With three days until Election Day, it was all hands on deck in New Jersey’s 7th congressional district on Saturday in their push to get Sue Altman to Congress.
Altman’s Saturday afternoon Get Out the Vote rally, which she held with Rep. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown), was a star-studded affair: speakers included Senator Cory Booker, Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-Newark), New Jersey Senate President Nicholas Scutari, Assemblywoman Linda Carter (D-Plainfield), and Rahway Mayor Raymond Giacobbe. The Rahway rally drew about 300 attendees.
Altman is facing Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) in a tight congressional race, while Kim faces Republican Curtis Bashaw in a race for the Senate seat vacated by former Senator Bob Menendez.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is a tied race going into the home stretch,” Altman said to the crowd. “We have got him exactly where we want him.”
The speakers emphasized abortion rights, union support, and health care throughout the event.
More than 1.6 million votes have already been cast throughout the state, including about 185,000 in the 7th district, according to an analysis by Associated Press elections researcher Ryan Dubicki. With fundraising efforts largely over, the Democrats implored supporters to do what they could to make a difference in the next 72 hours, whether they canvass or tell loved ones to vote.
“Thank you for stepping up, thank you for not just sitting back and wondering what’s going to happen to our country,” Kim said. “Instead, you came on out here today. You’re mobilizing, you’re knocking on doors, you’re making phone calls.”
Booker, the state’s senior senator and punster-in-chief, said electing Altman would be pivotal in securing a Democratic House majority and winning the speakership for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
“Marjorie Taylor Greene, we’re going to Sue you,” Booker said. The current speaker of the house — I hope he’s enjoyed the job, he’s not going to have it long. Because what are we going to do? We’re gonna Sue you.”
While Booker spoke, a truck adorned with signs for former President Donald Trump, Kean, and Bashaw drove past and honked. Booker, playing on a line from former President Barack Obama, said, “Don’t honk, vote!”