NJ Midterms: Smith, Jenkins at odds over abortion, gun control in 4th District

Rep. Chris Smith has held his seat in Congress since 1980 and the GOP representative is a clear favorite to win his 22nd term. He's being challenged by Colts Neck resident Matt Jenkins, a Democrat who worked in biomedical research for years before building a custom furniture shop into a general contracting business.

Smith, 69, defeated Democrat Stephanie Schmid in the 2020 election, garnering 59.9% of the vote to Schmid's 38.3%. Smith was criticized by former President Donald Trump for supporting President Joe Biden's infrastructure plan; Trump called for a GOP challenger to run against Smith in the primary.

Challenged from the right by Mike Crispi, Smith won the primary by a large margin, receiving about 58% of the vote to 37% for Crispi.

During his latest term, Smith served as a senior member on the Foreign Affairs Committee, and is ranking member of its Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations Subcommittee. He served as the co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, and ranking member of the bipartisan House/Senate/White House Congressional-Executive Commission on China, serving as chairman twice, and also serves as “special representative” on human trafficking for the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.

Staunchly anti-abortion, Smith serves as co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, which applauded the Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe v. Wade earlier this year. Smith and a consortium of other House members introduced a bill in September which would ban most U.S. abortions after 15 weeks; the bill was companion legislation to a similar measure introduced in the Senate by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

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“Thanks to incredible progress made in science, we now know that by at least 15 weeks unborn babies killed by abortion experience excruciating suffering and physical pain,” said Smith in a news release upon introduction of the abortion ban. “Our legislation responds to the scientific advances already recognized in fetal medicine by increasing human rights protection for these children.”

Jenkins, 51, has called Smith's support for an abortion ban "a direct attack on women." He supports codifying Roe v. Wade into law, to maintain abortion rights for women. A statement on Jenkins' website declares, "Health care is a decision between a patient and their doctor.  The government has no business in the exam room."

Jenkins also supports affordable access to birth control as part of any health care plan.

Smith voted against the Inflation Reduction Act, and said in a prepared statement that, "At a time when Americans are suffering the effects of a decades-high, crushing inflation—and as economic data show that the U.S. has entered a recession — the timing and substance of the Democrats’ bill is an unmitigated economic disaster."

He criticized Democrats for not supporting a SALT-cap repeal, which would have provided tax relief for many in New Jersey with high property taxes.

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Jenkins supported the Inflation Reduction Act and praised it in a tweet, describing it as a "once-in-a-generation bill" that "pushes down inflation, caps out-of-pocket medical costs for our seniors, and makes historic investments in tackling climate change."

Jenkins supports "gun reform," and says he would work raise the age for purchase of semi-automatic weapons to 21, use red-flag laws to restrict access to weapons by someone considered "dangerous," expand mental health care and supportive services in schools, and close loopholes that allow domestic abusers, convicted felons and and fugitives to skip background checks and buy weapons.

Smith, who has said he supports the Second Amendment right to bear arms, co-sponsored bi-partisan background check bills in 2019 and 2021.

Smith voted to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election, and told the New Jersey Globe that “Congress is tasked with counting the electoral votes sent by each state. Nullifying the electors of any state requires proof that electors were not ‘lawfully certified’ according to state laws.”

When it comes to climate change, Jenkins said he supports the Department of Energy's goal to cut carbon emissions in half by 2030. He said he believes "investment in clean transportation infrastructure" is needed to combat traffic-related pollution, and wants to prioritize investing in wind energy off the New Jersey coast.

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Smith has touted his support of "The International Climate Cooperation Re-Engagement Act," which calls for "active, dedicated U.S. re-engagement in the effort to reach a global agreement on climate change."

Smith has chaired hearings against human trafficking and also introduced legislation against the practice, both domestically and internationally.

Jenkins said he supports passing a law ensuring the rights of LGBTQ parents to raise children together, and also wants to enshrine protection against job discrimination at the federal level for LGBTQ people.

The 4th Congressional District includes towns in Monmouth and Ocean counties, including Jackson, Manchester and Lakewood in Ocean County, and Howell, Ocean, Wall and part of Middletown in Monmouth.

Redistricting that will take effect in January 2023 will add Toms River, Brick and Berkeley to the 4th District, while retaining the other Ocean County towns. Several Monmouth County towns will shift to the 6th District, including Neptune, Bradley Beach and Red Bank.

Jean Mikle covers Toms River and several other Ocean County towns, and has been writing about local government and politics at the Jersey Shore for nearly 38 years. She's also passionate about the Shore's storied music scene. Contact her: @jeanmikle,  jmikle@gannettnj.com

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: NJ Midterms: Smith, Jenkins spar over abortion, gun control