New Jersey Congressional District 11 is represented by Rodney Frelinghuysen, a congressman who is perhaps best known for having ethics charges filed against him for complaining to a constituent's employer about her activism with the group NJ11th for Change and driving her out of her job.
He is also known for insisting that everyone he speaks to in his district loathes the ACA and wants to see it repealed. More than a few of us have suspected this is because Rep. Frelinghuysen actively avoids meeting with those in the district who disagree with him. He has not held a town hall since 2013.
So NJ11th for Change raised money and hired a well-regarded independent polling firm to see if these suspicions were correct. It is one of the first times a local grassroots group has conducted statistically valid Congressional District opinion research.
The results will surprise no one (except, perhaps, Congressman Frelinghuysen). 7 out of 10 voters in New Jersey’s 11th district do not want the ACA repealed. 7 out of 10 districts voters support federal funding for Planned Parenthood, which Congressman Frelinghuysen voted to defund. Slightly less that 7 out of 10 district voters oppose future cuts to Medicaid. In short, when it comes to healthcare, Congressman Frelinghuysen has been consistently voting against the wishes of those he represents.
To quote Dan Cassino, Director of Experimental Research for the PublicMind Poll, this is a “Huge deal. This has been a solid R district (mine) for 20 years. If this district hates the repeal so much, what's happening elsewhere?”
For more information about the poll, click here.