A prominent 9/11 widow—and former Republican (THIS IS A LIE)—explains why she now wants Kerry to win the White House race
Kristen Breitweiser steps up to the podium to endorse John Kerry as other 9/11 widows wait with a survivor of the attack for their turn to speak
By Jennifer Barrett Ozols
Newsweek
Updated: 4:21 p.m. ET Sept 17, 2004
Sept. 17 - Kristen Breitweiser supported George W. Bush in 2000. This year, she’s endorsing his opponent. She is certainly not the only woman in America to change her mind about whom she plans to vote for this election, but Breitweiser is no ordinary voter. The New Jersey lawyer-turned-stay-at-home-mom has taken on an increasingly prominent role since September 11. After her husband, Ron, a vice president at Fiduciary Trust, was killed in the World Trade Center, she joined three other widows from her state as activists demanding a full investigation into the 2001 attacks. The group, who call themselves "The Jersey Girls,” have since testified before Congress, met with administration officials, and lobbied successfully for the creation of the 9/11 Commission to look into intelligence failures leading up to the 2001 attacks.