Carol Gay is the Democratic Party candidate for the United States House of Representatives in New Jersey's 4th congressional district ( map) in 2006.

Born in Alabama, Carol graduated with an AB in Sociology from Georgia College and State University and was named to Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities in 1970. She taught in Georgia, and came to New Jersey in 1972 as a social worker for the Camden County Board of Social Services. On her first day on the job, she joined her union, the Communications Workers of America, and has been a union leader ever since. From 1980 until her retirement in 2003, she served CWA as an organizer and International Representative, and was the first NJ Welfare Council member elected to serve on the CWA Public Workers National Bargaining Council.

She appeared on The Colbert Report on October 12th 2006. Gay was invited to be on the show because sitting Congressman Chris Smith refused to appear on the Comedy Central television program.

On Iraq

As Chairperson of N.J. Labor Against the War, Carol Gay has worked tirelessly to bring an end to the war in Iraq. She wants to bring our troops home now. More than twenty-six hundred young Americans have given their lives and tens of thousands have permanent physical and mental injuries. Hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians have also been killed.

The war has created intense antagonism against the U.S. across the world. It has made Americans at home much less secure. It has already cost each N.J. adult citizen $4,200. ($14.5 billion for our state) This is a notable sum of money that could be used to lower our taxes or help pay for critical priorities such as keeping our country safe, educating our children, providing universal access to health care and prescription drugs, strengthening retirement security, and making sure that we keep the promises our government made to our veterans.

George Bush took this country to war under false pretenses and without a plan. He says we must defend freedom and democracy, yet the majority of officials in the Iraqi government we helped to create and 80% of the population measured by Britain’s Ministry of Defense are now demanding that we leave. As U.S. Congressman John Murtha who formerly supported the war has pointed out, U.S. troops in Iraq, rather than adding to stability, “have become a catalyst for violence.” Murtha referred to the acknowledgement made by General George W. Casey, commander of the "multinational force" in Iraq, that the presence of “the coalition forces as an occupying force” is “one of the elements that fuels the insurgency.” Yet Bush refuses to address the increasing problems our troops face on a daily basis as a result of this. Without an exit strategy, the tragic loss of U.S. troops continues unabated. The men and women serving in our Armed Forces deserve a much more thoughtful, long-range plan.

Instead of providing answers, the Bush administration asks that we trust them and that America simply “stay the course.” We trusted the leaders at the Department of Defense to provide necessary armor for troop vehicles, only to hear them tell our soldiers that it was "too bad" they did not have protections many months after the war began. We trusted them as they persisted in handing out contracts to their cronies at Halliburton despite repeated evidence of overcharges and mismanagement. We trusted them to protect our soldiers by enforcing the Geneva Conventions and instead they subverted those Conventions and allowed our troops to violently abuse and torture prisoners of war and risk further retaliation. Yet as world anger grows, the Republican majority in Congress still refuses to hold the Bush administration accountable -- allowing it to stretch, distort, and conceal the truth with no repercussions and no clear plan to end the war.

The situation in Iraq will not improve until the Bush administration feels pressure from Congress. It must be clear to Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld that the status quo is not acceptable. Congress must investigate the administration's negligence and force it to answer the hard questions and provide a clear strategy for bringing our troops home immediately. Aware of the complex politics of the Mid-East, Carol Gay calls for greater attention to diplomacy and improved relationships with our other global partners. She also offers an exit strategy for the immediate return of our valliant soldiers. Significant U.S. funds must be converted from military to developmental assistance, as we also support an international U.N. Peacekeeping Force guided by the cooperation of Arab states committed to peace. As such a force is deployed in Lebanon; it can also be established in Iraq. And Gay believes we must honor the votes taken in both the House and the Senate prohibiting permanent bases in Iraq.

In addition, further investigations into the abuses at Abu Ghraib, and the administration's ties to Halliburton will assist in restoring our nation's moral authority and respect in the world. As a new voice in a Democratic Congress, Carol Gay will make sure that government is held accountable to the American people. A rapid end to the war will help restore our integrity as a nation as well as our standing in world opinion.

External link

Carol Gay for Congress - Official Website

Despite long tenure, big war chest, GOP Incumbent is put on the spot Philly.com October 20, 2006

Challenger Wants to Debate Incumbent Ocean County Observer October 17, 2006