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Amy Kennedy, the wife of former Rhode Island Congressman Patrick Kennedy, announced Monday that she is running as a Democrat for the New Jersey seat held by Rep. Jeff Van Drew, who split from the Democratic Party over President Trump’s impeachment.

“Too many of our leaders have lost their moral compass,” Kennedy said in 61-second video. “Trump and Van Drew are symptoms of a bigger sickness infecting our country and our politics.”

Amy with her husband, former Rhode Island Rep. Patrick KennedyWireImageAmy with her husband, former Rhode Island Rep. Patrick KennedyWireImage

“Doing what’s right shouldn’t be complicated,” she continued. “Treat one another with respect. Show some compassion. Look out for others. That’s not what’s happening today.”

The mother of five says New Jersey is suffering from a lack of good jobs while corporations pay little or no taxes and the state’s coastline is being ravaged by the effects of climate change while environmental regulations are rolled back.

A former public school teacher, Kennedy said the “biggest public health emergency of our time,” the mental health and addiction crisis, is being ignored.

Van Drew, who was elected in 2018 in a district that went for Trump by 5 percentage points in 2016, was one of two Democrats who voted in the House against impeaching the president on Dec. 18.

The next day, he met with Trump in the Oval Office and announced that he would give his “undying support” to the president.

“I believe that this is just a better fit for me,” Van Drew said. “This is who I am.”

Montclair State University political science professor Brigid Harrison, Atlantic County Freeholder Ashley Bennett and West Cape May Commissioner John Francis III are also running as Democrats.

Rep. Van Drew with President Trump in December 2019Getty ImagesRep. Van Drew with President Trump in December 2019Getty Images
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