MAHWAH – They call themselves the “9 to 5” candidates.

They are Republican challengers Billy Prempeh in CD-9 and Mary Jo Guinchard in CD-5.

Both districts include chunks of Bergen County, which is what brought both candidates to a local hotel Thursday night for a town hall.

But this was more than just a night for congressional candidates to make their points.

Radio host and 2025 gubernatorial candidate Bill Spadea began the proceedings, urging Republicans and conservatives to fight hard for their beliefs.

Spadea can be a cocky sort and he was one this night.

He reminded the crowd of about 100 or so that some of the other Republican candidates for governor appealed to the state Election Law Enforcement Commission to have his show removed from the air. They argued that the radio station – 101.5 – was giving candidate Spadea an unfair advantage. But the commission disagreed, although it said back in June that Spadea’s show will be “monitored.”

“We beat ’em,” Spadea said Thursday. “I’m not only a candidate. I’m staying on the air.”

Also on hand was Alexandra Bougher, the Bergen County chair of Moms for Liberty. She told the crowd to pay attention to what happens Monday in Trenton. That’s when the “Freedom to Read” bill is set for a vote in the Senate. It already has passed the Assembly.

Sponsors say the bill protects library staff and reinforces the belief that students should be able to read whatever they want.

Those on the right say the bill would sanction “pornography” and infringe on “parents’ rights.”

Summing up what is a standard belief in conservative circles, Guinchard said of public schools in general:

“They’re trying to indoctrinate our children.”

That view fit quite well with what was a very conservative audience.

One man said he still thinks that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump. No one said they disagreed.

The presentations by Prempeh and Guinchard were in line with the sentiments of the crowd.

Both condemned the administration for doing nothing to stop illegal border crossings and talked about the danger migrants pose.

Guinchard said her opponent, Josh Gottheimer, does not support police.

Interestingly, earlier this week, Gottheimer was endorsed by the State Troopers Fraternal Association of New Jersey.

Guinchard said that was union support and that she based her views on what she has heard from police in the street and on the job.

A few months ago, Gottheimer’s campaign called Guinchard “MAGA Mary”

in a press release.

She said that did not bother her and on this night, I saw at least one person sporting a “MAGA Mary” button.

Prempeh is running against Nellie Pou who was chosen to replace the late Bill Pascrell on the ballot.

Prempeh said he expected Dems to select another candidate, but that he wasn’t complaining.

By any objective analysis, Prempeh did much better than Pou did in a virtual debate between the two earlier this month.

Prempeh, who is about to turn 35, stressed his youth and said Congress needs “young leadership.”

Both CD-5 and CD-9 lean Democratic and are considered non-competitive.

Upsets can happen, but it’s worth wondering if a hard-right approach is going to win over voters in districts with more Democrats than Republicans.

The Dems’ registration advantage in CD-5 is about 50,000. It’s about

98,000 in CD-9.

Prempeh, for what it is worth, does not waver from strong “America First” views.

“I don’t care about Ukraine,” he said. “I’m sorry if that rubs people the wrong way.”