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The 7th Congressional District is seen as the only competitive congressional race in New Jersey this year, and while all the political rating groups say it’s freshman Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr.’s to win, recent polling data shows Democrat Sue Altman has a path to victory.

A Monmouth University Poll released Wednesday said Kean was leading Altman by 2 percentage points, with 46% expressing support for Kean and 44% supporting Altman. That is within the poll’s margin of error of 4.7 percentage points, meaning the race is still too close to call. This is the only nonpartisan poll that has been done on the district this year, but it mirrors the results of an internal poll commissioned by the Altman campaign and another poll by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

That DCCC Analytics poll showed Vice President Kamala Harris up by one point over former President Donald Trump and Rep. Andy Kim (D-3rd) up by four points over Republican Curtis Bashaw in the Senate race. The poll’s margin of error is five points.

“He’s a national joke – literally,” Malinowski told about 100 people gathered in a downtown plaza. Malinowski said the only national attention Kean has gotten in Washington has been for standing silent in an elevator when a reporter tried to ask him questions.

This is, naturally, a presidential year. But with New Jersey considered a “safe state” for Kamala Harris, Malinowski urged the crowd to focus on CD-7, which covers at least parts of Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren counties.

“We have to focus on flipping this seat in the seventh district,” he said.

Sue Altman, the Democrat challenging Rep. Tom Kean Jr., stood on a stage in Rahway taking questions Wednesday night when a Republican lawyer took the microphone and praised her for her support of Israel, and her outspoken opposition to antisemitism.

“I wanted to express my appreciation,” the lawyer, Alan Levy, said afterwards. “She’s all-in on support of Israel and the Jewish community.”

This issue, like no other, splits the Democratic Party in two. Last year, Gallup asked Democrats if they were more sympathetic towards Israel or Palestinians, and for the first time the Palestinians came out on top. And as we saw during the campus protests in the spring, and in the anti-Israel pronouncement of “The Squad” in Congress, it is the progressive wing of the party that’s leading this charge.

Altman’s views are in line with President Biden. She supports a two-state solution and says that expanding Jewish settlements on the West Bank is a barrier to peace. But when it comes to Israel’s security, she is hard line. She supports every weapons shipment and shares the absolutist goals of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Gaza war. “There is no path to peace as long as Hamas continues to exist,” Altman says.

Altman is our choice for the 7th District.

Some moderate voters may worry about her history near progressive New Jersey politics. We are convinced that Altman's candidacy is as she describes it — the Hunterdon County native spoke at length about her perspective on the complex politics of the 7th. Stalwart New Jersey Republicans live alongside more progressive Democrats. Altman seeks to strike a balance and said her priorities would include efforts to tackle affordability and to sustain our democratic institutions and women's and reproductive rights.

Loyalty to party is not greater than loyalty to New Jersey and the nation. The Keans know it, and so do we.

Voters in the 7th should cast their ballots for Altman.

Malinowski said the 7th district should hold a special place for Democrats in New Jersey — the presidential race, senate race, and other congressional races are not expected to be competitive, but the campaign between Kean and Altman could prove consequential in terms of control of the House of Representatives.

“We’ve got to focus on the difference that we can make,” Malinowski said. “We’ve got to focus on flipping this seat in the 7th district.”

Rep. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown), the Democratic nominee for Senate, also rallied the crowd of about 90 people in Somerville.

“Sue Altman’s doing everything she can,” Kim said. “I can assure you I’m doing everything I can. We’ve got to do our part, each and every one of us, we cannot do this alone.”

Altman also spoke for a few minutes, framing her campaign as a grassroots effort against Kean, who has received millions in outside spending and has held few open events.

Democrat Sue Altman is closing in on Rep. Tom Kean Jr. in their race for Congress, trailing him now by just two points with three weeks to go, according to a fresh poll from Monmouth University.

Kean might want to consider ending his isolation and talking to voters, and the press. His rose garden strategy doesn’t seem to be working.

Yes, it would be risky for Kean to emerge from his cave. He’d have to explain his endorsement of Donald Trump, and that conversation might do damage, especially among the centrist voters who could tip this thing.

Many voters in New Jersey mistakenly believe that Kean is a moderate Republican, thanks to that last name. His dad, the former governor, is a moderate and has denounced Trump as unfit for the presidency. So have Chris Christie, Christie Whitman, and Sen. Jon Bramnick, a candidate for governor next year.

So, if Kean Jr. ginned up the nerve to host a town hall, he’d have to explain why they are all wrong, including his dad.

The election in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District between incumbent Tom Kean, Jr. and challenger Sue Altman is extremely close according to the Monmouth (“Mon-muth”) University Poll. Kean has the edge on a number of issues, including the economy, immigration, and crime while Altman has a large advantage on abortion policy. Overall, voters are somewhat more likely to see Kean’s political views as being in step with the district than Altman’s.

Among all registered voters in the district, 46% will definitely (31%) or probably (15%) vote for Kean and 44% will definitely (32%) or probably (12%) vote for Altman.  [Note: Just over 1 in 10 voters report already casting their ballots. They are included among “definite” supporters for their chosen candidate.] Another 10% of registered voters do not have a preference between the two. Also, just 37% say they will definitely not vote for Kean and 38% will definitely not vote for Altman – which gives both candidates the potential to pick up support in the final weeks of the campaign.

The first – and possibly only – independent poll of the House contest in New Jersey’s 7th congressional district is out, and it shows a remarkably close race.

The poll, conducted by the Monmouth University Polling Institute, finds that 46% of registered 7th district voters will definitely or probably vote for incumbent Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield), and 44% will definitely or probably vote for his Democratic challenger, Sue Altman. (As has been the case in most recent Monmouth polls, the poll did not test a direct head-to-head between the candidates, instead gauging each of their support levels separately.)

When the field is expanded to include third-party candidates, Kean and Altman settle into a tie with 43% support each, while 6% of respondents said they would opt for another candidate. Two third-party contenders, Libertarian Lana Leguía and Green Andrew Black, are indeed on the ballot, though it would be a surprise if they combine for such a large share of the vote.

Patrick Murray, the director of the Monmouth Poll, said his poll indicates that both Kean and Altman could be in a position to win depending on how the final three weeks of the campaign break for each of them.

This morning, Sue Altman released a new ad in the tightly contested race for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District.

In the ad, NJ-07 resident Erica T. of Mountainside lays bare Republican Congressman Tom Kean, Jr.’s “dangerous anti-abortion views” – positions that are wildly out of step with the values of his constituents.

“Kean is such an extremist, he’s refused to protect IVF,” Erica says. “And he backs those who want a national abortion ban.”

Kean, Jr. might try to run away from his extreme anti-abortion views, but his 23-year political career details a sprawling record of support for stripping away the reproductive rights and fundamental freedoms of women in New Jersey and nationwide.

As is the case in countless congressional races around the country, the battle for New Jersey’s 7th congressional district between Republican incumbent Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) and Democrat Sue Altman is revolving in part around the issue of abortion. And this morning, Altman went on the air with a 15-second TV spot castigating Kean as an anti-choice extremist.

“Tom Kean Jr. has dangerous anti-abortion views,” a Mountainside resident named Erica says in the ad. “Kean is such an extremist, he’s refused to protect IVF. And Kean backed those who want a national abortion ban. Kean is wrong and dangerous for New Jersey.”

Altman’s campaign said that it is spending in the “high six figures” to air the ad in the 7th district.

Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ) and Democratic challenger Sue Altman sparred over Israel policy and antisemitism at their first and only debate on Sunday night, rehashing attacks and jabs each has been deploying on the campaign trail, trying to characterize each other as too extreme for the moderate district.

Both candidates cast themselves as strong defenders of Israel and fighters of antisemitism and sought to raise doubts about their opponents’ records. New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, which they’re vying to represent, includes a significant Jewish population.

Altman accused Kean of “lying,” saying that she had never held a public stance on Israel while she worked at the WFP, actively fought the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel, had traveled throughout Israel and utilized teaching materials from Yad Vashem.

The 7th District congressional race between Tom Kean Jr. and Sue Altman is considered one of the most competitive in the Garden State and the entire nation.

Almost all congressional incumbents in New Jersey are favored to recapture their seats this fall, but according to the Cook Political Report, an independent, non-partisan organization that analyzes elections and campaigns for the U.S. House of Representatives, the Kean Jr. and Altman race is tight. The organization had considered the race a toss-up, but now rates it as leaning Republican.

The race will have national implications and could determine which party ultimately controls the House.

At one point during Sunday’s CD-7 debate, Sue Altman said of her opponent – Thomas H. Kean Jr.:

“Your absence has created a vacuum and we’re filling it with leadership.”

She was talking about Kean’s habit of avoiding unfiltered interactions with the press and public.

Kean responded that the “vast majority of people in this district prefer I come to them.”

He spoke of telephone town halls, but in truth, his answer made little sense.

What Kean did do – time and time again – was label Altman as a far-left extremist, who backs legalizing all drugs and letting cop killers out of jail.

She said he was totally wrong.

Kean said that has been the position of the Working Families Party, for which Altman once worked.

