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A young challenger takes on Norcross for Congress

"Hey - my name's Alex. I'm running for Congress," the affable young fellow says, deftly deploying a handshake that's as earnest as his eye contact.

Alex Law introduces himself to Mary Jackson while campaigning in Collingswood. (ELIZABETH ROBERTSON/Staff Photographer)
Alex Law introduces himself to Mary Jackson while campaigning in Collingswood. (ELIZABETH ROBERTSON/Staff Photographer)Read more

"Hey - my name's Alex. I'm running for Congress," the affable young fellow says, deftly deploying a handshake that's as earnest as his eye contact.

"I'm running in next year's primary against the Norcross group."

That's how Alex Law, 24, introduces himself to voters he hopes will support his upstart, long-shot, minimally funded but impressively focused freshman run for public office.

The proudly progressive Democrat (raise the minimum wage, reform marijuana laws, secure LGBT rights) intends to challenge incumbent U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross in the June 7, 2016, Democratic primary.

If Law wins the primary and the general election, he would be 25 - the minimum age required to serve in the House - by the time he took office. If he loses, it won't be for lack of effort.

"As of Tuesday, our team had collectively knocked on the doors of 11,637 homes in the district, and I had conversations with between 2,500 and 3,000 voters in those homes," he says, adding that he hopes to speak to most of the 20,000 voters he estimates are needed to win.

The deeply Democratic district includes 50 communities in Camden and Gloucester Counties, as well as Maple Shade and Palmyra in Burlington County.

The party organization built by the congressman's brother, businessman and Cooper University Hospital board chairman George E. Norcross III, has dominated the territory for decades. Primary challengers and Republican hopefuls alike have met with Election Day annihilation.

But Law is undaunted.

"If you want to do something extraordinary, you can't do things by the book," he says.

"We're taking the campaign to the people. I'm out there sweating, while Donald might be in a very nice room eating fancy food."

The congressman himself was unavailable for an interview Wednesday, but released a statement that resolutely strode the high road.

"The great thing about our American democracy is that anyone can run for public office and have their voice heard," Norcross said.

"I always expect to earn the privilege to serve our community come election time, and I welcome the opportunity to highlight my record of service and results for the people of South Jersey."

I meet Law (Eastern High School '09, New York University '13) at the SoHa building, the artsy Haddon Township maker space, where he opened his campaign office two months ago.

He's got about $10,000 in the kitty, a bunch of (very) young interns, and sophisticated, richly detailed databases about district voters. And Law also possesses the hyper-literacy about digital and social media that's common among his fellow millennials.

That desirable demographic is the target of "Millennials Unite!," the latest amusingly in-your-face animated video on Law's action-packed website.

Lest anyone with gray hair become alarmed by the cartoon images of crinkly old folks consigning hipsters to cages, Law insists that baby boomers "are my biggest supporters."

A more modest start to his career in politics - a school board campaign, say - "would be almost as difficult as running for Congress, because of the control the Norcross machine has," he says.

"I want to make the biggest difference for as many people as I can."

The son of a Camden teacher and a Philadelphia businesswoman, he grew up in Voorhees, playing basketball and becoming interested in politics while a student at Eastern High.

The 2014 departure of Robert E. Andrews, who resigned under a cloud after holding the congressional seat for 20 years, and the ascension of Donald Norcross (then a state senator) inspired him to run, Law says.

He quit his consulting job with IBM in July so he could work on the campaign full time, and moved in with family to save money.

"Democrats or Republicans, most people who've run against the Norcross machine in the last 25 years think that the narrative of 'These guys are bad' is enough. It isn't," he says. "Mostly, we talk about ideas that are going to resonate with people, like campaign finance reform and student loan reform."

Law also blogs on sites such as Huffington Post and Down With Tyranny!, and is building up his campaign's social media profile.

He has endorsed Bernie Sanders for president and is campaigning for the proposed nuclear deal with Iran. And the media are beginning to pay attention.

"I'm about as competitive a person as you're ever going to meet," Law says. "The night at my dad's house when I put together my strategic plan, I could see a path to victory."