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RIDGEWOOD – Guess what, “Maga Mary” isn’t really bothered by the nickname.
“I love my name, Mary,” says Mary Jo Guinchard, noting its religious significance.
“I don’t care about the acronym,” she added. “I want America to be great. We’re not looking so great right now.”
Guinchard was recently endorsed by local Republicans to challenge CD-5 Democrat Josh Gottheimer this fall.
Gottheimer wasted little time getting into campaign mode, dispatching a release calling Guinchard “Maga Mary.” His point was clear – the Republican is a right wing extremist.
One issue that divides the political camps these days is women’s redevelopment rights.
Discussing her candidacy the other day in a local restaurant, Guinchard acknowledged that abortion has been a tough issue for Republicans since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in June of 2022.
She said she is “pro-life,” but believes in exemptions for rape, incest and the health of the mother.
Guinchard already has tangled with Gottheimer over the issue of “choice.” She has opposed the congressman’s criticism of pregnancy resource centers.
Gottheimer says they “brainwash” women and deny women information about abortion services. He made that point at a recent press conference outside the Lighthouse Pregnancy Resource Center in Hackensack.
The GOP candidate has another take. She said she attended a gala celebrating the work of the Lighthouse center that featured testimonials from women who said they were helped when they needed it.
Guinchard said the center is “amazing,” adding that “having a baby is a choice too.” She said no one at the center is being brainwashed.
Seeking a congressional seat is a big step up, but Guinchard is not a novice.
She served as mayor of Tuxedo Park in Orange County, N.Y. She said this is a small village with sometimes big problems – like when a drunk driver crashed into and destroyed the gates leading into town.
Last year, Guinchard ran unsuccessfully for Bergen County commissioner. Running for county commissioner – and before that, freeholder – can be a thankless and arduous task.
County government tends to be obscure, so a good part of your campaign is spent telling voters what commissioners do. And in the case of Bergen, there is much travel involved.
Guinchard said she made it to all 70 Bergen County towns, 47 of which are in CD-5. She hopes that the knowledge she has of those towns will help her this year. Guinchard said she also has good contacts with countywide elected Republicans, which are limited to state legislators in districts 39 and 40.
Frank Pallotta of Mahwah challenged Gottheimer the last two cycles. Guinchard said she only got in the race this year when Pallotta told her he wasn’t interested in running again.
But she does have a challenger in the Republican primary. That would be George Song of Paramus. Guinchard, though, has the party support.
The district also includes parts of Sussex and Passaic counties, which are much more favorable to Republicans.
But the real task for Guinchard is to do well in Bergen, where Gottheimer won in 2022 by about 38,000 votes.
An actress and performer who has worked with Carol Channing and Leslie Uggams, Guinchard, 65, like many, decries the political polarization of the day. She says it’s vital for people on both sides to talk to each other and to look for real solutions and not just try to achieve political soundbites.
She says she knows Gottheimer will have a big fundraising advantage, but expresses hope that voters are tired of big money in politics. She supports term limits as a way to reduce the influence of money and to bring new people into office.
If women’s redevelopment rights are the issue for Dems, Republicans have their key issue too.
It’s the border.
Guinchard, who grew up in Dallas, said she recently visited the border and found conditions worse than some have described.
She said she is sure “trafficking” is ongoing, noting that there are missing women and children.
Perhaps more troubling, Guinchard said, “We’ve got military age men coming in. We don’t know where they are.”
She added, “Every state’s a border state.”
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