Township Resident Robert Quinn Announces Bid For GOP Nod In 17th District Assembly Race

Township resident Robert Quinn has announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for state Assembly from the 17th District. Photo: Robert Quinn.

Township resident Robert Quinn has announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for one of the two state Assembly seats in the 17th District.

This would be Quinn’s first attempt at running for public office.

The seats are currently in Democratic control, being filled by Joe Danielsen – also a township resident – and Joseph Egan of New Brunswick.

In addition to Franklin, towns in the 17th District include Milltown, New Brunswick, North Brunswick and Piscataway.

Quinn, 40, is an operations director for a data center and disaster recovery firm in northern New Jersey.

In seeking elected office, Quinn is picking up where his great-great grandfather, Arthur A. Quinn, left off. The elder Quinn, a Democrat, was a state Assemblyman from 1913-1915 and a state Senator from 1929-1933.

Quinn said that he chose to begin his political career in the state Legislature because that is where he can “best serve teh people of New Jersey” in the areas of his focus.

“We have profound problems discouraging businesses and our citizens from remaining in our state,” he said in an email. “At the same time, we do not have representation with the courage to address larger issues. During my time in the Common Core/PARCC study commission sessions, it became quite clear that while change could be affected locally, without proper representation in Trenton we will not see substantial progress.”

Quinn is an opponent of Common Core – a set of standards for students in grades Kindergarten to 12 in the areas of English language arts and math – and also of the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers – or PARCC – tests.

Quinn is the state chapter president for Parents Involved in Education, a nationwide parent organization aimed at removing Common Core and PARCC.

Quinn maintains that “Common Core and PARCC testing are contrary to fostering the love of learning, which should be the goal for every child in the state,” according to a press release about his candidacy.

“We’ve heard some of our school districts are failing, but in fact it is the state of New Jersey failing them for decades,” Quinn said in an email. “We should be encouraging the love of learning for every child.”

Quinn said he would “also like to review solutions to our traffic issues, which could potentially include federal funds for remediation of long-standing problems.”

“I would recommend a full review of our business vacancy rates, with the goal of reducing this figure to reap the benefits of increased job growth, tax revenue, and prosperity for our towns,” he said. “Our present stagnant economy can be improved with the proper representation in Trenton.”

Quinn is married and has two children.

He is planning a series of events in each of the district’s towns, according to his press release. He is also planning a “kickoff gala” some time in March.

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