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J.R. Carman

J.R. Carman is seeking re-election to the Hopewell–Shiloh Board of Education (Hopewell Crest School). In a public statement, he frames his role around “protect and serve,” emphasizing student and staff safety (a defense-in-depth approach), intellectual growth and individuality, a positive school climate with new curriculum initiatives, partnership with parents, support for educators and administrators, and conservative fiscal stewardship on behalf of all taxpayers.

In a recent long-form radio conversation with InformTheVoteNJ, Carman discussed civic education and the character of public officials, noting (on-air) that Hopewell Crest incorporates civics in every grade and identifying himself as the Board’s curriculum committee chair. District-specific plans, measurable targets, or recent vote explanations were not provided in writing or on-air, but if he provides that at some point during the campaign season, he will be on track to being fully transparent this election.

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Rating Explanation

J.R. Carman

Relative to the Cumberland County status quo, Carman’s transparency and accessibility is on the right track as of August 25, 2025: he offered a public statement and participated in a substantive radio discussion (good accessibility), and is booked for a campaign-specific interview on the InformTheVoteNJ radio hour on Tuesday 9/9 from 5-6pm. That being said, he did not complete the site’s structured questionnaire and has not published an issue-by-issue brief with concrete, current district specifics and action plans.

Carman's public statement highlights values—safety, academics, parent partnership, staff support, and fiscal stewardship—and the interview focuses on civic education and governance philosophy... all of which fit into a solid agenda and governing ideology. What’s still missing for voters are concise, written stances on current Hopewell Crest priorities (e.g., safety implementation details, budget/levy outlook, facilities, staffing, curriculum changes), recent vote rationales, and measurable goals for the next term. Such clarification would fit neatly into an issues section on his page.

A short follow-up—a list of issues, positions, and action plans would quickly move this toward a higher transparency tier.

Click the red x at the top of this box and then scroll down for more in-depth information and sources.





Suggested Use of Candidate Pages & Project Disclaimer

Note: There are a few ways to use this page. It mixes objective source material with light analysis and first-hand reporting so voters can choose their depth.

How to get the most out of this candidate page
  1. Start with the Quick Summary. Click the Quick Summary button underneath the websites section. It gives you the fast take: what we know from sources + brief analysis from a “data collector / local reporter” point of view.
  2. Scan the objective sources. If you want more data, jump into the source material we’ve collected:
    • Official campaign website (if available)
    • Social media pages and posts (if available)
    • Interviews (video/audio) and transcripts (if available)
  3. Check the agenda & positions. Look for the candidate’s stated agenda and issue stances. We try to group them plainly so you can compare across candidates quickly.
  4. Read the Transparency/Accessibility rating. For a deeper look at how transparent the candidate has been (web presence, interviews, follow-ups, meet n greets) and how communicative they've been in response to outreach, see the rating and its short explanation. This helps you understand what’s easy to find and who is easy to contact.
  5. Use the page as a multi-layered hub. If you 'just want the facts', stick to the source documents. If you want opinions about transparency, accessibility, and communication, check the transparency meter. If you want coverage somewhere in between, like interviews that range from introductory to moderately pressing, watch the interviews. Choose your own adventure.

Where we add context or opinion, it’s to help busy voters make sense of gaps in local information. Not everyone has time to be a volunteer politico.

J.R. Carman

Running for:
Hopewell–Shiloh Board of Education (Hopewell Crest School)
Incumbent
Challenger

Websites

This election is on November 4th, 2025

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Videos

2025 New Jersey Constitutional Republicans Interview With J.R. Carman



📋 Click here for full interview summary 📋

Hopewell school board member J.R. Carman (host of the New Jersey Constitutional Republican Radio Hour) sits down with Steven Solof of InformTheVoteNJ.com to connect constitutional foundations with local civic practice. We dig into why the U.S. is a democratically elected constitutional federal republic (not pure democracy), how populism and reaction politics erode trust, why character and transparency matter in local candidates, and how civics education (including local civics) underpins an informed electorate. We also touch term limits vs. educated voters, the Millville petition kerfuffle, and classic insights from Madison, Hamilton, Jefferson, and Adams.



⏳ Click to view timestamps, topics, and takeaways ⏳

Interview Summary – J.R. Carman

This table highlights the key topics covered in the interview, summarizing major takeaways per section.

Timestamp Topic Key Takeaways
0:00 Intro & Framing Carman opens the show and frames the discussion.
0:55 InformTheVoteNJ Origin Solof explains the project’s origin: closing local information gaps so voters can make adult-level decisions efficiently.
3:00 Shared Mission Both aim to educate the public on government structure and civic responsibility.
4:30 Republic ≠ Pure Democracy “We the People” established a Constitution that constrains majority rule; representatives must operate within it.
7:00 Populism & Majority Tyranny Populism = emotional, reactionary governance; leads to “their way or the highway.”
7:45 Article Framing Precision in terms matters; character of officials is central to governmental health.
10:00 Why Enumerate Rights Bill of Rights protects minorities even where protections were implied; guardrail against majority overreach.
11:20 Representatives, Not “Leaders” Local vetting matters. Millville petition confusion shows how low trust + clerical errors fuel conspiracy thinking; Carman saw similar issues.
14:15 Character Over Sales Culture rewards sales pitches; both parties excuse lapses if “our side” benefits. Transparency helps pierce the marketing.
20:15 Public Trust & Tribalism Once you seek public office, you serve the public trust. Demagoguery reframes policy as tribal warfare.
20:15–27:00 The Civics Gap STEM crowded out civics/history; vacuum filled by ideological texts without foundational context—students need balanced civics early.
27:00 What’s Taught Now Hopewell Crest: civics at every grade level; other districts vary. Beware broad-brushing and sound-bite oversimplification.
29:00 Term Limits vs. Education Term limits are often a convenience play; better solution is an educated electorate that demands virtue/competence.
37:00 Human Nature & Virtue Founders anticipated human depravity; Adams/Lincoln stress morality, law, and “political religion” (reverence for law).
42:00 Core Takeaways Character defines public service; Constitution relies on moral officials; modern politics often falls short; NJ Constitution implies duty to educate citizens.
46:20 Caller Segment Caller questions spark brief history/parties discussion and checks/balances context.
52:15 Final Thoughts Minimal vetting baseline: publish a platform, do interviews, be accessible—if you can’t clear that bar, how will you serve in office?