Altman said none of that is her position.

The race in CD-7, which covers at least parts of Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren counties, is the most interesting in New Jersey this year.

Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-N.J.) fell silent after being asked by a debate moderator and his Democratic opponent whether he supports enacting mass deportations of migrants, a policy that former President Trump has called for.

The moment came during a debate between Kean and Democratic candidate Sue Altman on Sunday as part of the race to represent New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District in the House. Micah Rasmussen, the director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics and one of the moderators, asked Kean if he would support the policy, and if so, how the costs of the policy will be handled and what will be deprioritized to ensure the policy can get done. 

“Now I know how the reporters feel,” Altman said, making a reference to instances in the Capitol where Kean would not answer questions from reporters, which she has used in an ad to attack the Republican. 

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is out with a new internal poll in New Jersey’s 7th congressional district, and it corroborates what other recent internal polls have said: Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) has a small lead over Democrat Sue Altman, but it’s an extremely tight race.

The poll, which was conducted by the DCCC’s in-house firm, puts Kean up by two percentage points, 50% to 48% – well within the margin of error, though it’s worth noting that Altman has yet to post a lead in any public or private poll of the race.

That almost perfectly matches a different internal poll released by Altman’s own campaign earlier this week that found Kean leading 47% to 45%. It’s also a major improvement for Altman compared to prior internal Democratic polling taken earlier in the cycle, which at one point gave Kean advantages as large as 13 points.

If there is a single moment that captures the essence of Rep. Tom Kean Jr., it came on Sept. 25 when he stepped into an elevator in the Capitol to avoid a reporter.

The reporter followed him in, recording it all on video, asking a series of questions about Donald Trump, Ukraine, even the Mets. So far, 1.2 million viewers have seen what happened next.

Kean froze. He looked straight ahead, stone-faced and silent, refusing to say even what he had for lunch. He was a scared mouse.

A radical lefty? Not quite. This is a woman who is solidly in the mainstream of the Democratic Party. She has fought against leaders of her own party, based on principled belief. Can Kean make that claim?

The radical in this race is not Sue Altman; it’s Donald Trump, and the manager of his local franchise in the 7th District, Tom Kean Jr.

An internal poll by Democratic congressional challenger Sue Altman’s campaign shows her trailing incumbent Republican Tom Kean Jr. by two points, which is effectively statistically tied.

POLITICO obtained a summary memo of the 7th Congressional District poll as well as its questions and results. It shows Kean with 47 percent support and Altman with 45 percent support, with 7 percent undecided. The poll’s margin of error is plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.

The poll of 500 likely voters in the 7th district was conducted by the Democratic firm Global Strategy Group.

Context: Altman, the former leader of the New Jersey Working Families Party, and Kean, a freshman Republican who served in the state Senate for 20 years, are locked in what is widely considered the most competitive House race in New Jersey. But so far no public polls of the race have been released.

Kean, whose father is former Gov. Tom Kean, narrowly defeated two-term Democratic Rep. Tom Malinowski in 2022, after the district was redrawn to be slightly more Republican.

Don’t try talking to Rep. Thomas H. Kean Jr. in the hallway.

In a rare interview, Kean told ROI-NJ, an online media site concentrating on business news, that it’s important to have good relations with the press. However, he added:

“But I do have a long-standing policy that when we’re on government property and when I’m on my constituents’ time, I don’t do hallway interviews.”

All this has to do with the CD-7 congressman standing silently while a D.C – based reporter tried to engage him in conversation. Forget about policies.

Kean even refused to talk about the Yankees or what he had for lunch.

A video of this “exchange” is making the rounds and is being used by Sue Altman, Kean’s opponent.

Kean’s aversion to “hallway interviews” is a bit off-the-wall.  Anyone who watches the news sees members of the House and Senate – regardless of political persuasion – talking to reporters in the halls of Congress all the time.

The battle lines in the race between Rep. Tom Kean Jr. and his Democratic challenger, Sue Altman, are taking clear shape with a month to go.

Kean is the one who won’t talk to the press, and rarely emerges from his cave to hold events. If you haven’t seen the recent video of him stuck in an elevator with a reporter, it is must-see viewing for anyone in the 7th District. The reporter, Ben Hulac of NJ Spotlight, can’t get a reaction from Kean on any policy, or his endorsement of Donald Trump. “You pick the topic,” Hulac says in desperation. “I’d love to talk to you about literally anything.”

But let’s also take a closer look at who the extremist is in this race. Kean is a Trump loyalist. He’s shown none of the courage we’ve seen from other Republicans who have denounced Trump, from Liz Cheney to Chris Christie. He’s choosing instead to be silent and obedient, voting with Trump every time.

Today, Sue Altman released a new digital ad in the hypercompetitive Cook Political Report Toss-Up race for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District.

 The ad will likely look familiar to anyone who’s contributed to the 1.1 million X view count on a video of NJ Spotlight reporter Ben Hulac’s persistent, yet fruitless attempts to get freshman Republican Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. to answer a single question in the Capitol.

Unlike Kean, Jr., the tape speaks for itself.

 In the spot, Kean, Jr. refuses to make eye contact with (or acknowledge the existence of) Hulac, even as the reporter offers to let him talk about a topic of his choice.

 “You pick the topic. Would love to talk to you about literally anything.”

Sue Altman, Democratic nominee for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, announced raising more than $2,100,000 last quarter, bringing her campaign’s total raise to over $5,100,000 this cycle.

Unlike her opponent, incumbent Republican Congressman Tom Kean, Jr., Sue doesn’t accept a single cent of corporate PAC money and relies heavily on grassroots support. Her campaign has received contributions from over 30,000 unique donors this cycle.

Kean, Jr. has accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of his career from corporate special interests, and his campaign has increasingly relied on outside spending to keep pace in this hypercompetitive Cook Political Report Toss-Up race.

Sue Altman, the Democratic nominee for New Jersey’s hyper-competitive 7th congressional district, has had another gangbusters fundraising quarter, raising more than $2.1 million between July 1 and September 30.

The whopping total brings Altman into the upper echelons of the strongest House fundraisers in New Jersey history – the record still belongs to Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair), who raised $2.8 million from donors in a single quarter in 2018 – and means that Altman will have lots of cash to spend in her bid to unseat first-term Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield).

“The numbers speak for themselves – thanks to the support of the thousands of people who know NJ-07 deserves better than Tom Kean, Jr., this campaign has the momentum and resources it needs to sprint all the way through Election Day, and we’re not going to slow down anytime soon,” Rob West, Altman’s campaign manager, said in a statement.

Women and girls in sports have bigger things to worry about than transgender athletes, Democrat Sue Altman is reminding voters.

The candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in New Jersey's 7th District touched on the topic of trans inclusion in sports at a Thursday town hall in Phillipsburg. As a former basketball player for Columbia University, Altman said that she is supportive of “our trans brothers and sisters” playing on teams that align with their gender identities.

"If we decide as a society that making rules about who is and who isn’t female is more important than giving young children a chance to be on teams and compete and to be part of something bigger than themselves, especially young people who are more susceptible to suicide and bullying, then I think we’ve lost our way a little bit," Altman said, via the New York Post.

On Friday morning, the National Republican Campaign Committee shared an audio clip on X that appeared to depict Sue Altman, the Democratic candidate challenging Rep. Tom Kean (R-NJ) in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, endorsing antisemitic campus protests at Columbia University.

But the full clip tells a very different story, in which Altman clearly condemned the protests as antisemitic and unacceptable.

The post is the latest of Republicans’ efforts to portray Altman, a longtime progressive activist who led the Working Families Party in New Jersey, as too radical to represent the New Jersey swing district — a line of attack that has sometimes focused on questions about Altman’s record on Israel.

This morning, Sue Altman released a new ad in the hypercompetitive Cook Political Report Toss-Up race for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District.

The ad showcases law enforcement leaders who have decided to back Altman over incumbent Republican Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. – including Somerset County Sheriff Darrin Russo and Union County Sheriff Peter Corvelli – representing the two largest counties of NJ-07.

Rejecting Tom Kean, Jr.’s “dishonest attacks and lies,” these law enforcement leaders support Altman’s vision for comprehensive public safety – which includes fully funding police departments so they can invest in the training, recruitment, and equipment they need, standing against the rise of hate crimes and holding perpetrators accountable, and getting dangerous firearms off our streets to keep our communities safe.

Voters have the opportunity for new leadership they can trust and be proud of with Sue as their next Congresswoman.

Democrat Sue Altman began airing a new broadcast and cable TV ad this morning using three career law enforcement officials to validate her support of law enforcement after four police unions endorsed the Republican incumbent, Rep. Tom Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield) in New Jersey’s 7th district.

In “Seen it All,” Altman uses two county sheriffs – both Democrats – and a relative who is a retired police detective on Long Island – to deliver a contrast with Kean and burnish her pro-police credentials.   The ad notes that Altman’s grandfather and uncle were police officers – and uses a photo of her as a young child with a police officer, pointing out: “That’s Sue.”

