Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) and his Democratic challenger, Sue Altman, have been gearing up to run against one another for months – and now, with the primary results in, their general election showdown in the 7th congressional district is officially set.
Altman was unopposed in the Democratic primary, while Kean beat back a Republican primary challenge from perennial candidate Roger Bacon, the New Jersey Globe projects. As of 9:46 p.m., Kean leads Bacon 79%-21%.
Kean, a former minority leader of the New Jersey State Senate, was first elected to the House in 2022, defeating two-term Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-Ringoes) in a close and expensive contest. Kean had previously lost to Malinowski in 2020 by a similarly narrow margin; in between the two elections, the 7th district was redrawn to be more Republican while other Democratic-held districts around the state were shored up.
Even the new, more Republican district still voted for Joe Biden 51%-47% in 2020, however, meaning that Kean was always going to be a top Democratic target going into 2024. Over the course of 2023, four Democrats stepped up to run against him: Altman, a former state director of the Working Families Party; Joe Signorello III, the mayor of Roselle Park; Jason Blazakis, a former U.S. State Department official; and Greg Vartan, a Summit city councilman.
While that field initially seemed headed for a competitive Democratic primary, Altman’s three opponents all struggled to catch fire among voters and donors, and steadily dropped out of the race as the campaign wore on. Blazakis was the last to go, ending his campaign on February 6, a few weeks before the 7th district’s first county convention – allowing Altman to sail through primary season as the presumptive Democratic nominee.
Kean, meanwhile, had to get past a number of primary opponents back in 2022, but there was little chatter this year of a serious primary challenge. The local Republican organizations in the 7th district recognize that he’s by far their best option to hold the swingy seat, and Kean has largely stuck to the GOP mainstream in Congress; he backed Donald Trump for president last week, for instance.
The only Republican who ended up bothering to challenge him was Bacon, who has now been handed his ninth straight loss. Bacon, a Trump devotee, ran for the 7th district in 2022 as well – as a Democrat.
By all indications, the now-official matchup between Altman and Kean will be a competitive one. Both candidates have raised millions of dollars – Altman actually outraised Kean during the most recent fundraising quarter, though Kean still has twice as much money on-hand – and Altman was added in March to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s “Red to Blue” list for top House challengers.
And thanks to the state’s carefully drawn congressional map, the 7th district may be the only New Jersey district worth paying attention to this November. In 2022, it was the only district in the state where the final margin was in the single digits; two other districts were safely Republican, while the other nine stayed strongly Democratic.
“Tonight’s victory is a testament to our shared vision of a strong, safe, and prosperous New Jersey and nation,” Kean said in a statement on his primary win. “I will continue to focus on fostering safer communities, addressing the affordability crisis, and cutting unnecessary government spending. Sue Altman’s far-left agenda, which is a combination of dangerous policies and her radical activist background, is wildly out of step with the values of our district. I am deeply honored by the trust and support shown by our supporters, and the voters of NJ-07.”
“Communities across New Jersey deserve a representative with a clear voice and real leadership,” Altman said in a statement of her own. “When elected to Congress, I will fight to defend reproductive freedoms, protect our Democracy, and lower costs for New Jersey working families. Tom Kean, Jr. can’t even stand up to Donald Trump and the extremist leaders in his own party. NJ-07 is done with his brand of cowardice and this campaign will make sure he hears that message loud and clear in November.”