Secretary of state may seek congressional seat

Staff Writer

By charles w. kim


Deforest SoariesDeforest Soaries

Franklin Township pastor and current Secretary of State Deforest Soaries has announced to his congregation his next step in a possible run for U.S. Congress.

Soaries, 50, may be the Republican challenger to incumbent Rush Holt (D-12th District) next November.

"The 12th District is a new district. The first question one has to ask is, Does a new district call for new leadership?" Soaries said.

He has served as the pastor for the First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in Somerset since 1990, and was appointed secretary of state by Gov. Christine Whitman in January 1999.


VERONICA YANKOWSKI  Fifth-graders at the Irwin Elementary School, East Brunswick, celebrated    reading Dec. 14 by heading to the hallway for 2002 seconds, or approximately 33 minutes, to close out the year.VERONICA YANKOWSKI Fifth-graders at the Irwin Elementary School, East Brunswick, celebrated reading Dec. 14 by heading to the hallway for 2002 seconds, or approximately 33 minutes, to close out the year.

Holt was elected to Congress in 1998 and narrowly won re-election over GOP challenger Dick Zimmer last year.

The district that Holt represents changed following the 2000 census.

The newly drawn district now includes part of Franklin where Soaries resides, as well as parts of Trenton and Ewing Township.

"A number of people have asked me to run," Soaries said.

Soaries said that, before taking the pulpit in Somerset, he was the assistant pastor of one of the larger churches in Trenton, and served one term on the Board of Education there.

Soaries said he feels he can serve the needs of the new district, which is now a more diverse constituency.

"My background is dealing with diverse communities. I have worked to build bridges. This is the best way for me to continue in the public service," Soaries said.

Soaries also said that his potential candidacy is not a reflection of his view on Holt.

"Rush Holt is a very passionate representative. I think he is a good speaker. He is well liked and has a high amount of integrity. I mean him no disrespect as a person [by running against him]," Soaries said.

Holt said that he is not surprised to see candidates starting to muster for a possible run.

"I expect the Republicans will put up a good, well-funded candidate," Holt said.

Holt said that despite the change of district lines, he does not feel the character of the district has changed.

"The lines are slightly different, but it is not going to change the character dramatically. It is a district of very independent-minded voters," Holt said.

Holt also said he is confident with the record he has established during his time in Washington, D.C.

"If I announce that I am running again, I think I have compiled a record that a candidate would be pleased to run on," Holt said.

In deciding on a potential run for congress, Soaries said that his time serving in Trenton, as well as the events of Sept. 11, have helped him make this decision.

"Sept. 11 helped me appreciate the role of government," Soaries said, explaining that he was dispatched into New York City by acting Gov. Donald DiFrancesco.

"At first we didn’t know how to help," Soaries said.

"I felt like calling my wife. It was still Tuesday afternoon, and we didn’t know what was happening. I didn’t know if I would get home," Soaries said.

Once in the city, however, his view of the situation and his future changed, he said.

"I was able to see, from the inside, the government actively involved in meeting a crisis," he said. "I realized that there was no place I would rather be. As long as I could give service to one individual, then all my time as secretary of state was justified."

Soaries also said that working in Trenton helped him see just how important public employees are.

"It is harder and harder to attract good people to work in the public sector. The number of older public employees is disproportionately high. Many are heading toward retirement," he said.

Soaries said that the problem exists in the federal area as well, and that he wants to work to get more young people involved.