As the wife of a commercial fisherman, I cannot begin to explain how disturbing it was to watch Cape May Mayor Zack Mullock’s photo-op video in front of commercial fishing vessels this morning. My husband has spent over 30 years commercial fishing. He spends more time offshore than he does at home, working one of the most dangerous occupations in this country. Like so many fishing families, we’ve made sacrifices that most people will never understand. Those vessels aren’t props for a political campaign. They represent hardworking families, generations of fishing history, and an industry that brings hundreds of millions of dollars into Cape May County’s economy. Our fishermen bring tremendous revenue into Cape May . We support local docks, seafood processors, trucking companies, suppliers, and countless shoreside businesses. We put fresh seafood on the tables of local restaurants, support the tourism economy, and help feed this country. When people sit down at a restaurant in Cape May and order fresh seafood, they should remember the men and women who spent days or weeks offshore catching it. Behind every pound of seafood is a working vessel, a crew, and families at home waiting for their safe return. What makes that video particularly upsetting is remembering what our fishing industry went through fighting Ørsted. While fishermen, seafood processors, and fishing organizations were spending years attending hearings, submitting testimony, and fighting offshore wind development in federal court, Cape May’s city government, under Mullock’s administration, pursued and accepted $500,000 from a trust funded by Ørsted. A foreign developer. To me, as a fisherman’s wife, that was a kick in the teeth. Cape May County itself joined major seafood companies, including Lund’s Fisheries, in a federal lawsuit challenging Ørsted’s Ocean Wind 1 project. The county’s own complaint recognized commercial fishing as its largest employer and revenue-producing sector. And now I’m watching the mayor stand in front of fishing vessels for a campaign video. Where was that representation when our fishing families were fighting to protect their livelihoods? What’s even more concerning to me is that Mullock is now running for Congress. Commercial fisheries are federally managed. The decisions made in Washington directly affect our fishing grounds, regulations, businesses, and livelihoods. We depend on our congressional representatives to understand what is at stake. I don’t expect every politician to understand what it’s like to have a husband hundreds of miles offshore, risking his life to provide for his family. But I do expect elected officials to understand the importance of the industry they’re using as a campaign backdrop. Commercial fishermen deserve more than a photo opportunity. They deserve a voice, genuine representation, and accountability. I’ve spent years standing alongside fishing families fighting to protect this industry. Watching that video, knowing the history, was deeply upsetting. Our boats are not campaign props. Our livelihoods are not political accessories. We bring revenue into your communities, seafood to your restaurants, and food to America’s tables. Our fishing families deserve to be heard. #StopOffshoreWind #SupportYourLocalFishermen #NJ facebook.com/share/r/1BAkbvg… @njcoast_protect @JudgeMichaelD @Congressman_JVD