In a too-close-to-call congressional race in New Jersey’s 7th district, freshman Republican Rep. Tom Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield) is up on the air with a new TV ad calling Democrat Sue Altman a “radical, liberal activist who threatens your future” – his first attack ad in his bid for re-election.
In “Radical Sue,” Kean uses a woman narrator to accuse Altman of supporting tax increases, defunding police, and decriminalizing drugs.” Photos show Altman in her former role as state director of New Jersey Working Families and being escorted by state troopers out of a State Senate hearing with Democratic powerhouse George Norcross looking on. The ad includes a 2023 quote from “liberal opinion columnist Tom Moran saying of Altman: “She’s no centrist.”
The ad will appear on broadcast television, and the Kean campaign said it was the final broadcast ad of the campaign. They declined to say how much they were spending on the ad.
Script: “(Kean) I’m Tom Kean, Jr., and I approve this message. (Narrator) What is the definition of a radical? In New Jersey, it’s Sue Altman. Radical Sue backed tax hikes, defunding the police, and supports decriminalizing all drugs, including heroin and fentanyl. Radical Sue attacked cops and firefighters – even moderate Democrats. Because Sue Altman’s no centrist. She’s a radical, liberal activist, who threatens your future.”
The ad largely mirrors one used by the House Republican-connected Congressional Leadership Fund, which has spent more than $2.2 million on ads labeling Altman as a radical.
“Sue Altman’s extreme agenda is dangerous for New Jersey families. She has shown time and again that her priorities are out of touch with the values of the 7th District,” Kean said. “While she fights for the fringes of her party, I am fighting for all of our constituents and communities. I will remain focused on protecting our residents, defending law enforcement, and stopping a dangerous, far-left agenda from threatening the future of our state.”
A new Monmouth University poll released two days ago shows a close race between Kean and Altman. Kean ended September with a 2-1 cash advantage over Altman; Kean has outraised Altman, albeit barely: he has raised $5.4 million to her $5.1 million.
National Democrats have not put any money into flipping Kean’s seat.
The 7th district, which became better terrain for Republicans in the last round of redistricting, remains one of eighteen GOP-held House seats nationally in a district that backed Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. The Monmouth poll shows Kamala Harris and Donald Trump in a statistical dead heat among registered voters in the 7th district.
The Cook Political Report moved the 7th district race from toss-up to leans Republican last week.
A former minority leader of the New Jersey State Senate and the son of a popular former governor, Kean unseated Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-Ringoes) in 2022 by three percentage points; in 2020, Malinowski beat Kean by a narrow one percent margin.