Melissa Brown Blaeuer
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Melissa Brown Blaeuer (Democratic Party) ran for election to the New Jersey General Assembly to represent District 26. She lost in the general election on November 2, 2021.
Brown Blaeuer completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Melissa Brown Blaeuer was born in Newark, New Jersey. Her professional experience includes working in design, communications, and technology. She founded Sherpa the World, LLC. Brown Blaeuer has also been affiliated with the West Milford Democratic Committee, the West Milford Democratic Club, the West Milford Economic Development Commission, Ananda Ashram and the East West School of Music, the Interaction Designers Association, the User Experience Professionals Association, New York Says Thank You, Catholic Charities, and the Saint Bernard Project.[1]
Elections
2021
See also: New Jersey General Assembly elections, 2021
General election
General election for New Jersey General Assembly District 26 (2 seats)
Incumbent Jay Webber and Christian Barranco defeated Pamela Fadden and Melissa Brown Blaeuer in the general election for New Jersey General Assembly District 26 on November 2, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Jay Webber (R) | 30.0 | 46,239 |
| ✔ |  | Christian Barranco (R) | 29.3 | 45,224 |
 | Pamela Fadden (D) | 20.4 | 31,434 | |
 | Melissa Brown Blaeuer (D)  | 20.3 | 31,355 | |
| Total votes: 154,252 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for New Jersey General Assembly District 26 (2 seats)
Melissa Brown Blaeuer and Pamela Fadden advanced from the Democratic primary for New Jersey General Assembly District 26 on June 8, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Melissa Brown Blaeuer | 50.2 | 6,960 |
| ✔ | | Pamela Fadden | 49.8 | 6,904 |
| Total votes: 13,864 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Wayne Marek (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for New Jersey General Assembly District 26 (2 seats)
Incumbent Jay Webber and Christian Barranco defeated incumbent BettyLou DeCroce and Thomas Mastrangelo in the Republican primary for New Jersey General Assembly District 26 on June 8, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jay Webber | 34.5 | 10,460 |
| ✔ | | Christian Barranco | 23.8 | 7,220 |
 | BettyLou DeCroce | 22.0 | 6,669 | |
| Thomas Mastrangelo | 19.7 | 5,982 | |
| Total votes: 30,331 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign themes
2021
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Melissa Brown Blaeuer completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Brown Blaeuer's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I am an accomplished business, technology and design professional with 35+ years of experience in enterprise and small business brand, communications and marketing programs, and digital product design and development. I am also a passionate volunteer, leader, mentor and author, and mother of a recent graduate of Parsons School of Design.
I currently serve as Democratic Party municipal co-chair in West Milford, as well as Vice Chair on the Economic Development Commission, where I am leading an effort to deliver a digital platform for ecotourism, research and development and a local business directory.
I formerly served on the Municipal Utilities Authority, Beautification and Recycling Committee, Community Services and Recreation Advisory Committee, and Resource Development Committee. I was a social media supervisor for Super Bowl XLVIII and helped rebuild after Superstorm Sandy and Hurricane Katrina.
I am passionate about creativity, vision and innovation in green energy and infrastructure, women’s equality, education, healthcare, childcare, and the politics and economics of American history, democracy, voting rights, civil rights, civil society, technology disruption, and public safety.
My full bio can be found on LinkedIn.
Full campaign details can be found at MelAndPam4LD26.com
- I am a passionate, compassionate, courageous and visionary leader with 35+ years of experience in global enterprise, medium and small business.
The economy, education and infrastructure are the central pillars of my platform. The economy can be transformed through political stability and long-term planning and investment in our towns, building local business know-how for the 21st century, leveraging shared services and efficiencies, and implementing sustainable processes, green energy infrastructure, educational opportunity and job training so people can achieve their full potential.
Education is knowledge is power, and investment in our people is our #1 priority. Educated and innovative people are our greatest resource, vital to our infrastructure and economy, the true engine of growth and creativity, vision, and personal and societal peace and prosperity.
- Our infrastructure requires vision and investment in 21st century businesses, highways, transportation, and energy. Equally, it requires investment in streamlined, efficient and stable access to childcare, healthcare, quality of life, and clean air, water, and food.
The economy, education and infrastructure! See above. :)
I look up to a lot of accomplished artists, activists, political leaders and figures in world history. I am creative, practical, curious, and determined so I am drawn to people like Mahatma Ghandi, Jesus, John Lennon, the Dalai Lama, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Ulysses S. Grant, Abe Lincoln, and Dave Grohl.
Such people, and many more, embrace their humanity and their inner light, and make the world truly magical and intrinsically sublime. They live from their higher purpose, talent and passion, and ignite the world with their love, intelligence, compassion and courage.
"It's a Wonderful Life" starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed embodies so very many elements of my faith in American hope, dreams, shared traditions, experiences, comfort, and spiritual redemption.
It takes place at Christmas, with the angel Clarence sent by God to help George Bailey get off the bridge he's about to jump off to restore his faith in himself after being beaten down by a cold, cruel, indifferent and cynical world. Clarence encourages him to reflect on the positive difference he made throughout his life, the joy and beauty he shared on Earth, leading him to leave the bridge and reaffirm his goodness and ability to build up others and restore faith in the future and one another.
