North shore Congressional candidate Richard Tisei gathered employees outside his real estate business in Lynnfield, Massachusetts, to accept the endorsement of the National Federation of Independent Businesses.
"Small business owners, by their very nature, are independent thinkers," said President Bill Vernon. "We admire Richard's ability to work with all parties across the aisle."
Vernon says Tisei, a Republican, has been a long time advocate, whether helping to lowering taxes for small businesses or working to reform unemployment insurance.
"When it comes to job creation, I've done it and I've run a small business," said Tisei. "I think part of the problem in Congress right now is that you have people there who really don't have any practical experience running business."
The Tisei camp has had to rethink its talking points since the Sept. 9 primary when the assumed challenger, incumbent Congressman John Tierney, was defeated by a political newcomer Seth Moulton, a former marine officer with degrees from Harvard, Harvard Business School and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
"I think that Richard Tisei is a career politician who doesn't know an awful lot about economic development in the private sector," said Moulton.
He says his experience starting a health care company and working on a high speed rail project give him a better understanding of public and private sector challenges.
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"Richard Tisei would vote for the Paul Ryan budget, and that's not going to be good for working people," said Moulton.
Tisei says he does not support the Ryan budget and his campaign says Moulton has adopted John Tierney's talking points rather than engage in a real debate.
Moulton might have a hard time defining Tisei as a hard, right-wing, Tea Party conservative. Tisei is pro-choice, openly gay and holds many moderate positions.
"I can be a real change agent in Washington," said Tisei. "I will be able to hit the ground running on day one and I think I'll be able to do more for the state."
Moulton says his military background sets him apart. He says dealing with ISIS and veterans affairs would be among his priorities.
"We've never had fewer veterans in Congress in our nation's history, and we need people who have the credibility and experience in the middle east to ask the toughest questions," said Moulton.
