ESSEX COUNTY, NJ John Mirrione knew it was a longshot that he'd win a seat in Congress.

After all, the political neophyte was running against incumbent U.S. Rep. Donald Payne Jr., a Democratic Party stalwart in the 10th District who ended up with 241,522 votes almost six times that of the Republican nominee, Jennifer Zinone, who had 40,298.

Payne also soundly defeated independent candidates Akil Khalfani and Khaliah Fitchette, who garnered 3,537 and 3,480 votes, respectively.

When the certified results were finally in, Mirrione, the Libertarian Party nominee, stood at 1,172 votes. And at first glance, it might seem like a discouraging result for the karate expert, small business owner and U.S. Air Force veteran. But each of those ballots represents something bigger than a single campaign, he says: empowerment.

"I feel that now more than ever people were more open to a third-party viewpoint," Mirrione recently told Patch after being asked to reflect on the 2020 election.

"With the growing disparity of the democratic and republication parties, people were asking way more questions with deep overall concern of our government and its policies," Mirrione said. "This all mixed in with a media war just added to the ongoing confusion."

There's an overwhelming temptation to give in to conformity when you turn in your ballot, he said. But having the guts to vote for the candidate you think is the best choice regardless of their odds can change the status quo.

"People feel that they are forced to vote for a party line and have no control of the candidate selection," Mirrione said. "By going the third-party route, people felt more empowered to have an opportunity having more of a voice that counts in government leadership and policy."

"As a first-time candidate for Congress as a Libertarian, I felt proud that the majority of those who voted for me were a vote I earned, instead of it being a vote for a party line," Mirrione said.

When he launched his campaign, Mirrione said that no matter how the grand finale turned out, simply making the ballot was a decisive victory because it gave him a platform to spread the word about his anti-bullying work, which will continue after the election.

Drawing on his own past of being picked on while growing up in Brooklyn and Long Island, Mirrione embarked on a 17-city crusade in 2010. Digging into his own pocket for food and gas, he visited schools and YMCAs across the nation, speaking to kids about "being self-empowered, believing in themselves and knowing that anything is possible."

Soon, Mirrione found himself chatting with the likes of Deepak Chopra about his anti-bullying efforts and regimen of positive thinking.

In 2015, Mirrione formed the Harmony Power Foundation, an organization that is dedicated to "standing up to bullying and standing for human equality." Mirrione eventually scored a huge victory when the Elizabeth Public School District decided to incorporate his Harmony Power Awards program into its anti-bullying curriculum at no additional cost to the district.

Currently, Mirrione is calling for the creation of a "national anti-bullying liaison" in Washington D.C. in order to help people of all ages overcome emotional, mental and physical abuse from bullying.

"In the midst of this current political transition, we have a unique opportunity in front of us as a country," Mirrione said. "We can reaffirm our commitment to our children to raise them in a world where they don't need to be afraid where they can go about their life and become the best person they can be."

"By doing so, we might actually see there is more that unites us rather than divides us," he added.

The 10th District includes the following municipalities: Bloomfield, East Orange, Glen Ridge, Irvington, Maplewood, Montclair, Newark, Orange, South Orange, West Orange, Bayonne, Jersey City, Hillside, Linden, Rahway, Roselle, Roselle Park and Union Township.

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NJ Libertarian Says 2020 Election Empowered Third-Party Voters - Patch.com