Hello,

First and foremost, thank you for your support of our campaign. It truly has meant the world to us and we are honored to be on this journey with you and the rest of our incredible supporters throughout the 8th District and beyond.

One of the (many) challenges of running a campaign is ensuring each component of it feels authentic and an accurate reflection of our values. And honestly, it’s not always easy. 

In particular, online fundraising is a huge component of any campaign and there is a system to it that is tried and true but always felt cookie-cutter to me. I thought that by eliminating any use of “chip in” or “pitch in”, it would feel more like me but I could never get comfortable sending out emails designed to get people to contribute money. We did however build up an incredible list of supporters who have been with us from Day One. So instead of getting emails with clever ways to get you to donate some of your hard-earned dollars, we wanted to do something that better reflects our campaign and what we are doing each and every day - connecting with voters in the 8th Congressional District. 

As we get closer to November, we are going to keep you updated on everything we are doing, whether it’s our regular stops in the community, volunteer opportunities, or other ways to get involved with our campaign. And we’ll share music recommendations, my start-up ideas no one has invested in (to-date) and other items to keep this content fresh and you, our most important supporter, engaged. We hope you enjoy our first edition below and every edition thereafter. 

Best always,

Rob

We’ll explore our stops across the 8th District and how we are engaging residents every single day.

From the Jersey City Pride Festival to the Portuguese Day Parade in Elizabeth to the St. Anns’ Italian Festival in Hoboken, we’ve been all over the district talking to our neighbors about our campaign and our mission to strengthen families.

But first, a family update. 

As many of you know, we are expecting the arrival of our second child any day now. Being a father has shaped how I view and approach every issue on the campaign. In fact, being a father and thinking about the future of our country is what motivated me to run for this office. 

Every day I think about the growing number of challenges we face as a country. The existential threat of climate change, the gun violence that continues to plague our communities, and the very real threat to our democracy are among the many issues that keep me up every night, as I know they do for you too. If I’m being truthful, it at times all feels overwhelming.  But everyday I wake up and spend time with my 2 year old daughter, and my refusal to believe that this is the country our children and grandchildren will inherit is renewed. We can be so much better - and we will be - but we have to commit ourselves to the work. That’s what this campaign is all about. 

I imagine that the arrival of our second child will continue to change the lens through which I view and think about these issues, and will only strengthen my resolve to make a meaningful difference for the community we all call home. I am so thankful to my wife, Alex, for being such a wonderful, strong partner who excels in everything she does. And being pregnant through one of the hottest summers in recent memory just makes it all that much more incredible. 

Supporting and strengthening families is the foundation of our campaign and what we want to achieve in Congress so it’s a privilege to get to share what’s happening here with our family, and we hope you’ll keep us updated on what’s happening with you and yours. 

OK - back to the campaign!

I grew up in Union City and live in Jersey City with my family. The 8th Congressional District has always been my home and has shaped me into the person I am today. 

It’s also the place where my paternal grandparents planted their American roots when they immigrated here from Cuba. And it’s been the launching pad for countless families who were similarly looking to begin their American story. It’s why I call the 8th District the District of Opportunity. 

And so summer in the 8th means a variety of great events that celebrate the many different cultures that make the district so rich and vibrant. 

In the past few weeks we’ve stopped by La Festa Italiana in Jersey City, the Puerto Rican flag raising ceremonies in Elizabeth and Hoboken, and the Coptic Festival in Bayonne, among many other incredible cultural events.

Running to represent one of the most diverse districts in the country is a privilege and something that our campaign has whole-heartedly embraced.

While we are working hard to ensure that today’s problems are not our future generations’ to deal with, we also have to ensure that today’s youth are tomorrow’s leaders.

We recently spoke to the New Jersey Leadership Program (NJLP) about our campaign and how to get involved in politics. NJLP trains and mentors South Asian youth for the purpose of entering public service.

We also recently had the pleasure of speaking to graduates of the Ali Leadership Institute, started by the youngest Muslim elected official in New Jersey and former JCBOE President Mussab Ali. 

While summer may soon be over, municipalities throughout our district are making the most of whats left with community dinner, back to school events, and graduations all over!

In the last couple of weeks, Rob helped the little ones graduate (!!!)  at the Sowing Seeds School in Weehawken, stopped by the great tradition that is the Hoboken Spaghetti Dinner, and took part in the Sneaker Room’s school supplies giveaway in the Heights.

We’re enjoying the last few days of summer, and hope you are too.

Listen, we love Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. And if you thought you were going to open a newsletter from someone running for office in New Jersey and not read that line then there is a wonderful bridge I would love to sell you. I am listening to Bruce right now (literally) and love the depth of his work and the fact that he continues to make incredibly relevant music. HE IS A LEGEND. However, we promised to be authentic plus a former NJ Governor took all of the air out of being a big Bruce fan and given his popularity here in NJ and in early primary and caucus states we’ll let him have that! And there are lots of GREAT bands and artists from New Jersey. My personal favorite in the “underrated artists from NJ you may not have heard of” category is River City Extension. Unfortunately, they are no longer together and my admiration for their work requires a much deeper dive which we will get to in a future newsletter. But for today, roll down the windows on your drive to Liberty State Park or the Jersey Shore and play Caamp’s Peach Fuzz - it is a great summer song. 

And on that note (pun!), it’s a wrap for our first newsletter! Hope you’ll be back for the next one! Until then, please follow us on:

Twitter: www.twitter.com/RobMenendez4NJ

Instagram: www.instagram.com/robmenendez4nj/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/RobMenendez4NJ