Kean, Altman to debate tonight

The candidates for the 7th Congressional District - Democrat Sue Altman and Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. - will debate at 8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 13.

The 90-minute debate is the first joint appearance of the candidates in what is considered to be the most competitive congressional race this year in New Jersey.

Both also are scheduled to take part in a candidate forum at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 22 in Bridgewater. It is sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ.

That forum may be accessed online. To attend in person or watch online, register at jfedgmw.org/event/candidates-forum-congressional-district-7/#register

During a visit to Byram on Aug. 29, Kean said three debates were scheduled. On Wednesday, Oct. 9, his campaign said one of those debates was canceled by the host.

During a town hall meeting Saturday, Oct. 6 in Sparta, Altman accused Kean of avoiding interactions with his constituents.

While she has been holding town hall meetings throughout the district during the campaign, Kean has only come to Sussex County for a fundraiser and to film a campaign commercial, she said.

Telephone town halls, which Kean has held, don’t count, she said. ”You gotta look people in the eye.”

The information she receives in town hall meetings is gold, she said. “To be able to talk to people in a forum like this and to see the look in their eye when they talk about certain issues, the fear, the anxiety ... .”

”To have this public forum - there’s something truly American about that. And if I was representing this district, I cannot imagine going to Washington and not ever having taken the temperature of your district about an issue ... what are people actually saying.”

The debate Sunday is online only. It will be streamed at the New Jersey Globe and On New Jersey websites, Facebook Live, X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube.

On Saturday, Altman said she expects the difference in their personalities, stances on the issues and thoughtfulness “will all come through.”

Byram police building

After touring the Byram Police Department in August, Kean said, “It definitely needs the federal assistance that we’re working on getting.”

He included about $1.3 million for the police building in his Community Project Funding requests to the House Appropriations Committee.

Of more than 70 funding requests submitted to his office, “this is one of the top 15 that I saw that was immediate and necessary.”

Kean said the House Appropriations Committee submitted 14 of the 15 projects for which he requested funding. “My next job is to get it through the full House and then work with the Senate,” he added.

Usually, the Senate supports the appropriations bill sent from the House, he noted.

Last November, Byram voters soundly defeated a referendum asking them to approve a $9.7 million bond ordinance to finance construction of a new municipal building and police headquarters.

Kean is seeking his second term in Congress. Altman is the former executive director of the New Jersey Working Families Party.

The 7th District includes all of Hunterdon and Warren counties and parts of Morris, Somerset, Sussex, and Union counties. The Sussex County towns in the district are Andover Borough, Byram, Fredon, Green Township, Hopatcong, Ogdensburg, Sparta, Stanhope, Stillwater and Walpack.

This article has been updated from the print edition.