Kean and Bennett agree on one thing: The other candidate is ducking debates

Rep. Tom Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield) and Democratic challenger Rebecca Bennett have found one thing they agree on in their increasingly contentious race for Congress in New Jersey’s 7th district: each believes the other is afraid to debate.

And each has some evidence to make their case.

Bennett challenged Kean to six debates, one in each county in the district, and accepted invitations from three other organizations. Kean didn’t respond.

But when WRNJ radio in Hackettstown invited both candidates to debate on October 16, Kean accepted while Bennett declined, citing a scheduling conflict, the New Jersey Globe confirmed.  It was Bennett who called for more debates, not Kean.

The invitation came a month earlier, and Bennett spent that evening at a campaign rally with former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.

The two candidates have faced each other just once, at a September 27 debate at the Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway, sponsored by the New Jersey Globe and Rider University.

Now, with Election Day less than two weeks away, both campaigns are accusing the other of avoiding a rematch.

“Another lie. Rebecca Bennett got dismantled by Tom Kean Jr. in their only debate and has spent every day since ducking a rematch,” said Harrison Neely, Kean’s chief strategist.  “She knows the voters of this district can’t be allowed to see who she actually is.  Once they do, her entire campaign of carefully constructed lies collapses.”

Bennett spokeswoman Carly Jones offered a different account.

“Over the summer, Rebecca challenged Kean Jr. to six debates in six counties to give voters the opportunity to listen and ask questions of the candidates,” Jones stated.  “She never heard back about that challenge.”

“While Kean Jr.’s campaign was busy calling the cops on the New York Times, Rebecca accepted three debate invitations from local TV newsrooms and nonprofit organizations — they never heard back from Kean Jr. either,” said Jones.

Those invitations came from News 12, WPIX-11 and the League of Women Voters.

During a News 12 Power & Politics interview with Bennett, host Eric Landskroner confirmed that Kean had not responded to the station’s invitation.

“We’ve heard nothing. There’s been radio silence from him as well,” Landskroner said.

Jones said Bennett has instead been traveling across the district on her Deckplate Leadership tour, meeting with voters and answering questions.

“Her next stop will be in Union County on Friday — Kean Jr. is welcome to show up, but we know he won’t,” she said.

Despite the competing accusations, the record appears straightforward: Kean has declined several debate invitations that Bennett agreed to, and Bennett turned down at least one that Kean accepted.  Unless something changes in the final days of the campaign, voters will have had just one opportunity to watch the two major-party candidates debate each other.

Independent candidate Seamus Patrick O’Toole was also invited to the WRNJ debate but did not respond.