He runs past churches, schools, taverns and grocery stores. Assemblyman Richard Merkt (R-Mendham) is running his campaign for governor of New Jersey; literally. Merkt runs through the town’s residential areas and downtowns to show the voters that he is working hard for them. To me running does not necessarily signify working hard, but rather shows a mental toughness that everyone should posses, especially our politicians. Merkt says, “I want to show people I’m hungry for the nomination.” I guess running is a better way to show your hunger than a pie eating contest or something else similar. Merkt has run in over 300 towns and 21 counties in the state. His goal is to run in every one of New Jersey’s 566 municipalities before next year’s primary.
Merkt obviously isn’t doing it to lose weight, he has only lost 4 pounds since he started! So I started thinking about different causes people run for. There are a plethora of road races that benefit different organizations. What gets us out there running for a cause? Throughout time there have been numerous people who have run long distances for social reasons. What motivates these people? Why is running the vehicle they chose to promote their beliefs? I imagine it is two fold, running signifies staminia, a will to push yourself and always strive to go farther and faster, but I think more importantly it gives us time to think and process information. I can see why this would be important in a mayoral race and I also think it is important for our everyday lives. So whatever you believe in, keep running for it!