| Reform Party of New Jersey | |
|---|---|
| Chairman | Jacob Zychick |
| Vice Chairman | Dennis "DJ" Mikolay |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Headquarters | none |
| Ideology | Populism, Centrism, Conservatism |
| Political position | Centrist |
| National affiliation | Reform Party of the United States of America |
| Official colors | Red, White, Blue (unofficial) |
| Website | |
| Reform Party NJ | |
The Reform Party of New Jersey is the state party organization for New Jersey of the Reform Party of the United States of America. It is the successor to the defunct New Jersey Reform Party. It is one of three parties in the state to have elected officials. [1] While it is the recognized state affiliate of the national party, the current New Jersey organization was founded and operates completely independently of its predecessor. It was founded by aviation expert Jake Zychick, political columnist Dennis "DJ" Mikolay, and LaMont Rouse.
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Since the dissolution of the original New Jersey Reform Party in 2000, there had long been talk amongst members of the Reform Party of the United States of re-organizing a state party within New Jersey. A lawsuit at the national level, however, had prevented the party from further organizing any state chapters beyond those that already existed. The lawsuit was resolved in the fall of 2009, and National Chairman David Collison again began pushing for the formation of a New Jersey state party.
By early 2010, several student activists within New Jersey expressed interest in reviving the Reform Party as a viable alternative to the fiscally liberal Democratic Party and the socially conservative Republican Party. These students began attending local fairs, parades, and events, to drum up support for the proposed third party. By August 2009, the group had acquired the voter registration lists of the original New Jersey Reform Party, and all former members were called to attend the formative convention of the new party.
The Reform Party of New Jersey was founded on August 14, 2010 in Piscataway, New Jersey. Farliegh Dickinson student Jacob Zychick, who had been a volunteer for Democrat Mike Gravel during the 2008 presidential election, was elected chairman.
The RPNJ has also involved itself in fighting eminent domain in the central New Jersey area. The group has been featured in several New Jersey publications, and the party promises to run a full slate of congressional candidates during the 2012 election. They are also vocal proponents of school choice, charter schools and immigration reform.
The Reform Party of New Jersey has experienced a greater deal of initial success than most third parties operating within New Jersey.
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