Libertarian Throws In Towel In NJ-11, Endorses DeGroot Over Sherrill

NEW JERSEY — That’s the ballgame for Joseph Biasco in 2022.

Biasco, the Libertarian Party candidate in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional district race, has endorsed Republican Party candidate Paul DeGroot 48 hours before Election Day, DeGroot’s campaign announced Sunday.

DeGroot will now face one opponent: incumbent Rep. Mikie Sherrill of the Democratic Party.

“The stakes are too high this election year and we must put an end to the Radical Left and their agenda,” Biasco said, explaining his decision to throw in the towel.

“Every single possible vote is needed, that is why at this time, I am endorsing Paul DeGroot for Congress,” Biasco continued. “After meeting Paul and his family, I found him to be a man of conviction and honesty. I urge all of you to support him this Tuesday.”

After he was excluded from the first of three Congressional debates in NJ-11, Biasco told Patch that “the stifling of different or non-conventional views is a tried-and-true tactic of the una-party,” and referenced the 2020 election, the war in Ukraine, COVID-19 vaccines, the “perils of globalism” and the “Woke cancel mob.” Read More: Watch DeGroot Debate Sherrill: 2022 Election Heats Up In NJ-11

DeGroot said he was honored to have the endorsement of his “friendly former opponent.”

“We agree on many things,” the former prosecutor said.

“We know that our nation and our district are on the wrong track,” DeGroot continued, accusing Sherrill of being “complicit in high crime, high grocery prices and high gas prices.”

“I thank him for supporting me on this quest to make CD11 a safe and affordable place to live, work and raise a family,” DeGroot said.

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SHERRILL: ‘THE VOTERS KNOW WHERE I STAND’

Sherrill ran uncontested for the Democratic Party nod in the primary election. The congresswoman was first elected in 2018, when she defeated Jay Webber to replace retiring Republican power player Rodney Frelinghuysen.

The congresswoman, recently held get out the vote events in Woodland Park, Randolph and Maplewood, getting an endorsement of support from Gov. Phil Murphy along the way (watch the video below).

Sherrill emphasized her “record of bipartisanship in Congress and coalition building in NJ-11” in a statement after their first debate.

“During my tenure in Congress, I have worked hard to deliver federal funding for the Gateway Tunnel Project, lower prescription drug prices for seniors, invest in research and development to fuel our local economy, mitigate flooding, take care of our veterans and much more,” Sherrill said.

“The voters know where I stand and who I fight for: them,” Sherrill continued. “My opponent supports the Republican agenda in Washington that would harm New Jerseyans, strip away our reproductive rights, and it is clear he will say anything to get elected.”

Neither DeGroot nor Sherrill has pulled punches this election cycle, with both campaign accusing the other of being “extremist,” and often lining up behind controversial issues such as abortion and inflation.

• See related article: Sherrill, DeGroot Use Abortion Debate To Rally Voters In NJ-11: Videos
• See related article: Watch The Sherrill, DeGroot, Biasco Debates (2022 Election In NJ-11)

Learn more about Sherrill’s campaign here. Learn more about DeGroot’s campaign here. Learn more about Biasco’s campaign here.

The recently redrawn 11th District includes the following municipalities:

• Essex – Belleville, Bloomfield, Cedar Grove, Fairfield, Glen Ridge, Livingston, Maplewood, Millburn, Montclair (part), North Caldwell, Nutley, Roseland, South Orange, West Caldwell
• Morris – Boonton, Boonton Township, Butler, Chatham, Chatham Township, Denville, Dover, East Hanover, Florham Park, Hanover, Harding, Jefferson, Kinnelon, Lincoln Park, Madison, Mendham Twp (part), Montville, Morris Plains, Morris Township, Morristown Town, Mountain Lakes, Parsippany-Troy Hills, Pequannock, Randolph, Riverdale, Rockaway, Rockaway Township, Victory Gardens
• Passaic – Little Falls, Totowa, Wayne (part), Woodland Park

According to a statewide summary released on Sept. 1, there were 598,927 registered voters in the 11th district, including 220,435 Democrats, 159,038 Republicans, 1,741 Libertarians and 214,258 voters not affiliated with any party.

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