I’m proud of every single student in New Jersey

Bob Menendez and Ryan Alexander · May 17, 2018

New Jersey’s leaders should be a part of your community — people you can count on to be there cheering for you and the people of our state.

That’s why I was so frustrated to see that my Republican opponent, Bob Hugin, took a moment on the day that Rutgers celebrated the new round of graduates not to share his well wishes, but to crack wise about students who make the decision to move back in with their parents for one reason or another.

Today, I’m joining the College Democrats of New Jersey in calling on Hugin to apologize to recent graduates across our state — add your name today to our petition.

The day I graduated from college was one of the proudest of my early life. I was the first in my family to even have the chance to earn an advanced degree, and I’m grateful for the help I received from my community, from my parents, and from our state.

I’m proud of every single student in New Jersey who chooses to continue their education, and I’m proud of the work we’ve done to support our students. Our state is ranked fifth in the nation in residents with a bachelor’s degree and seventh in residents with an advanced degree.

I don’t know about you, but to me, that’s something to be celebrated — not mocked. And I’m frankly tired of people who think they deserve to lead New Jersey when they go out of their way to put this incredible state and it’s hard-working people down.

We have one of the most highly educated and skilled workforces in the world, and in the global innovation economy, that’s a good thing. We have a location that’s second to none. We’re in the top ten for median household income and the bottom ten for poverty rate.

New Jersey has challenges, no doubt, but our people and our state do a lot of things right — and our commitment to higher education as the economic driver that puts families securely in the middle class is definitely one of them.

My opponent should apologize to the students of Rutgers and their families, and commit to being a cheerleader for New Jersey and its people. Please join us in calling on Hugin to offer an official apology this week — add your name.

Thank you (and congrats, Grads!).