The candidate did not respond to the questionnaire.

The candidate did not respond to the questionnaire.

The candidate did not respond to the questionnaire.

Age: 44

Hometown: Parsippany

Occupation: Supply chain

Personal background: John Von Achen is an experienced Supply Chain leader in the biotech/pharma industry. Currently leading the North America supply chain and a member of the global supply chain leadership team for Ascensia Diabetes Care in Parsippany, New Jersey.

As a leader in supply chain, Von Achen has managed multimillion-dollar budgets, led teams of more than 20 people, negotiated contracts, led process transformation and driven cost-saving initiatives for his companies. Von Achen’s work has been recognized as the global best practice and he has received multiple awards from his company and business partners. Von Achen always looks to uplift those around him. He shares his knowledge and teaches others as he progresses projects, enabling a stronger team going forward.

Von Achen has been married to his partner, Kendra Von Achen, for 15 years. They have two children, a dog and reside in Parsippany.

Political background: As a Democratic Party member, Von Achen has been a candidate for Town Council and county commissioner. Over the years, he has supported multiple campaigns, knocking on doors, providing counsel and as the campaign treasurer. He serves on the Planning Board in Parsippany and was previously chairperson.

Why are you running for office? The Supreme Court has made it clear over the last few years that states need to establish their own rules for governing; the federal government has a limited role. New Jersey residents need to protect their rights within our own state laws and to ensure democracy is preserved.

Key election issue: He is committed to:

• Equality for all: Ensuring every resident is granted equal treatment under the law and to promote understanding of differences within our community.
• Protecting health care freedoms: The government should not interfere with the decisions made by a patient and their doctors. This applies specifically to women’s reproductive health care and gender affirming care.
• Responsible firearms laws: Our laws need to ensure those with firearms are of sound mind and trained in responsible firearms use.
• Sustainability: The government needs to protect and preserve the environment and its resources to ensure long-term sustainability.
• Fiscal responsibility: The government needs to clean up bureaucracy where it is inefficient, utilize technology to make interaction with the government less complicated and provide spending transparency to the public in ways that are easy for people to understand.

A solution to excessive administrative costs and bureaucracy is a universal basic income. If everyone receives the benefit, there is no theft, administrative costs can be lower and those in need are supported.

I will seek to find an economical medical insurance program that does not depend on employers for insurance benefits. This gives freedom of choice to the individual, not the employer.

Develop a legislative solution to affordable housing that encourages municipalities to provide adequate supply, but does not put them at the mercy of developers.

Example of a successful project: I was a principal in the distribution of key materials during COVID-19. I developed the distribution strategy and algorithms to ensure product supported hot spots and surging demand. My work ensured that even with shortages we maintained 95% in stock around the country.

Example of a challenge faced: No matter what your politics are, democracy is essential. Voting is essential.

On NJ’s gun laws: I would seek out ways to ensure our gun laws remain the strongest in the United States while tweaking them to avoid interference from the federal government. I would also work with neighboring state legislatures to ensure our bubble of protection created by neighboring states with reasonable gun laws remains intact.

On the Murphy administration’s climate change proposals: I think Murphy is on a good path. I would encourage more development of new nuclear (SMR, SFR and thorium).

On housing affordability and property taxes: I would encourage more county-based services to ease the burden for municipalities and cut out unnecessary administrative costs. This is something I was pushing for when I ran for county commissioner. Shared services is a Band-Aid many municipalities are implementing on their own, but we can help make things more efficient.

The candidate did not respond to the questionnaire.

The candidate did not respond to the questionnaire.