Race to watch: N.J.’s 7th District. What voters need to know about the candidates

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The 7th District congressional race between Tom Kean Jr. and Sue Altman is considered one of the most competitive in the Garden State and the entire nation.

Almost all congressional incumbents in New Jersey are favored to recapture their seats this fall, but according to the Cook Political Report, an independent, non-partisan organization that analyzes elections and campaigns for the U.S. House of Representatives, the Kean Jr. and Altman race is tight. The organization had considered the race a toss-up, but now rates it as leaning Republican.

The race will have national implications and could determine which party ultimately controls the House.

The 7th Congressional District encompasses parts of Central and North Jersey and includes all of Hunterdon and Warren Counties and parts of Morris, Somerset, Sussex and Union Counties.

Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr.

Kean comes from a political family. His father, Tom Kean Sr., was the former governor of New Jersey. His grandfather, Robert Kean, was a congressman.

Kean Jr., 56, was born and raised on his family’s estate in Livingston. He attended the Pingry School in Basking Ridge and then went to Dartmouth College. After graduation, Kean Jr. attended the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, where he received a master’s degree in law and diplomacy.

He began his public service career when President George H.W. Bush appointed him to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Kean Jr. also worked as a legislative staffer for New Jersey Congressman Bob Franks. During that time, he served as a volunteer firefighter and an emergency medical technician.

In 2001, Kean Jr. was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly. Two years later, he became the state senator in the 21st Legislative District and served as the Republican minority leader for 14 years.

During his time in the legislature, he served on several committees, including Budget and Appropriations, Commerce, Judiciary, Legislative Oversight, Higher Education and Health and Human Services.

Kean Jr. also served as a Senate liaison to the State Council on the Arts and was a Senate appointee to the New Jersey Israel Commission and the New Jersey Amistad Commission.

Kean Jr. ran for Congress in 2020 but lost to Democrat Tom Malinowski. He then defeated Malinowski in a 2022 rematch, after the 7th District was redrawn to include about 17,000 more registered Republicans.

He said he’s seeking reelection to continue to help people. “We’ve brought $25 million back to the district. These are on local improvements, whether improving the ability of police to do their jobs, to make lives more affordable for people in this district,” he said.

Kean Jr. said his key campaign issues include lowering inflation, affordable housing, increasing public safety, energy independence and supporting allies in Ukraine and Israel.

Kean Jr. said that while he’s been working to make life more affordable for New Jerseyans, his opponent [Altman] has supported tax increases.

“That kind of increased spending would be deadly to the citizens of New Jersey,” he said.

He said he’s determined to work for bipartisan solutions to problems facing Garden State residents.

Kean Jr. has been endorsed by multiple organizations, including the N.J. State Police Benevolent Association, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the Police Officers Defense Coalition and the N.J. Professional Firefighters Association.

Democrat candidate Sue Altman

Sue Altman hails from New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District. She grew up in Clinton, attended Clinton Public School and Voorhees High School, and calls Hunterdon County home.

After graduating from Columbia University, where she starred on the women’s basketball team, Altman moved overseas to compete professionally in Ireland and Germany before earning two master’s degrees from Oxford University — one in business and the other in international and comparative education.

While playing on Ireland’s Super League team, Altman scored a game-winning buzzer-beater in the 2006 quarterfinals, then poured in 35 points in the semifinals to bring her Killester team into the tournament final.

After her time overseas, Altman began teaching at Blair Academy, a private school in Blairstown, New Jersey. She then moved to Camden and became an activist. She joined movements to protect teachers and oppose education cuts proposed by then-Gov. Chris Christie.

As executive director of the New Jersey Working Families Alliance, Altman said she spearheaded efforts to fight corruption and wasted taxpayer dollars.

Altman spoke out against corporate tax breaks five years ago during a heated state Senate hearing in Trenton. South Jersey Democratic power broker George Norcross was at the hearing to testify in support of an $11 billion economic incentive program that Ms. Altman had criticized harshly.

Norcross, his brother, and former Camden Mayor Dana Redd were indicted earlier this year. They now face charges for allegedly scheming to take control of properties along the Camden Waterfront and manipulating a state tax credit program to benefit George Norcross.

Altman said she is running for Congress because of the current political scenario.

“I feel that what’s happening at the national level is such a triaged moment, that we absolutely need to step up and serve in public service and make sure that the extremism on the right is stopped,” Altman said.

