Ocean County Solar Entrepreneur Runs for U.S. Senate [AUDIO]

An Ocean County Solar Energy Entrepreneur announces his intention to run for the U.S. Senate Seat currently held by Democrat Bob Menendez.

Joe Rullo is admittedly not the party favorite for the seat as a Republican Candidate but says he will let the voters decide in a June Primary election and not the political bosses. "What I anticipate to do and it's really simple, is that I am going to submit my signatures and the voters of New Jersey are going to vote me into office and that's what I plan on doing. I am not going to go through the dog-and-pony circus show of a few people and I'm not going to kiss any rings and that's it."

Rullo ran as a Republican Candidate for the 3rd District Congressional seat now held by Representative Jon Runyan last year. He later agreed to bow out of the race and let Runyan run unchallenged so that the GOP didn't have to spend money on a costly primary election.

When asked why he wants to serve? Rullo says "The reason i'm running for the U.S. Senate is to make the jobless employed, foreclosures into home sales. This nation has inequities that need to be addressed. We have a nation right now that is exporting jobs."

Rullo says when elected to the U.S. Senate he plans to act as a liaison to draw businesses to the Garden State. "I have a lot of alliances, a lot of friendships all over the world. I will network. I will bring manufacturing to New Jersey working with Chris Christie our Governor.... I want to make sure that you know, the companies that are big out there that are making solar equipment, wind equipment , methane, I want to make sure that in New Jersey, we get first dibbs at it."

Internationally, Rullo says he'll push for the destruction of Afghanistan's Poppy Fields that he says is funding the purchase of weaponry that's killing U.S. Troops overseas. He says he's also in favor of a U.S. missile strike on Iran's alleged nuclear weapons program.

As far as healthcare, Rullo says as a private businessman he's one of those people who have been left behind because he doesn't have health insurance. He says presently, when he gets health insurance, he will not be able to cover any pre-existing conditions that he has. "That was the forefront of Obama's whole healthcare pitch and yet that part of it wasn't made a reality immediately. It was put together as a package so that people had to choose."

Rullo calls the transfer of millions of dollars from Medicare to pay for the new healthcare reform law a travesty. He says he believes in cutting Medicare costs by making the entitlement program more efficient and by rooting out fraud and corruption.

He's also an advocate for Ocean County getting a Veterans hospital.

Rullo is already winning praise from the U.S. Term Limits Organization by promising to support and co-sponsor an amendment to the U.S. Constitution limiting Congressional Terms. There's also word that Rullo himself pledged to serve for only one term if elected.

• Campaign website: rullo4senate.com

Listen to a conversation with Joseph Rullo (3 parts)