In February 2026, former US President Barack Obama said that one of the problems with Democrats is gerontocracy: “There is an element of, at some point, you age out. You’re not connected directly to the immediate struggles that folks are going through.” Frankly, Obama is late to the conversation. For over the past year, Democrats in Congress have been bedeviled by their age, so much so that three of them died in 2025 while in office, and many others are starting to see the political handwriting on the wall, that they no longer have the connection or energy to represent their constituents adequately.

One of the most egregious offenders of this in the Democratic Caucus is Representative Frank Pallone (NJ-6). Elected to Congress in 1988, he is now one of the oldest and longest-serving members of Congress and is running for a 20th term in office. He is being challenged in the Democratic Primary by Katie Bansil (she/her), a queer millennial Filipina who immigrated to New Jersey at age 15 and has lived in the area ever since. Pallone not only has been in office for as long as Katie has lived in the neighborhood, but for longer than she has been alive. Katie brings a fresh perspective not only to the times we live in but also the problems of the day. Her electoral platform is supported by a triad of issues: universal health care, universal child care, and abolishing ICE. With New Jersey’s particular party system giving more power to established politicians than the residents of New Jersey, Katie will have to win over the state party, but with the political winds changing and the unique threats facing Americans today, and trying to replicate the recent success of Analilia Mejia in winning the Democratic nomination for New Jersey’s nearby 11th District, Katie aims to bring similar change to NJ-6 as Zohran Mamdani in nearby New York City.

Where are you based?
New Jersey’s 6th congressional district (Middlesex & Monmouth Counties)

What is your position/what position are you running for?
U.S. House

How would you briefly summarize your platform?
I’m running for Congress to stand up for working people. Our platform demands dignity, equity, and justice for all, regardless of income, zip code, or immigration status. When I talk with New Jerseyans on the campaign trail, a small number of them say our agenda is too radical. The majority of people, however, from public school teachers to seniors on social security and Medicaid, think it’s common sense.

I support universal healthcare because whether you are rich or poor, when you get sick, I believe you have the right to see the doctor. We must expand coverage, lower the cost of prescription drugs, invest in community health centers, and ensure that whether you live in the city or the country, you can access fast, affordable, culturally competent treatment. Any of that sound radical? I don’t think so.

Same goes with what we want for families. When you and your partner decide to have a child, that decision should not be followed by a conversation about what town in South Jersey or Pennsylvania you will have to move to. Young people can’t afford to live in the neighborhoods where they grew up because paying for childcare or having one person stay home from work costs the family more than it will one day cost to send their child to Rutgers. I believe in creating universal childcare. I believe housing is a human right. We need major investments in low-income housing and rental caps to stop price gouging. And I will strengthen workers’ rights, including expanding the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) so working families can care for themselves and their loved ones without risking their livelihoods. There was a time when one parent’s income could support a family; today, not even two incomes is enough. It’s not radical to say that in the richest country in the history of the world, it doesn’t have to be this way.

Speaking of this nation’s wealth, we are living in a moment where the gap between how politicians say the economy is performing and how working families are actually doing is wider than ever. In the middle of the greatest affordability crisis in decades, Donald Trump and his corrupt regime tell us not to worry. The stock market is booming, they say. They believe that tax breaks for billionaires and millionaires will generate more opportunity for the rest of us. They believe Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and their oligarch friends when these men say that their huge corporations play fair with small businesses. Working people know better. But the sad truth is that many elected Democrats and Republicans alike continue to profit off of this billionaire’s economy, whether in the form of corporate PAC donations to their campaigns or personal stock trading. I’m not taking a dime from corporations or their ultra-wealthy CEOs, or special interests including AIPAC, for that matter. As a member of Congress, I’ll take on Big Tech and Big Pharma and fight to enforce and expand our antitrust laws. And I’ll call for a permanent ban on stock trading for elected officials.

