This upcoming July and November, all Congress seats are up for election. This is the time to get educated, read up on the candidates, and make your choices!

K Guzman reached out to us recently to let us know she’s running as an Independent candidate and we were excited to highlight her candidacy to show the community what their options are for this election. Meet K Guzman, the Jersey City resident running for Congress.

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What is your name and what do you do?

My name is K. Guzman and I am a Jersey City resident. I am running as an Independent candidate to represent New Jersey Congressional District 8.  I am currently a Paralegal at a law office in Jersey City and am a full time student at Rutgers University completing my Bachelor of Science & Master. I am originally born and raised in Brooklyn, New York and relocated to Jersey City, New Jersey after completing my high school degree in 2013.

What drove you to study Criminal Justice and how has the experience been so far?

My passion for criminal justice has come from my personal experience and observations of self, family, and peers suffering injustices due to lack of information and resources. I am running to represent my residing district with hopes to educate individuals on the options they can utilize in their local communities. Many individuals are not aware of the direct impact elected representatives have on their personal lives and I plan to educate and organize action for individuals to become more involved. My experience as a criminal justice student has been rewarding, has allowed me to understand how relationships are formed within communities, and exposed me to the social responsibility for individuals.

In terms of your candidacy, what inspired you to run as an independent representative for NJ-08? What has the process of running a grassroots campaign been like, in your experience?

My inspiration to run as an independent candidate for NJ-08 derived from my observations of people’s response and expectations to labels. Many individuals begin to judge another person or form subconscious beliefs about another based on their association and party types. Running as an independent candidate allows me to develop trust with all members of the community by maintaining an objective perspective and focusing on community oriented initiatives. Running a grassroots campaign has allowed me to express my own thoughts and engage directly with the constituents in my community. It has proven difficult due to COVID-19 social distancing orders that do not allow for the organization of rallies or groups of people. Identifying individuals that relate or would like to voice their concern has been difficult specifically for a grassroots campaign because there is a lack of support from institutions responsible for facilitating elections. More funding should be distributed to individuals that intend to campaign for grassroots organization that would allow a more balance competition between the parties. It is unfair when one individual is being funded by huge corporations and has the access to reach out to community members easily.

You mention educating students on the “interrelatedness of politics and the community.” Please tell us more about this and how you hope to help educate students on the importance of the 2020 elections.

I hope to help educate students on the importance of the 2020 elections by highlighting the political structure within their own academic institutions. Many students have expressed their concerns to me about the injustices they have faced as students such as being providing misinformation to alter their decisions. I plan to implement mediation and dispute resolution services organized by students and operated by students that would allow for individuals to express and address their concerns. In addition, I plan to organize student assistance programs through a wrap around approach that specifically identifies the interests of a student and guides and monitor their academic completion.

What are causes you are passionate about, and what are issues you hope to address as a representative?

The causes I am passionate include healthcare security for all individuals, senior citizen assistance programs, judicial reform, childcare, working class citizen rights, and more. As a representative, I intend to address the issue that Jersey City faces by reconstructing the relationships of agencies designated to maintain social order. In addition, Jersey City suffers from high property tax regulations that need to be reviewed with the inclusion of citizens in order to develop a sustainable plan.

Tell us more about your web series – where people can find it and what it entails.

I will also be organizing web-series within the upcoming weeks that will discuss a variety of social justice topics, youth political engagement, business professionalism and more. The web-series is  “Visionary Talk ” ,Every Saturday at 12 PM Starting June 6, 2020. It is a ” Virtual Experience Aimed At Promoting Insightful Discussions Topics, Educating Individuals, Increasing Political Awareness & Building Relationships in the Community”. K. Guzman hosts a weekly series of virtual meetings to engage viewers about the inter-relatedness of politics and the student community on June 6, 2020 at 12 PM. You can watch LIVE on June 6, 2020 at 12 PM on Zoom.

Viewers will just have to

1. Download Zoom on your electronic device
2. Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/73354202902?pwd=UFpaSG8rWTFkZUs5YTBjTXRkOStsQT09
3. Meeting ID: 733 5420 2902 Password: vote2020

Subscribe to Youtube Channel ” K. Guzman for Representative 2020 ” for uploaded videos!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CAk66B1pBCN/

Where can people find you?

If you would like to join our mission, interested in volunteering, contributing donations, or keep updated with future events please email us or reach out to via social media.

My social media handles are as follows: Instagram – @kguzman2020 ; Twitter- @kguzman2020 ; Website – kguzman2020.com; and Email – vote@kguzman2020.com.