New Jersey District 7 Candidates Spar Over Domestic, Foreign Issues in Debate

Incumbent Rep. Tom Kean and his challenger, Sue Altman, set forth contrasting visions of fiscal and foreign policy as Election Day looms.

Republican candidate for New Jersey Congressional District Seven Tom Kean Jr. emerges from a voting booth in Rahway, N.J., on Oct. 29, 2022. Courtesy of Tom Kean for Congress

New Jersey’s Seventh Congressional District incumbent Rep. Tom Kean, a Republican, and Democratic challenger Sue Altman traded barbs and presented conflicting policy positions in a spirited debate on the evening of Oct. 13, touching on issues as varied as abortion, tax policy, the Gaza conflict, Ukraine, and the dangers of a nuclear-armed Iran.

Kean hopes to retain the seat, which he has held since January 2023. He sought to portray his opponent as someone aligned with radical elements within the Democratic Party, while Altman tried to associate Kean with what she described as an exclusive club of wealthy Republicans.