The Service Employees International Union New Jersey State Council has endorsed Andy Kim for the U.S. Senate and nine Democratic candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives, including challenger Sue Altman in the 7th district.

The labor union is backing six incumbent Democrats for re-election: Donald Norcross (D-Camden), Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-Long Branch), Robert Menendez (D-Jersey City), LaMonica McIver (D-Newark), Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing).

Sue Altman has a simple message as fall arrives and Election Day nears: “I’m here.”

Being accessible to voters and the press typically isn’t enough to stand apart in a tight congressional race like the one she’s in with Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield). But Altman hopes her criticisms of Kean — that he gives too few interviews to journalists and is too unwilling to be in the public eye — will further differentiate her from the Republican.

Altman, who hosted a town hall in Warren County’s Phillipsburg on Thursday night, jabbed Kean for a video in which the congressman refused to answer questions from an NJ Spotlight reporter. The Democrat used these points to double down on an argument she made in her first town hall: that Kean lacks “political courage.”

“He’s either deeply uncomfortable with a cognitive dissonance he’s holding in his brain about the job he has, or he doesn’t want the job, or he just cannot defend his positions,” Altman told the Globe after the town hall. “And either one of those is pretty upsetting.”

Today, the Congressional Black Caucus PAC endorsed Sue Altman in her race for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, where she is locked in a hyper-competitive Cook Political Report Toss-Up race with Republican Congressman Tom Kean, Jr.

Congressional Black Caucus PAC Chairman Gregory Meeks made the following statement:

“Sue Altman is a stalwart supporter of justice and policies that will strengthen our communities and invest in a brighter future for all New Jerseyans. Based on her history advocating for working families, teachers, and taxpayers, I know Sue will be a vital part of the next generation of leaders who will bring forward a new Democratic House majority. The Congressional Black Caucus PAC wholeheartedly endorses her in NJ-07.”

Rep. Tom Kean Jr. should donate his Congressional salary to charity after handing in his resignation. His refusal to answer questions of any kind – even what he had for lunch – has turned him into a national joke.

If you haven’t seen the video of NJ Spotlight’s Ben Hulac chasing him into an elevator this week in a futile effort to get even one answer to a question, take a look at it. It is painful to watch, because Kean stands in silence for two minutes, stone-faced, as Hulac asks him a series of questions.

But not Kean. I’ve sent him dozens of questions in the last few years, and he’s never answered one, even in writing. He’s not holding open town halls, either.

It’s a sad story, really. Kean never had the confidence to speak openly about controversial issues, even when he was a Republican leader in the state Legislature. He’d always begin by asking, “Are we off the record?” But eventually, he would usually tell you what he thought, even if couched with timid qualifiers.

New Jersey will potentially play a pivotal role in this November’s election, with virtually all of its delegation’s seats up for election in what could help decide the balance of power in Congress.

But covering the reelection campaign of one Republican incumbent has become more like a game of chase — and our reporting team is losing.

Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-7th) has avoided or refused questions and interviews from reporters both here at NJ Spotlight News and across the New Jersey press corps, effectively giving the silent treatment to those tasked with holding elected officials accountable.

Altman’s town hall tour is more than just answering an assortment of questions about strains on teacher’s pensions, anxieties about property taxes, Social Security and climate change. The tour has provided a stage for Altman to draw a sharp contrast with her opponent, Republican incumbent Rep. Thomas H. Kean Jr., who largely avoids the press, minimizes his informal interactions with voters and is banking on the power of social media and the aura of the enduring Kean name — his father, former Gov. Thomas H. Kean, a pillar of moderate Republican politics, remans one of the most popular figures in New Jersey despite leaving office more than three decades ago.

Her point: she will be accountable to voters, anxious about the fate of Democracy. Kean, she argues, is accountable to Republican House leadership led by ultra conservative House Speaker Mike Johnson, and led around by the nose by ex-President Donald Trump and his MAGA army. Sending Kean back to Washington for a second term will only fortify a Republican Party that is drifting toward a draconian vision of governance and away from the nation’s democratic moorings, Altman contends.

A coalition of labor and grassroots progressive groups has raised over $500,000 to help Democrat Sue Altman unseat Rep. Thomas Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield) in New Jersey’s 7th district, the New Jersey Globe has learned.

The New Jersey Education Association, the Communications Workers of America, the Working Families Party, 32BJ SEIU, New Jersey Citizen Action, Make the Road New Jersey, and Blue Wave New Jersey are expected to use the funds to pay for digital ads, direct mail, paid canvassing, and even airplane banners in their bid to flip the 7th district seat.

“The road to a just, pro-worker Congress runs right through New Jersey, and CWA members are ready to get to work like never before to make sure that working people win at the ballot box in November,” said CWA District 1 Vice President Dennis Trainor.  “We cannot let billionaires continue to buy their way into power and pave the way for politicians who want to strip us of our rights, our union, our retirement, and our freedoms.”

Trying to cover the re-election campaign of Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. of New Jersey is a bit like reading the children’s book “Where’s Waldo?”

Numerous postings on Facebook from the Kean campaign show events in the state's 7th Congressional District, but only after those appearances have been held. His campaign sends out press releases criticizing his Democratic challenger Sue Altman, but none mention any of Kean's upcoming public events.

All queries to the campaign go unanswered, including one for this story. Multiple reporters from other outlets said this has also happened to them.

NJ Spotlight News Anchor Briana Vannozzi sits down with New Jersey’s District 7 Democratic candidate Sue Altman.

Sue Altman, Democratic candidate for Congress representing the Seventh Congressional district, returned on Monday, Sept. 16, to her hometown of Clinton to talk to potential constituents.

She will face off against Republican Congressman Thomas Kean Jr., who is seeking his second two-year term,  in the Tuesday, Nov. 5 general election.

More than 100 attendees from across Hunterdon and Somerset counties and beyond heard Altman cover topics ranging from transparency in government, funding for schools and infrastructure, the viability of New Jersey agriculture, the workings of Congress and the importance of voter turnout. 

But an interesting difference between the challengers and the incumbents is the relative lack of focus on health care policy. A few candidates mention lowering prescription drug costs in their ads, but the issue does not define their messaging campaigns in the same way it defines incumbent Democrats’. Interestingly, challengers followed the same script as their Republican counterparts — once again, we see words like “Washington” "and “politicians” prominently featured in the word cloud.

A great example of this is New Jersey’s 7th congressional district. Democratic challenger Sue Altman uses two Republican surrogates, who say, “I'm really done with Tom Kean Jr. Kean is your typical say-anything, do-nothing politician. I gave the guy a chance.”

That’s pure political persuasion. In an R+1 congressional district that has voted for both Trump and Biden, Altman is betting her best path to electoral victory is exposing Republican-leaning voters to that ad, and subsequently, getting them to rethink their party commitment. They might still cast a ballot for Trump, but pass on their support for the “do-nothing politician,” Tom Kean Jr.

Tom H. Kean Jr. won his CD-7 seat two years ago by not really engaging with the press or having public events.

He’s following the same pattern this year as he seeks reelection. This has continued to cause angst among the media, Democrats and some public interest groups.

Here’s what the Democratic candidate said after holding a town hall Saturday afternoon in this Morris County town:

“Tom Kean Jr. dodges the press, doesn’t do town halls … people care about that because they care about the democracy. And not just in an esoteric concept. But democracy in terms of how it functions in this district. These are people who expect a high degree of service from their elected officials.”

Sue Altman has been out and about all week – holding a rally in Rahway, a town hall in Clinton and speaking at a forum at FDU.

Not so much her opponent, incumbent Rep. Tom H. Kean Jr.

Yes, he has a “day job,” but that in itself does not explain Kean’s continuing refusal to engage with the press, or for that matter, just about anyone other than loyal Republicans.

Kean used this strategy in winning his CD-7 seat two years ago, so one can’t blame him for doing it again in a district that leans Republican by about 19,000 on the registration rolls.

At the same time, it makes for an interesting dynamic in what is the only competitive House race in the state.

In the banquet hall of a hotel-turned-assisted living facility in her hometown of Clinton, Democratic challenger Sue Altman launched a six-stop town hall circuit that will stop in each of the 7th district’s six counties.

The town hall was itself a jab at Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) — Altman said the congressman’s lack of town halls and in-depth interviews with the press signified a break in tradition from leaders in the district. And while Altman discussed the pair’s political and ideological differences with the event’s 175 attendees, she blamed the Republican’s relative lack of accessibility on an absence of “political courage.”

“He is not someone who’s known for wanting to be in the public eye, and I would respect that if he was accountable to the people of this district in other ways,” Altman said during the town hall. “But it is my opinion that he’s not at all.”

Sue Altman, the Democratic nominee for the 7th district against freshman Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield), is up on the air with her first TV ad of the cycle, a spot starring two self-described Republican voters named Anthony and Sue who say they’re turned off by Kean’s views.

Altman’s campaign is putting up $500,000 to air a one-week blitz of the ad, titled “Turn the Page”: $400,000 on broadcast TV and another $100,000 on cable. That’s a major investment for Altman, who had $2.2 million on-hand as of the end of June (though she’s certainly raised more in the two months since then).

