Lifetime Hudson County, NJ resident and small business owner, Brian Varela has decided to challenge the NJ political machine and its line. Varela, the son of immigrants, was the first person in his family to graduate college, and later obtained his MBA from one of the top business schools in the country. Varela had a successful career in corporate America and went on to form several successful companies. He managed to keep all his small businesses running during COVID and kept his entire staff employed.  Brian knows he faces a great challenge, where party leaders have already chosen a candidate to fill the seat. That is not how Democracy is supposed to work. The people should be able to choose the candidate they feel best represents them, not one chosen for them. In this new post-pandemic world, people have lost jobs, homes and we are seeing a mental health crisis like no other. We need leaders who can navigate these difficult times, restore constituents’ faith in government and remind them of how resilient Americans can be. Brian Varela wants CD-8 to know "Your Voice Counts" and hopes he’ll have the opportunity to represent CD-8 on Capitol Hill.