One of her key campaign issues is the economy, and she said Kean Jr. has never had to worry about money and is out of touch.

“When I’m in Congress, I want to work hard to make sure there is more competition in our capitalism and more space for the small businesses in our community to thrive, businesses that bring character and vibrancy to our downtowns,” she said.

Altman said she’s very concerned about Project 2025, a conservative initiative that lays out a plan for the next Republican president to overhaul the executive branch.

“It’s absurd, the stuff in Project 2025 is legitimately terrifying, and yet when my opponent is asked about it, he doesn’t stand up against it, even though we are one of the most moderate districts in the entire country,” said Altman. “The Republican Party isn’t the Republican Party of Tom Kean Sr., it isn’t the Republican Party of Christie Todd Whitman, this is a Republican party that lifelong Republicans in our district don’t even recognize, and there’s a lot of fear and concern about that.”

Altman has been endorsed by multiple organizations, including the New Jersey Education Association, the Communications Workers of America, the Sierra Club, Citizen Action N.J. and the Amalgamated Transit Union.

Libertarian candidate Lana Leguia

Lana Leguia is a 32-year-old resident of Sussex County. Both her parents were in the military, so she has lived all over the world and was home-schooled. She is the great-great-granddaughter of the former president of Peru, Augusto B. Leguía.

Leguia is currently the vice president of Political Affairs for the New Jersey Libertarian Party and the New Jersey chapter leader for the Ladies of Liberty Alliance.

She said she was raised to cherish a commitment to community, so when she moved to New Jersey she volunteered and became involved in the New Jersey Libertarian Party.

She ran unsuccessfully for the school board in Stanhope last year. Leguia said she is running for Congress to bring liberty to New Jersey. To her, the biggest threat to individual liberty is a bloated government.

“New Jersey is extremely corrupt; it is very, very left-leaning, and so I decided to start running,” she said.

Leguia said her top campaign issues are war, immigration and government surveillance.

“I believe we should be negotiating peace instead of death,” she said. “I am a Libertarian, and we just don’t believe in initiating force or using force to spread ideas.”

She said, if elected, she would support the immediate end of all foreign aid to Ukraine and Israel. Leguia also supports the U.S. withdrawing from NATO and the United Nations and closing all military bases overseas. She wants to abolish the draft.

Leguia said she is pro-immigration.

“So what I support is an Ellis Island–style structure at the border, where they make sure you’re not a criminal, you’re not running away from something, you’re not a terrorist, and you don’t have a communicable disease,” she said.

She said state surveillance is a serious issue.

“After 9-11, they used that as an excuse to pass the Patriot Act. I don’t think people realize how much data the government has access to,” she said.

She also believes the Federal Department of Education should be abolished.

Leguia and her husband are avid antique collectors, and they renovate their home in their spare time. They plan to eventually own a bed-and-breakfast farmstead. Leguia said she loves nature, raising animals and philosophy. She owns six dogs, two cats, chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs and one turtle.

Leguia has been endorsed by the Libertarian Party.

Green Party candidate Andrew Black

Andrew Black did not respond to a request by WHYY News for an interview. According to NJSpotlight News, he was born in Oberlin, Ohio, and attended Wellington High School. For the past 20 years, he has lived in New Jersey. His career experience includes working as an employee and manager at a warehouse.

On Ballotpedia, he said, “I understand the struggles and aspirations of working-class families. I am married with a child on the way, deeply committed to building a better future for all of us.”

Black has pledged to maintain the highest standards of integrity and transparency in his campaign.

“I am not corrupt, and I will not take PAC money or large donations. My campaign is powered by the people, for the people,” he said.

He said his campaign is focused on ensuring that every person has access to basic needs such as food and housing.

He said he favors implementing measures to pay farmers for excess produce to feed people experiencing poverty rather than letting it go to waste.

Black also wants to end war. He said the “genocide” in Gaza must end immediately with a permanent ceasefire. He said the U.S. must divest from big oil to create a sustainable future and invest in green energy technology, which will create jobs and protect the environment.

Black said on Ballotpedia, “Transparency and accountability are the cornerstones of a trustworthy government. Accountability ensures that leaders are held responsible for their actions and decisions, fostering a culture of integrity and trustworthiness. Together, transparency and accountability form the foundation of good governance, paving the way for a more just and equitable society.”

Black has been endorsed by the Green Party.