As the 2024 campaign season begins in earnest, some Republicans are still trying to thread the needle on the abortion issue, in hopes that it will dampen the political powder keg that has cost the GOP elections all over the US since Roe v. Wade was overturned two years ago.

On the one hand, these candidates assert themselves as pro-choice, because they say they oppose the idea of government imposing rules on a woman’s rights and body sovereignty.

Yet on the other hand, the same candidates cheer the Supreme Court’s ruling in the 2022 Dobbs decision, which tore away the constitutional right to bodily autonomy and privacy by giving the states the authority to restrict or outlaw abortions.

Former President Donald Trump’s recent suggestion that he backs the removal of a $10,000 cap on state and local tax deductions put in place by a 2017 tax bill he signed has candidates in the 7th Congressional District sparring over what’s known as the SALT deduction.

Altman, meanwhile, noted the cap exists only because of a Republican Congress and administration. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which imposed the cap, passed both chambers of Congress without a single yes vote from Democrats and was signed into law by Trump.

“@KeanForCongress has zero credibility on SALT when he still refuses to admit Trump and GOP leadership are responsible for the double-tax on NJ families while doing nothing to fix the problem. Must be hard to fight for NJ-07 without a backbone,” Altman said on X.

Billionaire Elon Musk’s America PAC has begun spending in House districts around the country to aid Republicans and slam Democrats – and one of the districts he’s targeting is New Jersey’s own 7th congressional district.

According to paperwork filed with the Federal Election Commission, America PAC is spending $124,059 on “canvassing and field operations” to boost Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) and attack his Democratic opponent, Sue Altman, who is running a well-funded campaign to unseat Kean in the competitive 7th district.

“I’m happy to be targeted by the world’s richest man and his Trump-supporting super PAC, but it isn’t surprising Tom Kean, Jr. is turning to billionaires like Elon Musk to prop up his failing campaign,” Altman said. “Mega corporations and the wealthy elite continue to try to buy our elections and put their fingers on the scale of democracy. Regardless of your political party, big money in politics is bad for our democracy and our country. I’m running to put people over profits and put power back in the hands of voters.”

Voters do understand, though, that federal law trumps state law, Sue Altman said, adding that should make anyone concerned about abortion stampede to the polls.

Altman, the Democrat challenging GOP Rep. Tom Kean Jr.  in the 7th Congressional district, warned that federal lawmakers could outlaw abortion altogether if the GOP sees gains in the coming election.

“If (House Speaker) Mike Johnson has the gavel again and Donald Trump is elected president, there’s a very, very good chance that they will enact a national abortion ban,” Altman said. “I grew up in the 1990s, I’m class of 2000, and it makes me sick to my stomach that I may have already lived through the high watermark of women’s rights in my life, and if that itself is not enough of an issue, then I don’t know what is.”

“The question to voters is, when it comes down to it, if the Republicans hold the House and national abortion ban legislation is put on Tom Kean’s desk, will he, for the first time in his life, stand up against party leadership and vote it down? Or will he do what clearly history shows he’s consistent in doing — will he ignore the will of the people of the district he represents and will he vote with party leadership?” Altman said.

Democratic Congressional candidate Sue Altman on Monday held her first in-person town hall, trying to draw a contrast with her mild-mannered — and more low key — opponent, Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-N.J.).

She also separated herself somewhat from Democratic leadership. At the same time she accused Kean of not being available to constituents in unscripted forums, she acknowledged she has disagreements with Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.

Altman invited the press to attend the event in her hometown of Clinton and took several unscreened questions.

Kean’s availability to taking questions has been a consistent theme from the Altman campaign in the race to represent New Jersey's 7th Congressional District, which is one of the most competitive in the country. She criticized Kean for not accepting press interviews — highlighting two instances in the past week where the congressmember declined interviews with the New Jersey Globe and New Jersey Spotlight News — and said Kean was not holding a sufficient number of public events.

...

TODAY, Monday, September 16th, 2024, Sue Altman will begin her town hall tour across New Jersey’s 7th congressional district in her hometown of Clinton. The town hall tour will make stops in every county of NJ-07, where Sue is locked in a hyper-competitive Cook Political Report Toss-Up race with Republican Congressman Tom Kean, Jr.

Sue is running to show up and fight for voters by tackling corruption in both parties, protecting reproductive rights and fundamental freedoms, restoring the SALT deduction, and confronting the affordability crisis head-on.

With union members decked out in colorful shirts assembled before her, Sue Altman was hailed Saturday morning as one of them – a working individual who relates to average folk.

Altman had no trouble picking up the theme, telling a rally outside the town train station that her opponent, Rep. Tom Kean Jr., is a different sort.

She speculated Kean knows little about grocery shopping and has no idea of what it feels like to share an apartment to make ends meet.

The point was clear: Kean, the son of the former governor, simply can’t relate to the concerns of working Americans.

Union members on hand for the rally included those from CWA, the NJEA and the Service Employees International Union.

Today, the Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI) PAC endorsed Sue Altman in her race for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, where she is locked in a hyper-competitive Cook Political Report Toss-Up race with Republican Congressman Tom Kean, Jr.

Sue has been a vocal advocate for the U.S.-Israel relationship. She has been a firm supporter of aid to Israel as it seeks to defend itself against Hamas and Hezbollah, and has repeatedly condemned the disturbing increase in antisemitic incidents and extremist rhetoric in the United States, while also demanding increased humanitarian aid to those in Gaza impacted by the war.

Sue Altman, the Democratic nominee for New Jersey’s highly competitive 7th congressional district, has staked her claim as a pro-Israel Democrat, saying that she firmly believes in Israel’s right to defend itself and that the United States should remain a close ally. Today, she got an endorsement to back up those bona fides.

The Democratic Majority for Israel Political Action Committee (DMFI PAC), a group that endorses pro-Israel Democrats for Congress – and sometimes works to oust those who take stands against Israel – announced today that it will support Altman in her campaign against freshman Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield).

This morning, Sue Altman released her first TV ad in the hypercompetitive Cook Political Report Toss-Up race for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District.

 The ad spotlights two NJ-07 Republicans who have rejected Tom Kean, Jr. as “your typical say anything, do nothing politician.”

 Anthony and Sue N. cite Kean Jr.’s extreme record  – including the infamous “secret website” he used to covertly signal his anti-reproductive freedom agenda to conservative voters and donors – as their motivation for a change in representation.

“Tom Kean Jr.’s recent ad is nothing but a desperate attempt to rewrite history and mislead voters,” said McCormick. “He is trying to exploit his 2006 race against Bob Menendez to distract from his own troubling record.”

“Kean is not the reformer he claims to be,” said McCormick. “In fact, his history is riddled with contradictions and ties to the very corruption he now pretends to fight.”

Kean’s ad references his 2006 race against Menendez, focusing on his imaginary fight against corruption. However, McCormick points out that Menendez, at the time of their contest, had not been implicated in the serious crimes for which he was later convicted.

This week, vulnerable New Jersey Republican Tom Kean Jr. decided to come out of his hidey-hole only to once again stumble over an answer when voters hammered him for endorsing Donald Trump and his dangerous Project 2025 agenda.

This isn’t the first time Kean Jr. has failed to distance himself from Project 2025’s extremism. While the authors of the far-right agenda called the harmful Dobbs decision “just the beginning,” Kean Jr. similarly promised he would fight “every step of the way to protect the unborn from egregious abortion laws.” Since then, he’s voted for bills which chip away at women’s fundamental reproductive freedoms and punish doctors who provide abortions.

"I see Donald Trump as an existential threat to our democracy.  If he were re-elected, it is imperative that the Democrats flip control of the House of Representatives and maintain control of the Senate. An unrestrained, dictatorial Donald Trump devoid of Congressional restraints would be untenable in light of recent Supreme Court ruling pertaining to presidential immunity.

New Jerseyans can do their part to build a firewall against Trumpism by winning back one of the three House of Representatives seats currently held by Republicans in New Jersey.  Most pundits believe that the 7th Congressional District seat, currently held by 55 year old Tom Kean, Jr., is their best chance of gaining a seat. It will be one of the most watched races in the country."

Since Kamala Harris burst onto the national stage and lit her party’s base on fire, Democrats across the country have made solid gains in races for governor, the Senate, and the House, climbing in the polls and raking in big bucks.

“There’s no doubt that Harris has lifted all Democratic boats,” says Dave Wasserman of the Cook Political Report. “Now Democrats feel they’re back in the game.”

How might this affect New Jersey? There is only one swing district here, and one race that the professionals rate as a tossup – the contest for Congress in the 7th District, a seat held by Rep. Tom Kean Jr., a freshman.

Republicans running for Congress in swing districts, like Tom Kean Jr., are in a real bind over in vitro fertilization.

They know most voters don’t think the government should stand in the way of couples desperate to have children. But House leadership and many of their donors have launched a full-scale assault on women’s reproductive rights – including IVF treatment.

