National Democrats Engage Behind Altman to Depose Kean
Major news tonight from HuffPost impacting New Jersey’s most competitive congressional battleground contest: In the final two weeks before Election Day, House Democrats’ largest super PAC is set to spend $4 million on television and digital advertisements in support of Sue Altman, the Democratic nominee in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District.
The last-minute investment by House Majority PAC, or HMP, is the first major investment by a national Democratic organ in Altman’s bid to unseat first-term Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R), the son of a popular former governor of the Garden State.
The group’s decision to jump in ― aided by a $500,000 contribution from the New Jersey Education Association, the state’s main teachers union ― speaks to Democrats’ confidence in their other candidates’ standing in neighboring New York, where many of the country’s most pivotal House races are.
“Sue Altman is proud of her pro-choice record, proud to stand with working families and proud to push back against the hate and harm of Project 2025,” Sean Spiller, president of the NJEA, said in a statement. “Her opponent is hiding from voters because he knows the Trump agenda is not what voters in CD7 want but he’s too scared to stand up for them. That’s why we are proud to partner with the House Majority PAC to help make sure CD7 elects Sue Altman.”
The election in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District between incumbent Kean, Jr. and challenger Altman is extremely close according to the Monmouth University Poll. Kean has the edge on a number of issues, including the economy, immigration, and crime while Altman has a large advantage on abortion policy.
Among all registered voters in the district, 46% will definitely (31%) or probably (15%) vote for Kean and 44% will definitely (32%) or probably (12%) vote for Altman. [Note: Just over 1 in 10 voters report already casting their ballots. They are included among “definite” supporters for their chosen candidate.] Another 10% of registered voters do not have a preference between the two. Also, just 37% say they will definitely not vote for Kean and 38% will definitely not vote for Altman – which gives both candidates the potential to pick up support in the final weeks of the campaign.
“The level of support for each candidate may be equal right now, but there is more than enough room for one of them to break away. There is a sizable undecided vote and both candidates have relatively high ceilings for their potential vote share,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute.
Last week, Altman for Congress released new internal polling showing a statistical tie in the race for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional district, with Altman trailing incumbent Republican Congressman Kean, Jr. by only two points.
You get the feeling Tom Kean Jr. believes polls that say the CD-7 race has gotten very close.
His most recent TV ad is a full-scale attack on opponent Sue Altman, an individual he is now calling “Radical Sue.”
The point here is easy to digest:
Altman, who rose to public visibility as a leader of the left-leaning New Jersey Working Families Party, is too extreme for a mostly suburban district that covers at least parts of Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren counties.
To gist of the ad is the following voiceover:
“What is the definition of a radical? In New Jersey, it’s Sue Altman. Radical Sue backed tax hikes, defunding the police, and supports decriminalizing all drugs, including heroin and fentanyl. Radical Sue attacked cops and firefighters – even moderate Democrats. Because Sue Altman’s no centrist. She’s a radical, liberal activist, who threatens your future. “
As you vote, ask yourself if your candidate puts country over party leader.
George Washington: ” However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion. “
“Extreme” does not define Sue Altman in any way. She is a progressive, take charge person who gets results…the exact opposite of her opponent. All we need to do is give her this chance, and Sue will take it from there.