Four candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for U.S. Congress in New Jersey’s 7th district will take part in a debate on Tuesday, May 12, sponsored by the New Jersey Globe and Rider University.
The candidates – Rebecca Bennett, Michael Roth, Tina Shah, and Brian Varela – are seeking to challenge the two-term Republican incumbent, Rep. Tom Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield).
The 105-minute debate will be streamed on the New Jersey Globe, Facebook Live, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube, and will also air several times on C-SPAN. The debate will be available to voters through the June 2 primary election.
The debate will begin at 7 PM and conclude at 8:45 PM.
New Jersey Globe editor David Wildstein will serve as the debate moderator. Panelists are Micah Rasmussen, the director of the Rebovich Institute, and Joey Fox, the New Jersey Globe Washington reporter. Additional questions will come from Rider University students.
The 7th district House race is one of the most competitive in the nation and could help determine which party wins control of the U.S. House of Representatives. The seat has had three congressmen since 2018, two Republicans and a Democrat.
Bennett is a former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot.
Roth served in the Biden administration as a Small Business Administration official.
Shah is an intensive care unit physician who worked in the administrations of three U.S. presidents.
Varela is a businessman.
The New Jersey Globe and Rider University will host a debate for nine candidates seeking the 12th district seat held for the last twelve years by Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing), who is not running for re-election. That debate is set for Sunday, April 26 at 7 PM.