Both Johnson and Kean have tried to make this more palatable by claiming that they personally support IVF – but it doesn’t matter a bit, because they’re doing nothing to actually protect the right to IVF treatment. While four other Republicans running in competitive House districts signed onto a bill in March to federally codify this right in the wake of the Alabama Supreme Court’s stunning ruling that embryos are considered children, Kean did not.

Sue Altman, Democratic nominee for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, released the following statement on the passing of Congressman Bill Pascrell:

“I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of the irreplaceable Bill Pascrell this morning.

Bill dutifully served his community in the Assembly, as Mayor of Patterson, and as a United States Congressman for 27 years.

He was a teacher, a veteran, and a son of the Garden State. He was a proud defender of New Jersey values and a steadfast ally of working people and families.

My thoughts are with his family, his many friends, and the constituents he so loyally represented over his lifetime of public service.”

Sue Altman, Democratic candidate for congress in New Jersey's 7th district, joins Brian briefly to talk about her race against one-term Republican incumbent Tom Kean, Jr.

In the New Jersey’s competitive 7th congressional district race, Democratic hopeful Sue Altman is hammering incumbent Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. for not supporting a U.S. House bill enshrining federal protections for IVF into law.

The Alabama case looms large in a race occurring in a House district more than 950 miles from Montgomery. Kean, who said he was “deeply disturbed” by the Alabama Supreme Court’s ruling, has since pitched a proposal to offer income tax credits for people seeking IVF. But Altman has pounced, saying that Kean is not doing enough to stand up against the “extremists” who want to dismantle IVF.

New Jersey Democrat Sue Altman started hammering her House GOP opponent over in-vitro fertilization after an Alabama court put the issue in the national spotlight earlier this year.

She has not let up since, accusing self-described pro-choice Rep. Tom Kean Jr. of not standing up to “extremists targeting reproductive rights.”

“Other people in similar districts, other Republicans, have made different decisions than Tom Kean Jr., and to me, it shows that Tom Kean Jr. completely lacks [a] backbone, and he will not stand up for the women of the 7th [congressional district],” Altman said in an interview with POLITICO.

Three of the region’s leading Democrats spoke: Andy Kim, who is running for the U.S. Senate, Rep. Mikie Sherrill of CD-11 and Sue Altman, who is running against Republican incumbent Thomas H. Kean Jr. in CD-7. Sherrill, who does not face strong opposition this year, said Republican control of government could mean a national abortion ban in addition to cuts in education funding, including Head Start, a preschool program that dates back to the Johnson Administration.

Altman’s race against Kean is getting national attention. To win, she has to do well throughout the district, but more specifically, she has to make at least some inroads in very Republican Sussex and Warren counties.

On that, she’s optimistic. She says that when she talks to people throughout the district about, say, climate change, they are receptive.

A bus tour promoting youth involvement in politics stopped by Bridgewater on Monday night to endorse Sue Altman in her tight battle for New Jersey’s 7th congressional district.

The Tour to Save Democracy hosted the event at Green Knoll Grill, where about 200 people, including a sizable group of Gen Z voters, rallied for Altman and Rep. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown), the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair) also spoke in support of Altman and Kim, as the speakers focused on issues like abortion rights, gun control, and youth involvement in politics.

Altman took the fight to her Republican opponent, Rep. Thomas Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield), tying him to House Speaker Mike Johnson. She said she would protect LGBTQ+ rights and abortion rights and fight climate change.

The first debate between Democrat Sue Altman and Republican incumbent Tom Kean, Jr. will take place on Sunday, September 29 at 8 PM.

Altman and Kean are facing off in New Jersey’s 7th district, which is widely considered one of the most competitive House races in the nation.

The 90-minute debate is sponsored by the New Jersey Globe, On New Jersey, and the Rebovich Institute of New Jersey Politics at Rider University and will be streamed on the New Jersey Globe, On New Jersey, Facebook Live, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube.

The battle over labor support in New Jersey’s highly competitive 7th congressional district continues, with the United Utilities Workers Union of America (UWUA) Local 601 announcing its support for Democrat Sue Altman over incumbent Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield).

UWUA Local 601, which represents over 1,300 New Jerseyans who work at Public Service Electric & Gas and NJ Transit, said that Altman’s long history as an advocate for organized labor made the choice an easy one.

“[Altman] came to our Executive Council Meeting on June 27th and the vote was unanimous,” said Noel Christmas, Local 601’s president and the chairman of the UWUA New Jersey State Council. “She showed us that she has the backs of our union and our working families. She promised to keep her door open for the Utility Workers Union of America and listen to all our concerns.”

Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr., campaigning for a second term in the most competitive major race in the state, recently turned down two debate invitations — something his Democratic opponent’s campaign has seized on.

While Kean’s campaign says he will take part in other debates, noting that he has before, 7th congressional district Democratic challenger Sue Altman criticized him for being scared to engage with her one-on-one.

“I think he’s too afraid to debate us, and he doesn’t even say why,” Altman, who’s challenging Kean in the Central Jersey swing district, said in a phone interview. Altman likened Kean to a “jellyfish” and a “turtle” who hides from constituents.

“It’s the new beginning, different faces, fresh moment. That’s true in New Jersey, but it’s also now true nationally,” said Sue Altman, a first-time candidate running against Republican Rep. Tom Kean in New Jersey’s battleground 7th District. “For a while there, our campaign was providing hope when other places in the country hope was hard to find, and that’s including the presidential mess. I think now, however, it’s even more so the snowball is rolling down the hill because now there’s hope everywhere you look.”

Sue Altman, the Democratic candidate looking to unseat Rep. Tom Kean Jr. in District 7, one of the most closely watched Congressional races in the country, also praised Biden for being "one of the most consequential Presidents in American history."

Like the other Central Jersey Democrats, Altman said she is "more confident than ever before that Democrats will be united in November to defend our democracy, build on the progress we've made in the past four years and continue to deliver results for the American people.

For that reason, I have recently joined my own representative in Congress, Rep. Mikie Sherrill, in campaigning for Sue Altman in the 7th District – a toss-up district that may decide who controls the House next year.

Sue has put reproductive rights front-and-center in her race, and is clear-eyed about the work that must be done in Congress and the access issues that are specific to New Jersey communities.

She knows that limited insurance coverage and travel distance are major barriers for marginalized patients seeking care, even in our state. She is firm in standing against deceptive practices by “crisis pregnancy centers” that endanger patients by disguising anti-abortion dogma as medical care.

Finally, Alyssa interviews four fantastic state-level candidates - Mai Xiong of Michigan, Anna Payne of Pennsylvania, Sue Altman of New Jersey, and Averie Bishop of Texas - who offer us a glimmer of hope, talking about their campaigns.

It happened again: Democrat Sue Altman outraised Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) for the second quarter in a row in the closely watched 7th district.

Altman raised $1,674,562 during Q2, a truly astronomical amount for a first-time candidate; she raised more from donors than any other House candidate in the state (Gottheimer’s total is slightly higher because of interest on existing cash). Without a primary to worry about, Altman was able to stockpile most of her money, and has a warchest of $2,223,330.

Sue Altman, the executive director of the New Jersey Working Families Alliance and Democratic nominee for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, hailed the conviction, calling Menendez “a corrupt dinosaur from an era of Jersey politics that is thankfully coming to a close.”

“His conduct is an embarrassment to our state, and he should resign immediately,” she told The Hill in a statement. “Change is in the air — people are clamoring for fresh, new leadership in both parties. Out with old, calcified, corrupt political entities and individuals. It’s time for something better.”

Democrat Sue Altman was dragged out of a legislative committee hearing almost five years ago. Now that viral moment is at the center of a new Altman campaign ad as she tries to keep the pressure on Republican incumbent Tom Kean Jr. in a tight race for the 7th Congressional District House seat.

“I think it speaks volumes that [Kean] doesn’t meet with reporters, doesn’t answer press questions … Doesn’t hold town halls. He won’t meet to debate me,” says Altman, the former state director of the Working Families Party. “It’s disrespectful to people in this district and people are sick and tired of it and I will continue to hammer him on his cowardice.”

Democratic congressional candidate Sue Altman has launched a new campaign video highlighting her readiness to take on political leaders of both parties in her bid to unseat freshman Rep. Tom Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield) in New Jersey’s 7th district, one of the most competitive House races in the nation.

Altman’s video, “The Corruption Crew,” seeks to link Kean to former President Donald Trump and former Gov. Chris Christie, both Republicans, mentioning Trump’s felony convictions and Christie’s role in the Bridgegate scandal.  Kean is referred to as a “Trump apologist."

Sue Altman today released a new ad in her “ultra-competitive race” for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District contrasting the Democratic nominee with a series of corrupt, self-serving politicians she has fought to hold accountable.

Before running for Congress, the candidate said she made it her life’s work to fight corruption on both sides of the aisle.

When former Governor Chris Christie wanted to slash education funding, Altman stood up and asked the tough questions in order to protect teachers and fight against cuts to our public schools.

Somerville, NJ – Sue Altman, Democratic nominee for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, announced her campaign raised more than $1,650,000 last quarter and enters July with over $2,200,000 cash on hand. This brings the campaign’s total raise to over $3,000,000 this cycle.

