Op-Eds
By SQUIRE SERVANCE
May 29, 2026
Langston Hughes once wrote, “I, too, sing America.” He was writing about people too often overlooked, underestimated, or pushed to the margins, yet still carrying this country forward every single day. Over the last several months, I’ve seen exactly who sings America. Our campaign has knocked on ...
As America approaches the 250th anniversary of our founding, we find ourselves at a crossroads. One path is being defined by a Republican Party that, whatever one thinks of Project 2025, has spent years building a long-term governing vision for the country’s future. The other path is being offered ...
Yesterday, more than 100 people from across Trenton joined me for a fish fry meet-and-greet at Trent-Towne Market. We danced to “Where Them Fans At” and the electric slide while DJ PutOn kept the energy high. Tyrell Smith, a local social entrepreneur doing incredible work with Trent Towne Market, ...
On the eve of his death, Rev. Dr Martin Luther King Jr. stood in Memphis as a witness. The speech we remember as “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” was a warning. Dr. King spoke of wages withheld, of labor exploited, of systems that consumed Black bodies and called it order. He spoke of a people who ...
This Mother’s Day, I have been thinking about the women who shaped my life and the future we are building for the next generation of girls growing up in this country. I have been thinking about my mother, who served as a Marine before becoming a federal administrative law judge. I have been ...
Not long ago, I was doing what I have done throughout this campaign: knocking on doors, talking with voters, and listening to what people are going through. Families across New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District are feeling squeezed. The cost of living is rising, access to healthcare remains ...
Not long ago, I was invited to deliver a policy briefing to congressional staff focused on life sciences.It was not a press event. There were no cameras, no talking points, no applause lines. Just a room of policy advisors and counsel tasked with shaping legislation that would affect millions of ...
Over the past few months on the campaign trail, I’ve heard a version of the same story again and again.A parent working full time, doing everything right, budgeting carefully, trying to get ahead. And yet, every month still feels like a scramble.Rent goes up. Grocery bills stay high. An unexpected ...
In Hunterdon County north of New Jersey’s capital — where more than 130,000 people live, work, and send their kids to school — not a single full-time journalist is covering the news. New Jersey as a whole has just 5.1 local journalists per 100,000 residents, ranking 49th out of 50 states, according ...
Every morning in New Jersey, thousands of people don’t just commute to work. They gamble.They gamble on whether the train will show up. Whether it will run on time. Whether a downed wire, signal failure, an aging bridge, or a problem in a tunnel they don’t control will derail their entire day.For ...
For decades, New Jersey has been known as the “Medicine Chest of the World.” It is a title earned through generations of scientific breakthroughs, pharmaceutical innovation, and lifesaving discoveries.But what many people outside our state do not realize is this: the epicenter of that innovation ...
America cannot drift into another war.War is the most serious decision a nation can make. It sends young Americans into danger, reshapes global stability, and commits our nation’s resources for years, sometimes decades. Decisions of that magnitude should never happen quietly or by default.They ...
This year, America turns 250 years old.Two hundred and fifty years ago, ordinary people declared that all of us are created equal, that our rights do not come from a king, a corporation, or a billionaire, but from the enduring promise of liberty and self-government.But those words were not ...
Jesse Jackson: A Life That Refused to Sit DownBy Squire ServanceBlack History Month invites us not only to remember, but to measure ourselves against the courage of those who came before us. This year, as we honor the life and legacy of Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., we are reminded that Black history is ...
The Hidden Taxes Crushing Working FamiliesBy Squire ServanceWhen we talk about affordability, we usually focus on inflation or federal tax rates. But the biggest burdens on families in New Jersey’s 12th District are not always labeled as taxes. They are the hidden costs of everyday life, and they ...
PENNINGTON, NJ - Americans have been promised “great” healthcare for years, yet too often we encounter a system that is expensive, confusing, and unreliable when we need it most.If we are serious about building a healthcare system that actually works, we should start by defining what “great” really ...
My whole life, I’ve fought for this country, for New Jersey, and for our veterans. After serving in Vietnam, I joined VFW Post 2314 in Carteret, N.J., where I still continue to advocate for veterans, and rose through the ranks to become the past National Commander of the VFW. I have worked with ...
I've voted for Mikie Sherrill for Governor, and I urge all New Jersey voters to do the same. She's a smart, dedicated public servant with a strong track record of support for fundamental rights, who will always prioritize the interests of New Jersey's residents. I believe she has the talent, the ...
As a Montclair resident and the proud owner of a small business, I’ve seen Mikie Sherrill in action since she first took office. Mikie has shown up time and again, and I know she’ll continue to do so as governor. Mikie knows that small businesses are the backbone of our economy. When I opened my ...
As I read the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade, my faith in our justice system was shattered. Never in my wildest dreams did I think the highest court in our country would strip away a fundamental right relied upon by generations of women. I know I am not the only one ...