SPRINGFIELD – Jonathan Dayton, the local high school here bears the name of the youngest signer of the Constitution, who served as a speaker of the General Assembly and – perhaps ironically – as a member of Congress – an office that, in this cycle at least, eluded Lisa Mandelblatt, who made the high school stage of her alma mater the setting of her campaign exit.

Stunning the crowd at tonight’s Congressional District 7 debate, Mandelblatt overrode debate moderator Saily Avelenda, who feared the candidate was veering into a lengthy speech at the usurped podium. As it turned out, Avelenda’s instincts were right, as a tearful Mandelblatt waved her off, building up to her finale by recalling how she had been voted most likely to succeed in this very school, the captain of the cheerleading squad who also served as editor of the yearbook. Then, one of two women in a field of seven candidates, formally bowed out of the contest and awarded her support to former assistant secretary of state Tom Malinowski.

“I firmly believe that behavior and conversations will not change until women have a seat at the table and make our voices heard directly,” Mandelblatt said. “But being a woman is not enough of a qualifier. We need women who will fight for and amplify the voices of other women. We must flip the House if we are going to stop this assault on our most fundamental values. We need to win 24 seats to flip the house and CD7 is one of these must-wins.  This is a daunting and awesome responsibility.”

Malinowski, she said.

“He’s not a woman and he tells terrible dad jokes,” Mandelblatt said. “But I have heard him in forum after forum state his eagerness to fight for women and stand up for progressive values in Washington.”

Boos ensued. Boos and scorn.

A placid-looking Malinowski rose moments later and admitted shock.

So did Acting Union County Chair (and Fanwood Mayor) Colleen Mahr.

“I didn’t see that coming,” said the Democrat, her campaign manager, John Stewart, newly recruited from Plainfield, at her side.

Neither did Linda Weber, the Berkeley banker who racked up wins with the County Democratic Party committees in Somerset and Essex then fizzled Sunday in Hunterdon – the same county that dealt Mandelblatt zero votes, apparently effectively tomahawking her candidacy.

“I was very surprised because she had been talking about staying in the race because of all the money she raised,” Weber told InsiderNJ when asked about Mandelblatt’s departure after the forum had ended and the six remaining candidates milled in the well of the high school theater.

“No I don’t think so,” she added when asked if the endorsement changes the dynamic of the contest, “but time will tell. A lot of us want to win this seat. I believe I’m the only one who can beat Leonard Lance. This is my home,. I live here in Union County. I have a strong network here in Union County.”

Does she have confidence in the process here?

“I think we’ll know after we see who is chair after the 21st,” the candidate added, as Union County Democratic Committee chairmanship rivals state Senator Nick Scutari (D-22), Mahr, and Hillside Democratic Committee Chairman Anthony Salters politicked in the vicinity.

“Not at this time,” the candidate added, when asked if she favors anyone in particular to succeed Chairman Jerry Green.

Malinowski, for his part, digested the news about Mandelblatt’s support with a touch of inspirational torque.

“I’m honored to have it,” he said. “I didn’t know that was coming. I’m going to have to think about it. This is someone who ran the campaign in exactly the right way. She has done it by appealing to he people, that’s how we’re going to win.”

His campaign manager, Colston Reid, texted a statement.

“While we truly did not see that coming we are so grateful for the bravery Lisa showed tonight and can’t thank her enough for the faith she has shown in Tom,” said Reid. “Lisa’s campaign has always been about doing the hard work of changing our politics and we look forward to working together with her to advance those values throughout this campaign and beyond.”

After Mandelblatt left in the middle of the debate, environmentalist David Pringle made a point of letting the crowd know that he does not intend to play nice with mo Malinowski.

“I certainly respect her decision, but it’s a candidate’s forum not an endorsement platform,” he said.

As for the Union Democratic process, “It’s certainly gotten better in the sense that they haven’t fast tracked things,” Pringle said. “When that clears up remains to be seen. I’m not sure why Union County should be looking to choose one candidate who is not from Union County. I’m in it to win it.”  

Pringle’s political handler Pat Politano was less kind in his assessment.

“While other candidates were spending their time orchestrating cheap political stunts, David was standing in the rain supporting clergy who were arrested for defending immigrant children,” said the veteran Democratic Party operative, referring to an earlier day protest at the office of U.S. Rep. Lance. “That’s a difference among the candidates.”

The debate started out on a Democratic high note.

Moderator Avelenda’s mere appearance at the front of the theater in Jonathan Dayton High School a week and change after U.S. Rep. Rodey Frelinghuysen (R-11) announced his decision not to pursue reelection had endzone dance implications for the Democratic Party crowd, which practically brought down the house in response. In an infamous letter to her boss at a bank, Frelinghuysen fingered Avelenda as one of the ringleaders in the women’s movement targeting him, and now she occupied the podium amid full-throated cheers.

Twenty-four seats to flip the House.

Maybe Frelinghuysen’s is one of them, Avelenda’s presence said.

But not the only one.  

The Democrats here hope the 7th is another.

Then Mandelblatt dropped her bombshell, in a setting where Union Democrats for the most part appeared more deviously keyed into the Union County Chairman’s race.  

Who are you backing for chair, InsiderNJ asked Union County Freeholder Linda Carter. She beamed back a friendly, welcoming Union County smile – and darted sideways into a crowd of constituents.  

Right behind her sat Hillside Democratic Committee Chairman Anthony Salters, and just as fast as Carter moved off, InsiderNJ asked Salters if he has selected a candidate for Congress.

“I haven’t,” he said. “I’ll be hearing them out tonight.” 

That was a few minutes before Mandelblatt got up to the podium and prefaced her remarks with, “When a candidate burns through cash…”  a not-so-veiled jab at Weber.

Union County Executive Director Nick Fixmer stood at the front of the room, surveying the incoming party faithful just prior to the start of the event. “Jerry’s doing better,” he told InsiderNJ, referring to former Union County Democratic Chair Jerry Green. “Not well enough to be out at an event like this, but he’s been talking to his colleagues in the assembly.”

Fixmer – an ally of Scutari in the chairman’s tousle – told InsiderNJ last month that his firm, Parktowne, is interested in working for Malinowski.

Not Webber.

Mandelblatt – after months of making the case for herself as a woman – backed Malinowski.

Not Webber, the only woman left in the contest.

Salters , for his part, later sent over a statement.