Daniel Cruz

Daniel Cruz (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. Senate to represent New Jersey. He did not appear on the ballot for the Republican primary on June 4, 2024.

Daniel Cruz did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

A political outsider who is willing to put my professional career on the line to serve the people of New Jersey.

Born and raised in Paterson, New Jersey, Dan learned the value of hard work from an early age as he was raised in a single family household, by his mother and late grandmother, with strong conservative values. As a child Dan and his mother had it rough, moving from place to place because of financial difficulties. Dan's mother never attended college but worked in a factory as a machine operator to provide food and shelter. After developing a debilitating back injury, Dan's mother sent him to Puerto Rico to live with relatives at the age of seven. Once in Puerto Rico, Dan attended school and worked as an errand boy on a local farm, milking cows and feeding horses.

As an adult, Dan used the lesson of his childhood to become very disciplined and have a keen focus on living a successful life. Twenty-two years ago his focus led him to his life partner and wife, Onida. The couple have been together for twenty years and have three beautiful children. Like Dan, Onida is a career educator with 16 years of in Education. In addition to being educators, Dan and Onida are small business owners that have had interruptions to their business as a result of COVID-19. They have first-hand experiences of the financial turmoil and devastating repercussions as small business owners during the nationwide pandemic in their community and throughout the State of New Jersey.

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?

Make New Jersey Great AgainBringing Politics Back to the PeopleI will fight for our Gun Rights and against Cancel Culture

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about the following:

Criminal Justice

Culture and Society

Economic Affairs

Education

Government Operations

Health

Social Welfare

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to my mother and grandmother because both women were hard working and taught me the value of life, never to settle and fight for what you believe in. They could not afford much but they made sure I was mentally ready for this world. My grandmother left her job when she was in her 30's to be an entrepreneur until she past away in 2019. My grandmother was a fighter which I inherited which makes me the person I am today.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

The characteristics or principles I believe that are most important are leadership, integrity and honesty.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The core responsibilities for an elected official is to serve the people.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

I do not believe is necessary for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics as Great leaders are born to lead. There are many career politicians who have been in office for years and still do not know how to perform the duties of an elected officer. We need fresh minds a person who connects to the everyday American and not someone who is worried about getting re-elected.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

I believe is essential and extremely important to build relationships with all legislators from all parties. The reason for it is because the more you build relationship with all parties the more learning takes place and the more work we will be able to get completed.

What process do you favor for redistricting?

Redistricting is beneficial if the demographics change within the each district so a candidate is able to represent the majority of the people. I do not believe redistricting should benefit a majority state ran party and in most cases that is what we see.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

I would like to be part of all of the committees. However, I know that is not possible so being part of the budget, aging and senior services and Judiciary committees would be my first few choices.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

As of now, I am focused on winning the primary election for the 24th Legislative District in New Jersey and making sure I do the best job for the people of New Jersey. I also, want to make sure I keep my promises in which I set out for New Jersey.

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

It depends on the situation and if it is going to be a body to make decisions.