Asked today about the highly competitive congressional contest between Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) and Democrat Sue Altman, Rep. Donald Norcross (D-Camden) gave an indirect endorsement to Altman, with whom he and the larger South Jersey Democratic organization have feuded in the past.
“The Democrat ticket is the one that I will be supporting,” Norcross said.
Altman grew up in the 7th district and currently lives in Lambertville, but for many years she lived in the city of Camden, where she frequently clashed with Norcross’ brother, Democratic power broker George Norcross, and other top South Jersey Democrats. Most famously, in 2019, Altman – then the state head of the progressive Working Families Party – was dragged out of a State Senate hearing after protesting a tax incentive program George Norcross strongly supported.
That past animosity seems to have been the reason that the New Jersey AFL-CIO, the state’s largest union, declined to take a side in the 7th congressional district, where Altman is running against Kean. The AFL-CIO typically backs Democratic candidates, but the building trades unions, who are closely aligned with South Jersey Democrats, pushed for no endorsement in the race.
Donald Norcross, a union electrician who once led the Southern New Jersey AFL-CIO, said he had no opinion on the union’s choice: “It’s their decision, it’s not mine.”
Further complicating matters for Norcross is that both he and Kean are both members of the Problem Solvers Caucus, which tries to limit its members from campaigning directly against one another.
But since the 7th district is looking like the only competitive district in New Jersey this year, if Norcross – or any other Altman-skeptical Democrat – wants Democrats to retake the House, an Altman win is their path to doing so. Even if it’s simply supporting “the Democrat ticket.”