New Jersey — 4th District

Rachel Peace

Supports guaranteed universal healthcare

Peace advocates for guaranteed healthcare for all Americans, citing her personal experience as a recipient of NJ Family Care. She proposes reforming the U.S. system based on models from other developed nations to eliminate medical bankruptcies and underinsurance while curbing corporate insurance profits.

• Guaranteed healthcare coverage for all Americans
• Build system model using Commonwealth Fund international data
• Personal perspective as an NJ Family Care recipient

“I support guaranteed healthcare for all Americans. Even as the richest nation on Earth, we have more medical bankruptcies than any other country and millions are underinsured.”

Chris Smith

Funds specialized research and disease programs

Smith focuses his healthcare efforts on targeted medical research and public health initiatives, including umbilical cord stem cell research and vector-borne disease legislation. He also voted to terminate CDC COVID-19 vaccination mandates for foreign travelers.

• Sponsored the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Reauthorization Act of 2025 (H.R. 5160)
• Sponsored the Tick Act reauthorization (H.R. 4348) to combat Lyme disease
• Voted to end CDC COVID-19 vaccine requirement for foreign travelers (H.R. 185)

“The House of Representatives has passed the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Reauthorization Act of 2025 (HR 5160), sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith, to reauthorize and expand funding for umbilical cord blood stem cell research.”

Rachel Peace

Supports union job guarantee and living relief

Peace views high costs of living as systemic failures affecting working families living paycheck-to-paycheck. She supports a union job guarantee, rental assistance, affordable higher education, and expanding trade apprenticeships.

• Advocates a job guarantee prioritizing well-paid union jobs
• Supports rental assistance and relief for working families
• Calls for affordable college and expanded trade and apprenticeship programs

“Tackling the cost of living crisis means making tough choices, but not at the expense of working people. From rental assistance and childcare support, to a job guarantee which prioritizes well-paid union jobs, fixing this crisis means investments which help our communities.”

Chris Smith

Supports tax limits and budget reconciliation

Smith adheres to fiscal conservative principles, signing the Taxpayer Protection Pledge to oppose tax increases. He voted for major House Republican budget initiatives including fiscal year 2025 reconciliation legislation (H.R. 1) and the Limit, Save, Grow Act.

• Signed Americans for Tax Reform Taxpayer Protection Pledge
• Voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1) reconciliation package
• Voted for the Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023 to raise debt limit with spending restrictions

“An Act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of H. Con. Res. 14 (H.R.1) was a reconciliation bill passed by the 119th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on 7/4/2025, which provided funding for various federal programs, increased the statutory debt limit, and addressed tax policy.”

Rachel Peace

Supports coastal protection and polluter accountability

Peace prioritizes environmental protection and coastal resilience for the Jersey Shore against extreme weather and flooding. She advocates making major oil and gas companies pay for environmental mitigation out of corporate profits.

• Pass new coastal protection environmental legislation
• Hold oil and gas companies financially liable for pollution and climate impacts
• Invest in extreme weather and flood disaster preparedness

“Let's make polluters pay: big Oil and Gas have created the problem - they should use their record profits to solve it.”

Chris Smith

Opposes offshore wind and supports domestic fossil fuels

Smith opposes New Jersey's state offshore wind projects, characterizing them as a costly bailout that burdens taxpayers and energy ratepayers. He also voted for federal legislation to expand domestic fossil fuel production.

• Opposes state offshore wind initiatives as detrimental to ratepayers
• Voted for the Lower Energy Costs Act (H.R. 1) to boost oil, gas, and coal production

“Rep. Smith was on Fox’s The Story with Martha MacCallum discussing Murphy’s disastrous offshore wind bailout, which will negatively impact NJ rate-payers (i.e. taxpayers).”

Rachel Peace

Supports constitutional amendment overturning Citizens United

Peace pledges to cosponsor a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United v. FEC on her first day in office. She refuses corporate PAC money and advocates for Supreme Court reform and ending dark money influence.

• Cosponsor constitutional amendment to undo Citizens United v. FEC
• Rejects corporate PAC and corporate donations
• Advocates Supreme Court nomination reforms

“On my first day in Congress, I'll cosponsor legislation calling for a constitutional amendment to undo the Supreme Court's disastrous ruling in Citizens United v. FEC.”

