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.
Laura Jones, the host of “New Jersey Politics with Laura Jones,” a weekly public affairs show for MeTV-WJLP New Jersey/New York, will serve as the debate moderator. Panelists will include New Jersey Globe political reporter Joey Fox, New Jersey Globe editor David Wildstein, and Micah Rasmussen, the director of the Rebovich Institute. Questions will also come from some members of the public.
Kean, a former minority leader of the New Jersey State Senate, was elected to Congress in 2022, unseating two-term Democrat Tom Malinowski by three percentage points.
Altman is a former teacher, professional basketball player, and non-profit executive who gained prominence as a grassroots political activist and state director of New Jersey Working Families.
Joe Biden won the 7th by 3.6% in 2020, and Republican Jack Ciattarelli carried the district by 12.4% in his 2021 campaign against Gov. Phil Murphy.
Kean participated in New Jersey Globe debates against Malinowski in 2020 and 2022; Altman had agreed to a Democratic primary debate earlier this year before her opponent dropped out.
The independent Cook Political Report lists NJ-7 as a toss-up.