Brian Varela

Brian Varela graduated from Paramus Catholic High School. He earned a bachelor's degree from Kean University in 2011 and a graduate degree from the University of North Carolina in 2020. His career experience includes working as a businessman.[1][2]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I’m a first-generation Hispanic American, a father, a small business owner, and a political organizer. My parents worked blue-collar jobs their entire lives, jobs such as valet, waitress, factory worker, truck driver, before saving enough to buy a home and start a small business. That business collapsed during the Great Recession, just as I was entering college. I worked full-time and relied on Pell Grants to finish in three and a half years. When my mom got cancer shortly after, I became the family’s breadwinner and helped raise my younger brother after she passed. I went on to build a network of 10 affordable childcare centers across New Jersey, create jobs, and support families like mine. I’ve organized in red-leaning areas, knocked over 3,000 doors for Sue Altman in 2024, and helped build political infrastructure where it didn’t exist. I’ve fought my whole life, and now I’m running for Congress to fight for working families, universal healthcare, education access, and small businesses that power our communities.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Working families in NJ-07 are getting squeezed from every direction. I will lower the costs of housing, healthcare, childcare, groceries, and utilities by expanding the housing supply, taking on the insurance companies and middlemen driving up medical costs, enacting universal childcare, and investing in clean energy. I will fight to roll back Trump's disastrous tariffs and restore fair trade policies that protect American workers. And I will always fight for fair wages and good-paying jobs, because economic security is not a luxury, it is a right.Donald Trump and his MAGA allies are attacking the foundations of our democracy, and I will fight them at every turn. I will protect every citizen's right to vote, root out the corruption overtaking our federal government, end ICE abductions that are terrorizing our communities, and stop the deliberate dismantling of the agencies working Americans depend on. I will work to overturn Citizens United, and ban congressional stock trading and former members of Congress from lobbying.No one in the wealthiest nation on earth should go broke getting healthy. I am a committed advocate for Medicare for All, which will expand access, lower premiums, and cut out the middlemen profiting off people's suffering. I will fight to lower the costs of prescription drugs, mental health services, and eldercare. And I will work to codify the right to abortion established in Roe v. Wade, because reproductive healthcare is healthcare.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about childcare, education, healthcare, immigration, entrepreneurship, and good government reform, and in every case, my passion comes from lived experience, not a policy briefing.

As a father, I care deeply about the care and education our children receive, which is why I built ten affordable childcare centers across New Jersey. I watched my mother fight cancer and our whole family fight bankruptcy, which is why I believe in Medicare for All.

As the son of immigrants and a small business owner, I believe government should make it easier for people to build a life here. That means a clearer, more humane path to citizenship,and creating an economic environment that rewards innovation and hard work.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

New Jersey Democratic Leaders

Mayor Ras Baraka (Newark)

Patricia Campos-Medina, Labor Leader and Former U.S. Senate Candidate

Steve Sweeney, Former NJ Senate President

National Democratic Leaders & Organizations

Andrew Yang, Former Presidential Candidate

Tom Perez, Former DNC Chair and Labor Secretary

Make the Road Action

Latino Victory Fund

Peace Action PAC

Freethought Equality PAC

80+ Local Democratic Leaders

Campaign websiteVarela's campaign website stated the following:Strengthen the Economy for NJ FamiliesEnsure comprehensive, affordable, quality health care that is a right, not a privilege.Lower costs for housing, daily necessities, and education so families can thrive—not just survive.Empower working families with living wages that allow them to get ahead, and good-paying jobs that ensure hard work leads to economic security.Ensure billionaires and big corporations pay their fair share in taxes.““Too many families are struggling while the wealthy and well-connected get ahead. We need an economy that works for all of us—not just those at the top.””Defend Our Democracy & Protect Voting RightsStop Trump’s violent, fascist, anti-Democratic MAGA agenda. Protecting the right to vote. Fighting Trump’s blatant corruption. Stopping Trump’s ICE abduction policies. Fighting DOGE’s weaponization and depletion of our government.End Citizens United, get corporate dark money out of politics.Brian was proud to be the first in this race to reject corporate PAC money, and he’ll fight for a ban on congressional stock trading and a lifetime ban on lobbying for former members of Congress.“Our democracy works best when it belongs to the people—not career politicians and big donors.”Making Healthcare More Affordable & AccessibleEnact Medicare for All so all Americans can finally have quality, affordable healthcare.Fight to codify Roe vs. Wade into law and protect women’s reproductive freedoms.Lower prescription drug prices, support mental health and addiction services and fight back against middle-men who rip us off.Reduce the price of eldercare and ensure seniors can enjoy retirement with dignity in their home with affordable care.““No family should have to choose between putting food on the table and affording life-saving medication.””Cutting Costs & Tackling InflationStop corporate price gouging that drives up the cost of gas, housing, groceries, healthcare, and utilities and put offenders behind bars.Reverse Trump’s and Kean’s massive tax breaks for the 1% and restore our social safety net.Expand domestic clean energy production to reduce our dependency on foreign oil and tackle climate change.Require AI data centers to pay for their own clean electricity so they don’t drive up our rates and destroy our environment.““Washington needs to focus on making everyday life more affordable—not playing political games.””Investing in Our Infrastructure & Rural CommunitiesFix roads, bridges, and aging transportation systems to improve commutes and local economies.Upgrade power grids and water systems to ensure reliability, prevent outages and increasing supply.Support family farms and sustainable agriculture, making sure farmers can compete.““Every community deserves strong infrastructure—whether you live in a city, a suburb, or a rural town. That means modern roads, reliable utilities, and a strong agricultural sector that keeps our food supply secure.””Keep Our Families SafePut an immediate end to Trump’s lawless ICE agency and stop their violent, lawless abduction policies.Promote common-sense gun safety laws to keep firearms out of the hands of criminals.Strengthen public safety and community policing to build trust and reduce crime.““Keeping our communities safe isn’t about left vs. right—it’s about making sure our families are protected.””— Brian Varela's campaign website (March 6, 2026)Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Lifetime Hudson County, NJ resident and small business owner, Brian Varela has decided to challenge the NJ political machine and its line. Varela, the son of immigrants, was the first person in his family to graduate college, and later obtained his MBA from one of the top business schools in the country. Varela had a successful career in corporate America and went on to form several successful companies. He managed to keep all his small businesses running during COVID and kept his entire staff employed. Brian knows he faces a great challenge, where party leaders have already chosen a candidate to fill the seat. That is not how Democracy is supposed to work. The people should be able to choose the candidate they feel best represents them, not one chosen for them. In this new post-pandemic world, people have lost jobs, homes and we are seeing a mental health crisis like no other. We need leaders who can navigate these difficult times, restore constituents’ faith in government and remind them of how resilient Americans can be. Brian Varela wants CD-8 to know "Your Voice Counts" and hopes he’ll have the opportunity to represent CD-8 on Capitol Hill.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Brian is a first-generation American who is looking to serve the community that he was raised in. He understands the needs of his people because he is one of them.Brian's abilities as a leader are measured by his track record in business and helping people around him grown. There is a lack of bold leadership in Washington and Brian is exactly who we to get things done.The gridlock in Washington is due to the polarization from both sides of the aisle. As an entrepreneur, Brian has learned the importance of objectivity and compromise.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Varela is passionate about serving families in the community. One of the ways he wished to serve and empower them is by eliminating the burden of childcare costs. Brian believes that Universal Childcare is necessary to keep this country moving in the right direction.