Transparency/Accessibility Rating: Average to Above Average



Events
  • Campaign Events
  • No public campaign events submitted.
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Agenda

  • Safety & Defense-in-Depth

    Pledges to “protect and serve” by prioritizing the physical protection of students, educators, administrators, and staff. Calls for a defense-in-depth strategy with robust protective measures and situational awareness at Hopewell Crest.


  • Academic Growth & Individuality

    Emphasizes protecting students intellectually and honoring individuality so students reach greater academic achievement across Preschool and K–8 years.


  • Positive Climate & Curriculum Initiatives

    Seeks a positive social climate that inspires learning, alongside brand-new curriculum initiatives aimed at improved intellectual accomplishments.


  • Parent Partnership & Primacy

    States that parents are the primary educators of their children; aims to work with families to support each child’s unique characteristics and needs.


  • Support for Educators & Staff

    Commits to giving educators, administrators, and school personnel the support and tools needed to educate, encourage, and protect students.


  • Fiscal Stewardship for All Taxpayers

    Pledges sound, conservative, and responsible oversight of budgets funded by taxpayer dollars, emphasizing the Board’s fiduciary duty to manage finances fairly for all residents, including those without children in the school.


  • Civic Education (Interview Context)

    In the radio conversation, Carman highlights the importance of robust civic education. He states that Hopewell Crest includes civics at every grade and (on-air) identifies himself as curriculum committee chair.

Issues

  • Specific Issue Positions

    As of August 25, 2025, no written, issue-by-issue positions were supplied via questionnaire. Public materials emphasize safety (defense-in-depth), academic growth, and fiscal responsibility; the radio discussion focuses on civic education and governance philosophy. Voters seeking details on safety implementation, current budget outlook, facilities, staffing, curriculum changes, or recent vote rationales may wish to request a follow-up Q&A or written brief.


  • Requests for Clarification (Suggested)

    To improve transparency and comparability:

    • Safety: specific elements of the defense-in-depth plan (procedures, training, technology, timelines).
    • Budget: 2025–26 priorities, tax impact, and how stewardship goals translate into line items.
    • Curriculum: “brand new initiatives” to be adopted/continued and how success will be measured.
    • Civics: scope & sequence by grade; how families can access materials and support learning at home.
    • Recent votes: brief rationales on notable board actions from the current term.

Background and Experience

  • Board Service (Incumbent)

    Current member of the Hopewell Crest Board of Education seeking a second term. On-air, Carman identified himself as chairman of the curriculum committee (self-reported during the radio program).


  • Community & Communication

    Host of the New Jersey Constitutional Republican Radio Hour (WVLT), where he discusses civic education and governance with community guests, including InformTheVoteNJ.


  • Governance Perspective

    Public statement centers on protecting students physically and intellectually, serving families and staff, and upholding fiduciary responsibilities to all residents through responsible budgeting.

Source Material

Social Media Statement

My Hopewell & Shiloh TWP. Neighbors,

My sincere thanks to all my fellow neighbors who signed my petition to be placed on the ballot for Election Day—Tuesday, November 4th, 2025, in having the honor to serve a 2nd term on the Hopewell Crest Board of Education. To be elected by your neighbors to serve on the Board of Education necessitates the duty to protect and serve.


To first assure the physical protection of our Students, Educators, Administrators, and all School Personnel. A Defense in Depth Strategy including robust protective measures and situational awareness are essential elements in protecting everyone at Hopewell Crest School.


Protecting our students intellectually and in their individuality enabling them to reach greater academic achievement in the important formative years of Preschool, and Kindergarten through 8th grade at Hopewell Crest.


Serving our students in providing a positive social climate in which to inspire their learning and serving their success with incorporating brand new curriculum initiatives ensuring improved intellectual accomplishments.


Serving our parents who are the primary educators of the children working with them to help accentuate the particular and unique characteristics every child is given. Serving our parents in every capacity they require to better educate their children for no substitute can provide the most important lessons a child will learn from their parents.


Serving our educators, administrators. and all school personnel in giving them the support and tools by which they perform their essential duties and responsibilities in educating, encouraging, and protecting our students.


Protecting and Serving the interest of all Hopewell and Shiloh residents including those neighbors who may not have children or grandchildren attending Hopewell Crest by sound, conservative, and responsible fiscal oversight of budgets that must be paid for by taxpayer dollars. Each Board Member has the fiduciary responsibility of managing all financial matters fairly and responsibly.


My duty as an elective representative to the Hopewell Crest School Board is first to protect and serve.

Sincerely,
J.R. Carman