Unlike her opponent, incumbent Republican Congressman Tom Kean, Jr., Sue is not accepting a single cent of corporate PAC money and is relying heavily on grassroots support. Her campaign has received contributions from over 15,000 unique contributors this cycle. Kean, Jr. has accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of his career from corporate special interests.

Democrat Sue Altman raised a mammoth $1.65 million in the second quarter of 2024 and now has more than $2.2 million cash-on-hand for her bid to unseat freshman Rep. Thomas Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield) in New Jersey’s 7th district.

Altman has raised over $3 million since joining the race in May 2023 without accepting corporate PAC money. She has over 15,000 unique contributors, her campaign told the New Jersey Globe.

The 7th district race is considered among the most competitive House races in the nation and viewed by both parties as pivotal in determining control next year.

“The strength of this campaign lies in the thousands of people who recognize the road to taking back the House runs right through NJ-07."

Sue Altman: “While today’s decision will allow patients in Idaho to access emergency abortions, it is a chilling reminder of the all out war extremists are waging on women and the immediate, far-reaching threats we face to our reproductive rights and healthcare choices. Draconian laws that don’t allow abortions even when a mother’s health is in danger should be struck down decisively. If Republicans like (Tom Kean) won’t fight to uphold the health and safety of women, then it’s time to elect leaders who will ensure we protect these fundamental rights at the federal level.”

Sue Altman, the Democratic nominee for Congress in New Jersey's competitive 7th congressional district, was endorsed today by the Human Rights campaign, a major national LGBTQ rights group.

'Sue Altman is a pro-equality champion who has dedicated her career to serving the people: rooting out political corruption, protecting access to reproductive freedoms, and advocating for everyone in the Garden State,' said Reg Calcagno, the HRC's national campaigns director. 'With MAGA bullies trying to slip a convicted felon into the White House and roll back progress for the country, flipping the House and electing a pro-equality majority is a top priority.'

The bombshell failed to jolt most in the political class to rejoice or raise their voice in outrage — or say much of anything. There were some, of course, from the Democratic Party's left, who raised their voices, like Sue Altman, the Democratic candidate for Congress in the 7th Congressional District, who began her career taking aim at Norcross' operation in South Jersey only to be dragged out of a State house hearing in 2019 and past the silver-maned leader.

To mark the second anniversary of the Supreme Court shooting down the Roe v. Wade ruling, U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-District 11, and Sue Altman, the Democratic nominee for New Jersey's 7^th District, held a rally Monday to decry the “horrible health outcomes” in the decision's aftermath.

“I want to see us enshrine into law, the rights that allow women to have this procedure (abortion) all over the country,” said Altman, “and that includes in all its iterations.”

The 2022 ruling determined that abortion and reproductive health issues will be handled by state legislatures.

New Jersey has seen a 21% increase in out-of-state abortions seekers in the last two years, according to Altman.

Altman is challenging incumbent Rep. Thomas H. Kean Jr., who was first elected in 2022. The district has about 18,000 more registered Republicans than Democrats.

The fact that Democrats support abortion rights is hardly a secret.

The party has made this a signature issue – with good success – since the 2022 court decision.

Sherrill said it’s still important to raise the issue, because some may not know how dire things are, or can get.

Abortion rights are protected in New Jersey, but the story is different elsewhere.

Both Sherrill and Altman said they’re convinced that right wing Republicans would institute a national ban on abortion if they had the power to do it.

“In this election cycle, Republicans like Tom Kean Jr. are betting … that we aren’t paying attention,” Altman said at the rally. “I am confident that the women in this district, that the men who stand up for women and family rights in this district, will be on site in November, they will vote, and we will vote out Tom Kean Jr.”

Kean has said in the past that he’s pro-choice, but the freshman congressman has still voted for some amendments and bills in the House that would limit abortion (and supported the strongly pro-life Mike Johnson for House Speaker). That, Altman argued, shows why the 7th district needs new representation.

“There is no evidence that Tom Kean Jr. will fight back against a national abortion ban,” Altman said. “In fact, he’s signaled that he’s okay with leaving it up to state legislatures, which is a very dangerous thing for women around this country indeed.”

"This is part of a pattern of lies, much like his vile attacks on his previous opponent, Tom Malinowski, whom Kean baselessly accused of protecting sex offenders, among other things."

"So the real scandal here, yet again, is that Kean is lying in a cynical effort to bolster his own campaign, just as he did in 2020, and 2022. Is there anything this man won’t say to win?"

Now she’s running again—this time for the U.S. House. Altman, a Democrat, is trying to unseat Representative Tom Kean Jr., a Republican, in a district in northwest New Jersey. After her pro-ball stints overseas, she returned to the Garden State and began teaching and coaching basketball. Battles over education policy drew her into politics, and she now hopes to move into elected office in a race that The Cook Political Report has judged a toss-up—or perhaps a jump ball.

Since she left the court, she’s turned that intensity toward politics. Altman grew up in a Republican family, and was herself once a registered Republican, but she began advocating against education cuts proposed by then–New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a Republican. She won attention after a 2016 town-hall meeting in Camden, when the governor, frustrated by her interruptions, tossed the microphone to her at short range. She easily snagged it—“He didn't know I was a professional basketball player”—and read him the riot act.

Sue Altman, a Democratic candidate in the 7th District and longtime critic of Norcross, viewed the indictment — along with Menendez's federal trial and the end of the so-called county line — as part of a year of 'corruption busting' in the state. Altman was once dragged by state police from a legislative hearing in 2019 at which Norcross was defending himself and the tax credits his organizations received. Her removal by troopers encapsulated his ability to influence lawmakers, she said in an interview.

Sue Altman, a Democrat who is running against Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-N.J.) in the state’s 7th District, posted on the social platform X that “George Norcross and his South Jersey cronies are finding out that breaking the law for personal gain has consequences.”

“It is a new day for New Jersey politics,” she added.

"I’m kind of speechless, honestly,” said Sue Altman, former executive director of the New Jersey Working Families Alliance.

In 2019, when the Legislature convened a friendly committee hearing that gave Norcross an opportunity to push back against the Murphy administration’s tax credit investigation, Altman was forcibly removed from the room by State Police as Norcross looked on.

Now Altman is the Democratic nominee for Congress in Central Jersey’s 7th district."

“I laud the Attorney General’s monumental indictment. Like Donald Trump, George Norcross and his South Jersey cronies are finding out that breaking the law for personal gain has consequences.

“It is a new day for New Jersey politics. We are replacing our culture of corruption, misuse of public funds, and self-dealing government with a new one – one that prioritizes public service, the greater good, and functional government where both parties are held accountable.

The friction between Mr. Norcross and the Murphy administration peaked in 2019, when Sue Altman, then the leader of the left-leaning Working Families Alliance and closely aligned with the governor, was forcibly removed from a standing-room-only hearing on corporate tax breaks after troopers indicated she had caused a disruption. She was led past Mr. Norcross, who was at the hearing to testify in support of the economic incentive program that Ms. Altman had criticized harshly.

Ms. Altman, a Democrat who is now running for Congress against Representative Tom Kean, called the indictment “monumental.”

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) endorsed Sue Altman in her bid to knock off freshman Rep. Tom Kean (R-N.J.). In a statement, Fetterman called Altman a “proven fighter” who’s “ready to stand up to corruption on both sides of the aisle.”

Sue Altman, the Democratic nominee against Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) in New Jersey’s pivotal 7th congressional district, picked up another pair of union endorsements today from the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) and the Health Professionals and Allied Employees (HPAE).

The two unions are the latest to back Altman after she won the 7th district Democratic primary uncontested earlier this week; the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers and the New Jersey State Council of Machinists endorsed her yesterday. And several other unions, most prominently the Communications Workers of America and 1199 SEIU, have been in Altman’s corner for months.

Altman’s labor backing is a sign that many unions view her race against Kean, who narrowly unseated Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-Ringoes) in 2022, as a top priority. The 7th district is New Jersey’s most competitive congressional district by far, and is regarded as one of the most competitive seats in the entire country.

New Jersey's 7th Congressional District is one of just a handful across the country that could decide which party controls the U.S. House. Incumbent Republican Tom Kean will face Democratic challenger Sue Altman in November's election. NJ Spotlight News' Washington, D.C. correspondent shares more.

Sue Altman, the newly minted Democratic nominee for New Jersey’s highly competitive 7th congressional district, has picked up two new labor endorsers: the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) and the New Jersey State Council of Machinists (part of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers).

The two unions each represent a sizable number of workers in New Jersey: IFPTE represents more than 15,000 public sector workers, while the Council of Machinists has more than 23,000 members in the aerospace, transportation, and warehouse industries.

Control of the next Congress likely runs through House seats in largely suburban areas, including New Jersey’s 7th, where the outcome could have national repercussions, including a Congress that could serve as a potential brake on authoritarian instincts and goals of former President Donald Trump if he is reelected in November.