He becomes once again a smiling, joyous, magnanimous force of good, prosperity and light in his community and family. It is a modern day, 20th century telling of A Christmas Carol at a time when the world was reeling from the Great Depression and World War II's onslaught against fascism.
It is also a film from my parents' generation, life and times, with many of the themes, issues and context they lived through. They met in 1943 during World War II in Salt Lake City, Utah playing ping pong at the USO. She was a young Rosie the Riveter. He was a young GI from Harrison, NJ training to support the D-Day invasion as a medic. Both from very modest beginnings surviving the Great Depression, their shared prosperity and seven children thrived thanks to the GI bill. He attained a master's degree from Newark College of Engineering. Theirs was an American dream come true, and they were deeply joyful and sincere role models.
My company, Sherpa the World, is a startup that seeks to foster world peace and to balance the forces of inner and outer awareness and nature. The legacy I seek is to inspire others to be aware of the wake of good or harm they create with their eyes, ears, hands, heart and mind... and the arc of their time and resources.
The world needs more real people of philanthropy not misanthropy, rising from hardship with wisdom and authenticity, life experiences and stories, who are empowered to uplift their communities and realize an end to the cold, cruel world of war, prejudice, and harm, one gesture, contribution, word of praise and act of benevolence at a time.
I remember the televised funeral of Robert Kennedy on the black and white TV in the sun room of my parents' home in Nutley, NJ where I lived until the age of 10 in 1973.
My first job was at Sodl's Waffle House on the boardwalk in Seaside Heights, NJ in the summer of 1980, just before my senior year of high school. I worked there for about 6 weeks in July and August.
Music is the language of the soul. There is always a song in my head. I sing and play guitar, and I am learning several songs by John Lennon, that are beautifully chorded and expressive of his soulful heart. On the music stand right now is "Mind Games." Heh heh...
The Governor as executive in chief sets the agenda for leadership and policy, serving the people and the institutions of governance with vision, integrity and experience. The legislature supports the executive branch by providing expertise, perspective, and muscle to the task of developing strong and innovative laws and governance for efficient, fair, and responsive public services, economic prosperity, infrastructure and policies.
New Jersey is committed to 50% renewable energy and infrastructure by 2030 and 100% by 2050 to be on the leading edge of 21st century technology and lifestyles while reducing pollution, greenhouse gases, and cleaning up the environment. Our quality of life is paramount, and securing investment in this vision will stabilize our future, our well-being, peace and our politics.
A unilateral legislature is a single-body system that does not differentiate between levels of experience, influence, perspective or power of the representatives. It is inherently weaker and less stable than a two-part system with these features. In countries with a single body legislature, the executive branch can have outsized power and dissolve the legislature on fiat, subversion or ruse.
The senior body of a two-body system typically has longer terms, fewer members with greater stature, and more deliberative responsibilities. The senior body provides stability, perspective, and ground for senior leaders to emerge and influence the course of politics, economics and history.
Prior experience in public volunteerism or service offers more predictability of future behavior in a position of power and influence. Collaborative, compassionate and inclusive leadership should be sought after and weighted more favorably in this day and age.
Legislators must collaborate to provide genuine public service and legal grounding for free, fair and open democratic government. There is no good place for selfishness, personalized agendas, negligence, misanthropy or narcissism in the administration of public funds, resources, and policies that make or break the world.
An impartial third-party body from academics, business, and public life who can set the bounds for districts without partisan scheming.
Districts would ideally be contiguous and generally balanced to provide a reasonable expectation of fair and winnable contests among unaffiliated and party registered voters.
I would serve well on ethics, education, economics, energy and environmental committees.
I admire Loretta Weinberg for her hutzpah, light, and courage to stand up to bullies and hold them accountable to the people they are supposed to serve.
I am always inspired by people who must pull themselves up by their bootstraps and make the most of their cards dealt with honor, sincerity and courage. Their character is solid, their empathy expansive.
People who have everything handed to them tend to be insatiable, unstable, entitled, and egotistical. They tend to lack empathy, and are capable of doing harm to others and the world at large. In positions of power, they can lead to expansive corrosion of moral fiber and the social fabric.
Leadership is about vision and inclusion, not me-ism and materiality.
Emergency powers are inherently temporary and urgent. The chief executive must have the authority to act in the best interests of the state while retaining checks and balances with the other branches of the government to avoid dictatorship and abuse of power. The formula of dictatorship is as old as empire, and must be contained. It runs counter to the spirit and imperatives of democracy that must be guarded with great vigilance and diligence.
Compromise is the secret sauce of collaboration, practicality, inclusion, and democracy itself. Compromise means taking in the feedback, insight, needs and cosponsorship of others. Any policy, law, or other fruit of such collaboration is guaranteed to be more sturdy, sustainable, satisfying and suitable to the needs and expectations of a broad coalition of groups.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2021 Elections
External links
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Candidate New Jersey General Assembly District 26 |
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Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on June 8, 2021
