Aristotle Eliopolous

NJ’s PFAS policies have had a measurable positive impact. That progress demonstrates that strong regulation, monitoring, and investment in clean water infrastructure can protect public health. I would build on New Jersey’s progress with a comprehensive “source-to-tap” strategy. First, expand PFAS monitoring in air, soil, groundwater, and surface water, particularly near industrial facilities, landfills, airports, fire-training sites, and wastewater facilities. Second, strengthen protections for private-well owners through testing, public notification, and financial assistance for filtration where contamination is detected. Third, hold responsible polluters accountable so taxpayers and ratepayers are not forced to bear cleanup costs when responsible parties can be identified. Finally, we should continue reducing PFAS at the source by restricting unnecessary uses of these chemicals in consumer and industrial products. Clean water should not depend on a family’s ZIP code or whether they rely on a public system or private well. New Jersey should continue the progress it has made while closing the remaining gaps in PFAS protection.

I would work in Congress to maintain strong, predictable federal funding for NIH, medical research, cancer research, and programs that expand access to healthcare. Federal investment is essential because it provides the scale and stability necessary for long-term research that individual states cannot replicate. At the same time, New Jersey should strengthen its own research infrastructure rather than relying exclusively on Washington. I support creating dedicated, predictable state funding for cancer and other high-priority health research, including the proposed increase in funding for the New Jersey Commission on Cancer Research from $1 million to $10 million. State funding should prioritize competitive research grants, pediatric and rare diseases, clinical trials, prevention, and communities historically underserved by medical research. I would also support partnerships between New Jersey universities, hospitals, biotech companies, and government to move discoveries from the laboratory into affordable treatments. Federal and state investments should complement—not replace—each other, ensuring New Jersey remains a national leader in medical innovation while delivering tangible benefits to patients and families.

Yes. Youth mental health deserves both greater research and greater investment. Schools are often the first place where warning signs appear, yet New Jersey continues to face shortages of school counselors, psychologists, social workers, and other mental-health professionals. We need better data to understand which interventions work and where resources are most urgently needed. I support increasing federal and state funding for school-based mental-health services, with priority given to districts experiencing the greatest shortages and highest levels of student need. Schools should have sufficient counselors, psychologists, and social workers to provide early intervention—not simply respond when a crisis occurs. I would also support expanding school-based partnerships with licensed mental-health providers, telehealth options, and programs that connect students and families with affordable community-based care. Federal funding should help districts hire and retain qualified professionals, particularly in underserved communities. Prevention must also be part of the solution. Schools should provide age-appropriate education on mental health, stress management, substance-use prevention, and how to seek help, while protecting student privacy and parental involvement. Finally, I support continued research into youth mental health, including the effects of social media, bullying, academic pressure, and economic insecurity. Our goal should be a system that identifies problems early, provides accessible support, and ensures no child has to face a mental-health crisis alone.

New Jersey needs to invest in both prevention and preparedness as flooding becomes an increasingly costly threat to homeowners, businesses, and infrastructure. I support expanding federal and state funding for stormwater systems, drainage upgrades, flood-control infrastructure, green infrastructure, and voluntary buyouts in repeatedly flooded areas. New development should also meet stronger, forward-looking flood-resilience standards rather than relying solely on historical flood maps. New Jersey has already moved in this direction through its Inland Flood Protection Rule and recent resilience initiatives. State scientists and flood experts should be central to these decisions. They should regularly update flood maps and rainfall projections, identify vulnerable communities, evaluate proposed infrastructure projects, and ensure taxpayer dollars are directed toward projects supported by the best available science. New Jersey’s Division of Science and Research already provides scientific support for climate-resilience planning. We should also improve emergency-warning systems and provide small businesses and homeowners with resources to prepare before disasters occur. The goal should be simple: use science to anticipate flooding, invest before disasters happen, and protect lives, homes, businesses, and taxpayers.

NJ cannot remain a national leader if too many students are leaving school without strong foundations in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. I would focus on both improving instruction and rebuilding the STEM educator pipeline. First, I support expanding federal and state funding for STEM programs, particularly in districts where students have historically had less access to laboratories, technology, advanced courses, and qualified teachers. Funding should follow student need, not simply district boundaries. Second, we need to make teaching STEM subjects more attractive. I would support scholarships and loan-forgiveness programs for students who commit to teaching science, math, engineering, or technology in New Jersey schools, along with competitive salaries and retention incentives for experienced educators. Third, schools should expand hands-on, evidence-based STEM instruction through laboratory experiences, career and technical education, apprenticeships, and partnerships with New Jersey’s universities, research institutions, and technology industries. Finally, we must strengthen evidence-based teaching practices and provide educators with meaningful professional development rather than relying on one-size-fits-all mandates.

NJ should welcome technological investment while ensuring data centers do not shift their environmental and infrastructure costs onto residents. I support requiring comprehensive environmental and infrastructure impact assessments before major data centers are approved, including impacts on electricity demand, water consumption, wastewater, traffic, and local grid capacity. Developers should pay their fair share of necessary infrastructure upgrades rather than relying on existing ratepayers. I would also support stronger energy-efficiency standards, renewable-energy requirements, water-reuse systems, and transparent reporting of energy and water consumption. State regulators should coordinate with utilities and municipalities to ensure projects do not compromise grid reliability or increase costs for families. Finally, communities should have meaningful opportunities for public input before approval. Economic development should go hand-in-hand with environmental responsibility, infrastructure capacity, and protecting New Jersey residents from unintended costs.