Chris Smith

Supports voter proof of citizenship requirements

Smith focuses his democracy and election platform on voting security measures. He voted for federal legislation requiring proof of citizenship to register for federal elections.

• Voted for Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act (H.R. 22)

“The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, or the SAVE Act (H.R. 22), was a bill passed by the House of Representatives on 4/10/2025 that required individuals to provide documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections.”

Rachel Peace

Advocates for support for survivors

Peace identifies advocacy for survivors of crime and abuse as a personal passion that has been critically under-legislated at the federal level.

• Highlights survivor support as a key policy passion

“Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury is a strong advocate for survivors, an issue which is extremely important for me, and one which has been critically underlegislated on.”

Chris Smith

Author of anti-human trafficking laws

Smith builds much of his public safety platform around anti-human trafficking accomplishments, having authored the landmark Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 and four reauthorizations. He also supports local police departments with federal grants.

• Authored Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 and four additional anti-trafficking laws
• Keynote speaker at NJ Coalition Against Human Trafficking Law Enforcement Conference
• Secured federal grant funding for local police vehicles in Manchester Township

“Rep Smith–as author of the landmark Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 and four additional anti-human trafficking laws–renews his concern that the event brings increased vulnerability for human trafficking”

Rachel Peace

Supports universal childcare and paid leave

Peace proposes federally guaranteed 3K and 4K pre-K education to allow parents to return to the workforce safely. She also advocates for mandatory 12 weeks of paid family leave for all new parents.

• Guaranteed 3K and 4K early childhood education for all families
• Mandatory 12 weeks of paid family leave for new parents
• Frames childcare access as a workforce and economic imperative

“I support guaranteed 3k and 4k, so parents can return to work knowing their children are safe.”

Chris Smith

Supports strict immigration enforcement and deportation

Smith consistently votes for stricter immigration enforcement and detention measures. He supported mandatory detention for undocumented immigrants arrested for theft crimes and making impaired driving grounds for deportation.

• Voted for the Laken Riley Act (S. 5) mandating detention for theft arrests
• Voted for Protect Our Communities from DUIs Act (H.R. 875)

“The Laken Riley Act (S.5) was a bill passed by the 119th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on 1/29/2025, which required the Department of Homeland Security to detain certain individuals residing in the United States without legal permission who have been arrested for burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting”

Chris Smith

Promotes human rights and criticizes China trade policy

Smith serves as Chair of key House Foreign Affairs subcommittees, focusing extensively on global human rights. He has been a vocal critic of past foreign policy decisions delinking trade status from human rights, particularly regarding China.

• Chairs Foreign Affairs subcommittees on global human rights and Africa
• Criticized the 1994 delinking of China's Most Favored Nation trade status from human rights

“Thirty years ago, today—May 26, 1994—America lost China.”

Chris Smith

Opposes abortion and advocates pro-life policies

Smith has a long-standing pro-life record, including leadership of New Jersey Right to Life prior to entering Congress. His medical research advocacy emphasizes non-embryonic umbilical cord blood stem cells.

• Former Executive Director for New Jersey Right to Life
• Promotes umbilical cord blood stem cell research over embryonic alternatives

“His previous experience includes working for his family's sporting goods business, working on political campaigns for Democratic officials, and as Executive Director for New Jersey Right to Life.”

Rachel Peace

Supports gun safety legislation

Peace earned a Gun Sense Candidate Distinction from Moms Demand Action and cites the Columbine high school shooting as a formative early memory.

• Earned Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate Distinction
• Cites Columbine shooting as a primary formative historical memory

“Moms Demand Action - Gun Sense Candidate Distinction (NOT an endorsement)”

Chris Smith

Prohibits biological males in female sports

Smith voted for federal legislation prohibiting school athletic programs from permitting biological males to participate in athletic programs designated for women or girls.

• Voted for the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025 (H.R. 28)

“The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025 (H.R. 28) was a bill passed by the House of Representatives on 1/14/2025 that would prohibit school athletic programs from allowing individuals whose sex was male to participate in programs for women or girls.”