In an interview Monday, Sue Altman, a progressive organizer and former leader of the Working Families Alliance running against Kean, said protecting U.S. democracy, uprooting federal corruption and curbing the flow of money in national politics were top priorities of hers.

By all indications, the now-official matchup between Altman and Kean will be a competitive one. Both candidates have raised millions of dollars – Altman actually outraised Kean during the most recent fundraising quarter, though Kean still has twice as much money on-hand – and Altman was added in March to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s “Red to Blue” list for top House challengers.

And thanks to the state’s carefully drawn congressional map, the 7th district may be the only New Jersey district worth paying attention to this November. In 2022, it was the only district in the state where the final margin was in the single digits; two other districts were safely Republican, while the other nine stayed strongly Democratic.

Constituents in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District joined Democratic candidate Sue Altman for a rally holding Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. accountable for his support of convicted felon Donald Trump. Sue joined members of Westfield 20/20, OneNJ7, and the New Jersey Working Families Alliance in Kean, Jr.’s hometown to mark Election Day and galvanize supporters for the general election.

Kean, Jr. has refused to hold public town halls or speak directly to constituents over the course of his career. Constituents had the opportunity to leave notes on a cardboard cut-out of Kean, Jr. to let him know how they feel about his endorsement of Donald Trump on the same day jurors unanimously convicted Trump of 34 felony charges related to his scheme to illegally interfere with the 2016 election.

Days after Donald Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts, Tom Kean Jr. has offered nothing but complete and utter radio silence.

Why? Because no matter how hard Kean Jr. tries to act like a moderate on the campaign trail, he always remains loyal to Donald Trump – even if that means standing by a convicted felon.

A final thought: This could affect the one competitive race for Congress in New Jersey this year, in the 7th District, where Rep. Tom Kean Jr. is fending off a challenge from Democrat Sue Altman. Cook Political Report calls it a tossup.

Kean endorsed Trump this week, while the jury was deliberating. I wanted to ask him about his woeful timing, but he was under his desk nibbling mouse food, refusing as always to speak to anyone about anything. But that district is not a MAGA stronghold. It includes towns like Summit and Westfield, home to a lot of traditional Republicans, like Bramnick. They might care about this verdict, and Trump’s fitness to be president.

Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) may represent a district that was once won by Joe Biden, but he’s ready to support Donald Trump for president this year.

The freshman congressman, who represents a pivotal swing district that might help determine who controls the House come 2025, said through a spokesperson that he will vote for Trump, who has no opposition on New Jersey’s GOP primary ballot and who is virtually assured to become the Republican presidential nominee at the the July Republican National Convention.

Rep. Andy Kim, the Burlington County Democrat seeking his party's nomination for U.S. Senate, and Sue Altman, who is challenging Rep. Tom Kean Jr. in New Jersey's 7th Congressional district, met Tuesday with grassroots activists to talk about how they would move a more progressive agenda in Washington forward.

Kim and Altman, along with Tiffany Muller, president of End Citizens United and Let America Vote, held a forum at the Somerset County Library System's Bridgewater facility.

Kim was the featured speaker along with CD-7 candidate Sue Altman at a Tuesday afternoon forum in the local library about the “influence of money in politics.”

Altman is the Democratic candidate challenging incumbent Republican Thomas H. Kean. The district leans Republican, but is still considered the most competitive in the state.

Also on hand was Tiffany Muller, the president of End Citizens United/ Let America Vote. As the name suggests, the group’s goal is to overturn the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision that cleared the way for unregulated campaign expenditures on behalf of candidates.

Sue Altman, who is set to win the Democratic nomination for New Jersey’s competitive 7th congressional district unopposed next week, has gotten the backing of the National Organization for Women (NOW), a major national feminist group.

“At a time when our reproductive rights are under attack from extremists and everyday people are struggling to make ends meet, we need champions like Sue Altman in Congress who are willing to fight for women and working families,” NOW PAC Chairwoman Christian Nunes said in a statement. “Sue’s race is critical to taking back the House majority, and we’re excited to throw our support behind her campaign to flip NJ-07.”

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“It’s very sad that they’re using antisemitism as a wedge,” Altman said in a phone interview.

“I’ve been supportive of Israel. I am very frustrated with [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, and people in this district can hold both of those things in their brains at once.”

Today, GIFFORDS PAC announced its endorsement of Sue Altman in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, citing her strong support of gun safety reform to stop the surge of senseless gun violence across our nation.

The national environmentalist group Sierra Club announced today that it is supporting Democrat Sue Altman’s campaign for the 7th congressional district, which is set to host a highly competitive race this year.

Among this year's most competitive House races is New Jersey's seventh district. Sue Altman, the Democratic challenger there, is taking a different approach to try to win the election.

When Democrats talk about what draws them to Altman, they often describe her as someone “smart,” who simply puts in the work to win their votes.

“When I went to hear her speak, I was thinking, ‘We’re not going to win this one with a Working Families person,’” said Sharon Glover, a homemaker from Tewksbury, who attended the county convention as a delegate. “But once I heard her speak, I’m like, she’s really smart. She really understands our community. She wants to listen and we don’t always get that.”

Planned Parenthood Action Fund has endorsed Sue Altman for Congress, signaling that the group plans to spend money in New Jersey’s 7th district painting the freshman Republican incumbent, Tom Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield), as having an “anti-choice” record.

Altman said the endorsement comes “at a time when far-right extremists attempt to ban abortion nationwide, even here in New Jersey.”

The New Jersey branch of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) announced today that it is supporting Democratic congressional candidate Sue Altman in her race against freshman Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield).

“We’re proud to endorse Sue Altman, who has shown time and again she will fight for New Jersey’s working families,” AFSCME’s New Jersey executive director, Steve Tully, said in a statement. “We look forward to helping send Sue to Washington, where she will continue to champion the interests of our members and fight back against an extremist Republican agenda aimed at dismantling organized labor’s progress across the country.”

Sue Altman’s campaign for Congress has hit the ground running, outraising vulnerable freshman Republican Tom Kean Jr. in the first quarter of 2024.

This is “the first time Kean has been outraised by Democrats” since 2022. Altman was recently added to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s ‘Red to Blue’ list and cleared her primary field in early February. Now, she is racking up endorsements and shaking up the political system in New Jersey.

He’s given no floor speech on Ukraine, nor convened a meeting of his subcommittee to discuss it. He’s issued no statement, not even a Tweet, and he’s done nothing to help fellow Republicans in New York and Pennsylvania who have signed a discharge petition seeking to force Speaker Mike Johnson to allow a vote on aid to Ukraine. He answers no questions on the topic.

That’s the problem with Kean. He lacks conviction. He is a party loyalist who meekly does what he’s told, and his first rule is to keep his mouth shut. He’s held no town hall meetings in his 7th District to discuss his votes, on Ukraine or anything else.

Sue Altman, the presumptive Democratic nominee for New Jersey’s closely watched 7th congressional district, raised more than $580,000 in the first three months of the year and has more than $910,000 on-hand for her race against Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield).

“These fundraising numbers demonstrate the growing strength of our grassroots campaign in what will be the most critical race in New Jersey this year, and we’re just getting started,” Altman said in a statement. “All eyes are on NJ-07 as we look to take back the House Majority and defeat Tom Kean, Jr. – an empty suit and rubber-stamp for extremism. As we continue to build this grassroots movement, I’m confident we’ll have the resources necessary to engage and mobilize voters across the district.”

Nearly six years ago, Sue Altman was serving on the leadership board of South Jersey Women for Progressive Change, a grassroots group formed after Donald Trump won the presidency.   From that perch, she worked hard to help Andy Kim, a former Obama White House staffer and first-time candidate, oust a two-term Republican congressman in a South Jersey district Trump had carried by six points.

Now Kim, the likely Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, is returning the favor and endorsing Altman’s bid to unseat Rep. Thomas Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield) in New Jersey’s 7th district, one of the most competitive congressional races in the nation.

Sue Altman, the presumptive Democratic nominee for Congress in the competitive 7th congressional district, announced an endorsement today from U.S. Senator Cory Booker.

“I’m proud to endorse my friend Sue Altman,” Booker said in a statement. “I’ve long respected her tenacity in fighting for New Jersey values and families. I look forward to continuing to fight with Sue to turn NJ-07 blue and regain the House majority.”

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has added Sue Altman to its “Red to Blue” program for top-tier House candidates, the clearest indication yet that national Democrats intend to heavily target Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) this year.

Five members of New Jersey’s congressional delegation are endorsing Sue Altman, the presumptive Democratic nominee for New Jersey’s highly competitive 7th congressional district.

Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing), Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair), Donald Payne Jr. (D-Newark), Bill Pascrell (D-Paterson), and Frank Pallone (D-Long Branch) all said this morning that they’re supporting Altman, who has no Democratic primary opponents in the race to take on freshman GOP Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield).

Almost two decades after graduating from Columbia, Sue Altman, CC ’05, continues to recall the lessons she learned in her time on the women’s basketball team. After pursuing professional basketball and educational activism in New Jersey, Altman began her unexpected journey into politics.

