce Gun Violence, which has merged into Moms Demand Action NJ.