By Michelle Sartor
News Editor | June 6 2008

Demarest — After a victory in the Democratic primary, Demarest resident Dennis Shulman is gearing up to face his Republican opponent Scott Garrett (R-NJ) in November.

Shulman defeated two Democrats in the June 3 primary to become the Democratic nominee for New Jersey’s 5th Congressional District, which includes Bergen, Passaic, Sussex and Warren counties. He captured 61 percent of the vote while Camille Abate got 32 percent and Roger Bacon received 7 percent.

"I really feel very honored by the victory and I’m looking forward to getting the message out about who I am and how Scott Garrett is not right for the district. I went into this race to run because I believed that Scott Garrett has voted in a way that was not representative of Congressional District No. 5," Shulman said. "I am the Democratic nominee and am looking forward to defeating him in November."

Garrett’s positions trouble Shulman. He said Garrett has represented Exxon Mobil rather than the people of his district and ignored the housing crisis even after it had hit. Shulman also disagrees with Garrett’s stance on the economy, the environment and the war in Iraq.

Shulman explained, "One of the reasons I got into this race is that Scott Garrett voted against medical benefits for disabled war vets. Most recently he was against the GI Bill for returning veterans. If we’re going to send our young men and women to war, we better assume responsibility for them when they come home. I was outraged. It’s not just a wrong vote, it’s an immoral vote. I believe most of the people in this district would agree with me on that."

Shulman isn’t the average candidate. He is a psychologist, a rabbi and a blind man. He believes his life experiences would benefit the district he’s hoping to represent.

"I’ve always had to be focused on how to solve a problem — a psychological problem, a spiritual problem or how to invent a solution to a problem like taking a test at a college or navigating public transportation when you’re blind," Shulman said. "The major thing I’m bringing is that I’m not going there to be an ideologue. I’m going to be there to be a problem solver."