“It’s a New Jersey spring,” said Sue Altman, a progressive candidate for Congress, one of many Democrats who crowded into the courtroom. “I would say I think people in New Jersey are ready for change.”

Sue Altman’s background as a progressive organizer and former leader in New Jersey’s Working Families Party raised questions early in her campaign for the seat in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District about how she might approach Israel policy, given the national party’s criticism of Israel and support for conditioning aid to the Jewish state.

But in a position paper shared with Jewish Insider, Altman — now the presumptive Democratic nominee — distanced herself from the hard left on Israel, expressing a personal connection to and affinity for Israel and separating herself from the national WFP’s positions.

“The (Democratic newcomers) thought they were on the right team here and thought because they were Democrats, they had the ability to stand up and say proudly that they’re the party for democracy, especially in light of Trump being president,” said longtime progressive activist Sue Altman, a Democratic candidate for the state’s 7th Congressional District. But that initial optimism was blunted when “they found out that at the local level or the city level or the county level or the state legislative level, that their own beloved Democrats were not practicing ‘little d’ democracy,” Altman said.

“It would make the campaign much easier and much more straightforward if we could stand up tall and proud and say, ‘Yes, at every level Democrats are the party of democracy and have the receipts to back that up,’” Altman later added. “But right now in New Jersey that’s difficult to do.”

Morris County Democrats officially selected Sue Altman as their organization candidate for Congress in the 7th congressional district today, completing Altman’s uncontested sweep of county conventions.

Sue Altman, the presumptive Democratic nominee for Congress in New Jersey’s 7th district, won her party’s organization line in Warren County today as she prepares to take on freshman Rep. Thomas Kean, Jr. (D-Westfield) in one of the nation’s premier House races.

7th congressional district candidate Sue Altman won Sussex County’s Democratic convention uncontested this morning, putting Altman one step closer to becoming the Democratic nominee against Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) in his highly competitive district.

Democratic congressional candidate Sue Altman is slamming Sussex County Commissioner Bill Hayden for allegedly lying about his military record and is calling on him to resign.

The Hotel and Gaming Trades Council (HTC) announced today that it will support Democrat Sue Altman in New Jersey’s 7th congressional district, putting another union in Altman’s corner for her contest against Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield).

Sue Altman has won the Hunterdon County Democratic endorsement for the 7th congressional district, her first official county line in her campaign against Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield).

Now more than ever, at both the local and national levels, support for American institutions- especially those responsible for law enforcement – is critical. We must stand up for law and order and public safety in a way that is both effective and consistent with our American values, especially those which undergird a dynamic and diverse democracy. We must not cede the issue to those who are willing to prey on people’s very real fears to sell them a hate-filled agenda that helps no one and privileges the very few. We need a vision for public safety that is effective, inclusive and keeps our communities safe, and when we are in power, we must play by the rules.

“You get to go to Congress – the honor of a lifetime. …  And yet, you go to Washington and you never come out of your little hiding hole. You never come to meet your constituents.”...it is also true that dating back to the 2022 campaign, Kean has avoided most interviews with the press and public interactions of just about any kind.

Sue Altman, the likely Democratic nominee against Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) in New Jersey’s 7th congressional district, was endorsed today by EMILYs List, a major national group for pro-choice female Democratic candidates.

Sue Altman’s campaign for New Jersey’s 7th congressional district received an endorsement today from former Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-Ringoes), the most recent Democrat to hold the highly competitive seat – a strong sign that Altman is a near-lock to become the district’s next Democratic nominee.

First-term U.S. Rep. Tom Kean Jr. faces a challenge from progressive activist Sue Altman in his bid for reelection in the 7th Congressional District. Altman became the presumptive Democratic nominee this week after the only other remaining candidate dropped out of the race.

Jason Blazakis is dropping out of the race for the Democratic nomination for Congress in New Jersey’s 7th district, clearing the field for Sue Altman to take on freshman Rep. Thomas Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield) in one of the most closely-watched House races in the nation.

Summit Councilman Greg Vartan announced today that he’ll back progressive activist Sue Altman in the Democratic primary for New Jersey’s 7th congressional district, a primary in which he was a candidate until two weeks ago.

A group of eight local elected officials and seven Democratic municipal chairs in New Jersey’s 7th district have endorsed Sue Altman for Congress, a show of establishment support that could be helpful as she enters the organization line convention season.

The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) PAC has endorsed former New Jersey Working Families Party director Sue Altman for Congress in the competitive 7th congressional district, giving Altman a powerful set of allies in the left-leaning corners of Washington.

Lambertville, New Jersey — Today, Make the Road Action announced their support for Sue Altman’s campaign for Congress in New Jersey’s 7th district, the most competitive Congressional race in New Jersey and one of the most competitive across the country. Make the Road Action – NJ, based in Union County, engages tens of thousands of voters of color each year in door to door outreach, organizing and civic engagement.

Lambertville, NJ – Sue Altman, Democratic candidate for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, has received the endorsement of Service Employees International Union, Local 32BJ, one of the largest labor unions in New Jersey. This comes shortly after Altman received the endorsement of the Communication Workers of America and announced over half a million dollars in the first few months of the campaign, cementing her as the frontrunner in the Democratic primary to take on Rep. Tom Kean Jr.

A former basketball player for an Irish team is seeking a seat in the US House of Representatives next year as the Democratic candidate for New Jersey’s Seventh Congressional District.

Sue Altman, from Clinton New Jersey, first established credibility on the court while playing with Columbia University. After graduation, she contacted basketball clubs in Ireland, owing to her Irish roots, in the hope of being signed to a team.

Sue Altman, one of three Democratic candidates running in New Jersey’s highly competitive 7th congressional district, unveiled an endorsement today from New Jersey Citizen Action (NJCA), a prominent progressive advocacy group.

Advocates and allies gathered on a misty grey day in Lambertville to protest Congressman Tom Kean Jr’s vote for Mike Johnson to be Speaker of the House. Mr. Johnson, who spent his career tossing LGBTQs under the bus, is now second-in-line to succeed the President.

Lambertville, NJ – Sue Altman, Democratic candidate for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, released the following statement in response to reporting that Sen. Menendez acted as an unregistered foreign agent.

Sue Altman raised $283,000 in the 3rd quarter of 2023, and has raised $500,000 since entering the race in May – a strong total that puts her in a solid position in the Democratic primary to take on Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) in the 7th congressional district.

Former New Jersey Working Families Party director Sue Altman’s Democratic campaign for the 7th congressional district was endorsed this morning by the Communications Workers of America (CWA), one of New Jersey’s most prominent unions and a major player in state progressive circles.

Democratic congressional candidate Sue Altman has filed a formal complaint with the Office of Congressional Ethics against Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) over Kean’s belated reporting of his family trust’s stock trades, putting the issue of stock trading front-and-center once again in the 7th congressional district.

Prior to the vote referenced above, the House also voted on various amendments to the bill, including one to reverse the Pentagon’s post-Roe policy of reimbursing women service members who need to travel to another state to receive abortion services. Kean voted “yes” on that as well. So did the state’s other two Republicans in the House, Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew. All nine House Democrats from New Jersey voted “no.”

Democrat Sue Altman raised over $200,000 during her first month as a candidate for Congress in hugely competitive New Jersey’s 7th district, a fundraising haul that exceeds the amount national Democratic groups and funders wanted to see as they look at the field of candidates to take on freshman Rep. Tom Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield) in 2024, the New Jersey Globe has confirmed.

Former New Jersey Working Families Party director Sue Altman’s Democratic campaign for the highly competitive 7th congressional district picked up seven new endorsers today, including two top labor leaders: Communication Workers of America state director Franceline Ehret and 32BJ SEIU state director Kevin Brown.

Since announcing her candidacy for Congress in New Jersey’s 7th district last week, Sue Altman raised $102,083 in her first seven days, an enormous sum that cements her contention that she’s the right candidate to take on freshman Rep.  Thomas Kean, Jr. next year, the New Jersey Globe has learned.

New Jersey’s Seventh Congressional District was redrawn last year specifically to boost the chances of Republicans. It worked. Now, Democrats are trying to win back the seat. But rather than turn to a centrist who mirrors the conservative ethos of the region, the party appears to be coalescing around a candidate who for four years has been the face of New Jersey’s progressive left: Sue Altman.

Sue Altman today announced her CD-7 candidacy via Twitter. “Game on!!! Proud to announce I am running for Congress in my home district of CD-7. It’s time to fight… and we will win!!”

Ms. Altman might be best-equipped to hammer home the “Tom Kean Jr. is a lapdog” narrative by highlighting Kean’s fealty to the self-serving men who run his party such as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and former NJ Governor Chris Christie.

If the effort to create a “Moderate Party” in New Jersey succeeds, it will have been brought about, in part, by one of the state’s most high-profile progressive activists.

In typical Chris Christie fashion, the governor engaged in an animated back-and-forth with a member of the public who challenged his school funding proposal during an education forum Tuesday. Camden resident Sue Altman asked Christie how he would reconcile giving the school district $6,599 per pupil — the same amount he’s proposing for every district in New Jersey — when it should cost thousands more to educate a child facing extra hardships.