There is one issue, however, on which I agree with people who call me a radical. And that’s ICE. The list of so-called reforms that Democrats sent their Republican friends to reign in this rogue agency will at best do nothing to protect immigrant communities, and at worst they will convince many well-intentioned Americans that the problems have been addressed. Even if they would not agree to cut its funding entirely, Democrats could have called for ICE funding to return to pre-Big Beautiful Bill levels. They could have demanded an end to white nationalist ad campaigns recruiting radicals off of alt-right internet forums. They could have said no more $50,000 sign-on bonuses for totally inexperienced new hires who completed fewer days of training than hair stylists have to complete. They did none of that. Instead, they made vague requests that the Department of Homeland Security adhere to existing laws which Secretary Kristi Noem and Donald Trump have already shown they have no interest in adhering to. They asked for brand new, standardized guns and uniforms. So, if others in my party call me a radical for saying Noem should lose her job and ICE should be abolished, when the leadership of our party is doing nothing to stop the bloodshed and terror, then, yes, I am a radical.

What inspired you to run?
As a Washington outsider, I know that most people feel left out of our political system. Working people have lost faith in the Democratic Party because too many elected officials have forgotten who they serve. If you’re an 1199 SEIU nurse in Edison or a retired public school teacher in Metuchen who relies on Medicaid and social security, chances are you do not feel represented by either major party. Which is to say nothing of the young people in Highland Park who can barely make their mortgage payments or the immigrants in Asbury Park who are afraid to leave their homes. Their pain is not abstract to me. I’ve lived it.

I know what it’s like to navigate systems that weren’t built for you while trying to live a dignified life. I’m running for Congress to bring new leadership to the Democratic Party. Americans deserve leaders who address their needs, not the corrupt needs of the corporations and special interests who write big checks.

What change are you hoping to bring to your district and country?
I want to restore the public’s trust in government. The only way we can do that is if we build a party and a legislative branch that works for all, and not just the top 1%. And that means prioritizing common-sense reforms like universal healthcare and childcare, reforms that meaningfully impact daily life in America. Today’s politicians love to tell you what government cannot do. I want to show what government can do.

What do you feel are the most important issues right now, why, and how do you plan to tackle them?
Affordability and immigration. People in our district are being forced to choose between rent and medical care, between childcare and quality groceries. Too many families are facing eviction because wages haven’t kept up with the cost of living. On top of the stress of everyday affordability, ICE has been terrorizing communities, tearing families apart, and forcing people to live in fear. We can and must address these problems.

America is extremely divided these days. How would you hope to bridge that divide with your constituents to better unite Americans?
Most people agree that everybody deserves fair pay for their labor, a decent home, and a decent quality of life. If you agree with that, then the reason for America’s division becomes obvious. The wealthiest 1% want to keep us fighting amongst themselves while they get richer and richer. So it’s no surprise that working people don’t feel heard when they express their economic concerns. It’s no surprise they don’t believe their government has their best interests at heart. When it comes to members of Congress, I also believe unity requires presence. You have to show up in the district you represent. You have to permit yourself to be held accountable. This is not something we’ve seen in New Jersey in a long time. People have forgotten that politics at its best is an expression of our shared humanity. I want to bring that back.

How do you see your unique identity and background to be an asset to you in office?
Any woman in the workforce will tell you that no matter what gains have been made since the civil rights movement in the 1960s, we still have to work twice as hard than men for the respect we deserve. That’s true also for immigrants, for people of color, including Asian Americans, as well as for members of the LGBTQ+ community. As a Filipino-American immigrant and the proud wife of a woman who works harder as a nurse than I ever could as a member of Congress, for me, identity is more than a way of describing myself. My identity is a symbol of the people I am committed to fighting for and remaining accountable to. I will always listen to those who have been ignored and engage in authentic and constructive dialogue with those who feel they’ve been lied to. I will ensure that the people most affected by the decisions politicians make have a seat at the table where such decisions are made—instead of the billionaire CEOs, special interest lobbyists, and political insiders. When I get to Washington, I will hold my community in my heart at every vote and in every fight.

What is your motto in life?
One of the many things that Alice Peña Bulos, the godmother of the Filipino-American political movement, said that inspires me is: "To empower the community, I believe three things are important: Participation, Involvement and Commitment." I try to live by that idea, and it’s a constant struggle.

Where can we find out more about you?
Campaign site: www.katiebansil.com
Instagram: @katiebansil
X: @katiebansil4NJ
Upscrolled: @katiebansil4NJ
Substack: katiebansil.substack.com
BlueSky: @katiebansil.bsky.social

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2026 - Katie Bansil, New Jersey's 6th Congressional District